Mishkat al-Masabih

Mishkat al-Masabih 1864

Arabic hadith text

وَعَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «مَثَلُ الْبَخِيلِ وَالْمُتَصَدِّقِ كَمَثَلِ رَجُلَيْنِ عَلَيْهِمَا جُنَّتَانِ مِنْ حَدِيدٍ قَدِ اضْطُرَّتْ أَيْدِيهِمَا إِلَى ثُدُيِّهِمَا وَتَرَاقِيهِمَا فَجَعَلَ الْمُتَصَدِّقُ كُلَّمَا تَصَدَّقَ بِصَدقَة انبسطت عَنهُ الْبَخِيلُ كُلَّمَا هَمَّ بِصَدَقَةٍ قَلَصَتْ وَأَخَذَتْ كُلُّ حَلقَة بمكانها»

Translation

Abu Huraira, may Allah be pleased with him, said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, ‘The likeness of the miser and the giver of alms is like that of two men wearing coats of armor whose hands are constrained against their chests and collarbones. Whenever the giver gives alms, his armor expands around him; whenever the miser considers giving alms, it contracts, and every ring returns to its place.’

Translation notes
  • The Arabic metaphor describes armor of iron with the hands constrained against the chest and collarbones; it does not name the collection in this passage.