Gifts
كتاب الهبة وفضلها والتحريض عليها
Chapter 23: The received, unreceived, divided and undivided gifts
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) owed a man some debt (and that man demanded it very harshly). The companions of the Prophet (ﷺ) wanted to harm him, but the Prophet (ﷺ) said to them, "Leave him, as the creditor has the right to speak harshly." He then added, "Buy (a camel) of the same age and give it to him." They said, "We cannot get except a camel of an older age than that of his." He said, "Buy it and give it to him, as the best amongst you is he who pays back his debt in the most handsome way.'
Chapter 24: If a group of persons gives a gift to some people
When the delegates of the tribe of Hawazin came to the Prophet (ﷺ) they requested him to return their property and their captives. He said to them, "This concerns also other people along with me as you see, and the best statement to me is the true one, so you may choose one of two alternatives; either the captives or the property and (I have not distributed the booty for) I have been waiting for you." When the Prophet (ﷺ) had returned from Ta'if, he waited for them for more than ten nights. When they came to know that the Prophet (ﷺ) would not return except one of the two, they chose their captives. The Prophet then stood up amongst the Muslims, Glorified and Praised Allah as He deserved, and then said, "Then after: These brothers of yours have come to you with repentance and I see it proper to return their captives, so whoever amongst you likes to do that as a favor, then he can do it, and whoever of you wants to stick to his share till we pay him from the very first Fai (i.e. war booty) which Allah will give us, then he can do so." The people said, "We return (the captives) to them willingly as a favor, O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)!" The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "I do not know who of you has given his consent and who has not; so go back and your leaders may present your decision to me." The people went away, and their leaders discussed the matter with them, and then came to the Prophet (ﷺ) to tell him that all of them had given their consent (to return the captives) willingly. (Az-Zuhn, the sub-narrator said, "This is what we know about the captives, of Hawazin.")
Chapter 25: Whosoever is given a gift while some people are sitting with him, he only has the right to have it
Narrated Ibn `Abbas:
That the people sitting with that person will be his co-owners. But this report is not confirmed by an authentic narration. (Refer to Hadith 778)
The Prophet (ﷺ) took a camel of special age from somebody on credit. Its owner came and demanded it back (harshly). The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "No doubt, he who has a right, can demand it." Then the Prophet (ﷺ) gave him an older camel than his camel and said, "The best amongst you is he who repays his debts in the most handsome way."
That he was in the company of the Prophet (ﷺ) on a journey, riding a troublesome camel belonging to `Umar. The camel used to go ahead of the Prophet, so Ibn `Umar's father would say, "O `Abdullah! No one should go ahead of the Prophet." The Prophet (ﷺ) said to him, "Sell it to me." `Umar said to the Prophet "It is for you." So, he bought it and said, "O `Abdullah! It is for you, and you can do with it what you like."
Chapter 26: If someone gives a camel as a gift to a man riding it
We were in the company of the Prophet (ﷺ) on a journey, and I was riding a troublesome camel. The Prophet (ﷺ) asked 'Umar to sell that camel to him. So, 'Umar sold it to him. The Prophet (ﷺ) then said, "O 'Abdullah! The camel is for you."
Chapter 27: A gift of clothes, wearing of which is disliked
`Umar bin Al-Khattab saw a silken dress (cloak) being sold at the gate of the Mosque and said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! Would that you buy it and wear it on Fridays and when the delegates come to you!" Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "This is worn by the one who will have no share in the Hereafter." Later on some silk dresses were brought and Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) sent one of them to `Umar. `Umar said, "How do you give me this to wear while you said what you said about the dress of 'Utarid?" Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "I have not given it to you to wear." So, `Umar gave it to a pagan brother of his in Mecca.
Once the Prophet (ﷺ) went to the house of Fatima but did not enter it. `Ali came and she told him about that. When 'All asked the Prophet (ﷺ) about it, he said, "I saw a (multicolored) decorated curtain on her door. I am not interested in worldly things." `Ali went to Fatima and told her about it. Fatima said, "I am ready to dispense with it in the way he suggests." The Prophet (ﷺ) ordered her to send it to such-andsuch needy people. "
The Prophet (ﷺ) gave me a silken dress as a gift and I wore it. When I saw the signs of anger on his face, I cut it into pieces and distributed it among my wives."
Chapter 28: The acceptance of presents from Al-Mushrikun
A Jubba (i.e. cloak) made of thick silken cloth was presented to the Prophet. The Prophet (ﷺ) used to forbid people to wear silk. So, the people were pleased to see it. The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "By Him in Whose Hands Muhammad's soul is, the handkerchiefs of Sa`d bin Mu`adh in Paradise are better than this." Anas added, "The present was sent to the Prophet (ﷺ) by Ukaidir (a Christian) from Dauma."
A Jewess brought a poisoned (cooked) sheep for the Prophet (ﷺ) who ate from it. She was brought to the Prophet and he was asked, "Shall we kill her?" He said, "No." I continued to see the effect of the poison on the palate of the mouth of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) .
We were one-hundred and thirty persons accompanying the Prophet (ﷺ) who asked us whether anyone of us had food. There was a man who had about a Sa of wheat which was mixed with water then. A very tall pagan came driving sheep. The Prophet (ﷺ) asked him, "Will you sell us (a sheep) or give it as a present?" He said, "I will sell you (a sheep)." The Prophet (ﷺ) bought a sheep and it was slaughtered. The Prophet ordered that its liver and other Abdominal organs be roasted. By Allah, the Prophet (ﷺ) gave every person of the one-hundred-and-thirty a piece of that; he gave all those of them who were present; and kept the shares of those who were absent. The Prophet (ﷺ) then put its meat in two huge basins and all of them ate to their fill, and even then more food was left in the two basins which were carried on the camel (or said something like it).
Chapter 29: Giving presents to Al-Mushrikun
`Umar saw a silken cloak over a man for sale and requested the Prophet (ﷺ) to buy it in order to wear it on Fridays and while meeting delegates. The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "This is worn by the one who will have no share in the Hereafter." Later on Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) got some silken cloaks similar to that one, and he sent one to `Umar. `Umar said to the Prophet (ﷺ) "How can I wear it, while you said about it what you said?" The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "I have not given it to you to wear, but to sell or to give to someone else." So, `Umar sent it to his brother at Mecca before he embraced Islam.
My mother came to me during the lifetime of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and she was a pagan. I said to Allah's Apostle (seeking his verdict), "My mother has come to me and she desires to receive a reward from me, shall I keep good relations with her?" The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Yes, keep good relation with her. "
Chapter 30: Not to take back presents or Sadaqa
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "He who takes back his present is like him who swallows his vomit."
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "The bad example is not for us. He who takes back his present is like a dog that swallows back its vomit."
I gave a horse in Allah's Cause. The person to whom it was given, did not look after it. I intended to buy it from him, thinking that he would sell it cheap. When I asked the Prophet (ﷺ) he said, "Don't buy it, even if he gives it to you for one Dirham, as the person who takes back what he has given in charity, is like a dog that swallows back its vomit."
Chapter 31
The sons of Suhaib, (Suhaib, who was the freed slave of BaniJud'an) claimed that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) had given two houses and one room to Suhaib. Marwan asked, "Who will testify to your claim?" They replied that Ibn 'Umarwould do so. Marwan sent for Ibn 'Umar who testified that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) had really given Suhaib two houses and a room. So, Marwan gave the verdict (in favour of Suhaib's sons), because of (Ibn 'Umar's) witness.
Chapter 32: 'Umra and Ruqba
The Prophet (ﷺ) gave the verdict that `Umra is for the one to whom it is presented.
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Umra is permissible." Ata said, "Jabir narrated the same to me from the Prophet."
Chapter 33: Borrowing a horse from some people
Once the people of Medina were frightened, so the Prophet (ﷺ) borrowed a horse from Abu Talha called Al-Mandub, and rode it. When he came back he said, "We have not seen anything (to be afraid of), but the horse was very fast (having an energy as inexhaustible as the water of the sea).