The Book of Gifts

كتاب الهبات

Chapter 1: It Is Disliked For A Man To Buy What He Gave In Charity From The One To Whom He Gave It

Zaid b. Aslam reported on the authority of his father that 'Umar (Allah be pleased with him) donated a horse in the path of Allah. He found that it had languished in the hand of its possessor, and he was a man of meagre resources He (Hadrat 'Umar) intended to buy it. He came to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and made a mention of that to him, whereupon he said

Don't buy that even if you get it for a dirham for he who gets back the charity is like a dog which swallows its vomit.

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Zaid b. Aslam with the same chain of transmitters but with this (change) that the hadith transmitted on the authority of Malik and Rauh (he was the son of Qisirn) is more complete and lengthy.

Umar b. Khattab (Allah be pleased with him) reported

I donated a pedigree horse in the path of Allah. Its possessor made it languish. I thought that he would sell it at a cheap price. I asked Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) about it, whereupon he said: Don't buy it and do not get back your charity, for one who gets back the charity is like a dog who swallows its vomit.

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Malik b. Anas with the same chain of transmitters but with this addition

" Don't buy that even if he gives you for one dirham."

Ibn 'Umar reported that 'Umar b. al-Khattib (Allah be pleased with him) donated a horse in the path of Allah and (later on) he found it being sold, and he decided to buy that. He asked the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) about it. whereupon he (the Holy prophet) said

Don't buy that and do not get back what you gave in charity.

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Ibn Umar through another chain of transmitters.

Chapter 2: The Prohibition Of Taking Back One's Charity After It Has Been Accepted, Except In The Case Of What A Father Gives To A Son Or Grandson

Ibn Abbas (Allah be pleased with them) reported

I heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) say: The similitude of one who gives a charity and then gets it back is like that of a dog which vomits and then eats its vomit.

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Qatada with the same chain of transmitters.

Chapter 3: It Is Disliked To Favor Some Of One's Children Over Others In Gift-Giving

Nu'man b. Bashir (Allah be pleased with them) reported that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said to his father

Call me not as witness to an injustice.

Nu'man b. Bashir reported

My father conferred a gift upon me, and then brought me to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) to make him a witness (to it). He (the Holy Prophet) said: Have you given such gift to every son of yours (as you have given to Nu'man)? He said: No. Thereupon he (the Holy Prophet) said: Don't you expect goodness from them as you expect from him? He said: Yes. of course. He (the Holy Prophet) said: I am not going to bear witness to it (as it is injustice). Ibn Aun (one of the narrators) said: I narrated this hadith to Muhammad (the other narrator) who said: Verily we narrated that lie (the Holy Prophet) had said: Observe equity amongst your children.

Chapter 4: The 'Umra (Lifelong Gift)

Jaber b. 'Abdullah (Allah be pleased with them) reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upan him) as saying

He who conferred a life grant upon a person, it becomes his possession and that of his successors, for he surrendered his right in that by his declaration. (This property) now belongs to one to whom this lifelong grant has been made, and to his successors. Yahya narrated in the beginning of his narration: Whatever man is given a life grant, then it belongs to him and his posterity.

Jabir reported this hadith directly from Allah's Apostle (ﷺ)

Jabir b. Abdullah (Allah be pleased with them) reported Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) as saying

Life grant is the heritage of one upon whom it is conferred.

Chapter 3: It Is Disliked To Favor Some Of One's Children Over Others In Gift-Giving

Nu'man b. Bashir (Allah be pleased with them) reported

My father took me to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and said: Allah's Messenger, bear witness that I have given such and such gift to Nu'man from my property, whereupon he (the Holy Prophet) said: Have you conferred upon all of your sons as you have conferred upon Nu'man? He said: No. Thereupon he (the Holy Prophet) said: Call someone else besides me as a witness. And he further said: Would it, please you that they (your children) should all behave virtuously towards you? He said: Yes. He (the Holy Prophet) said: Then don't do that (i e. don't give gift to one to the exclusion of others).

Jabir (Allah be pleased with him) reported that the wife of Bashir said (to her husband)

Give to my son your slave as a gift, and make for me Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) a witness He came to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and said: The daughter of so and so (his wife Amra bint Rawaha) asked me to give my slave as a gift to her son, and call for me Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as a witness. Thereupon he (the Holy Prophet) said: Has he (Nu'man) brothers? He (Bashir) said: Yes. He (further) said: Have you given to all others as you have given to him? He said: No. He said: Then it is not fair; and verily I cannot bear witness but only to what is just.

Chapter 4: The 'Umra (Lifelong Gift)

Jabir b. 'Abdullah (Allah be pleased with them) reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying

"Any man who is given agift for life, it belongs to him andhis heirs. It belongs to the one towhom it is given, and does not goback to the one who gave it,because he has given it in such away that it is subject to the rulesof inheritance."

Jabir b. 'Abdullah reported a hadith like this through another chain of transmitters.

Jabir (b. 'Abdullah) (Allah be pleased with him) reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) having said

Keep your property to yourselves and do not squander it, for he who conferred a life grant upon another that property will belong to him upon whom it is conferred whether he lives or dies, and (would pass on) to his successors (as heritage).

This hadith is narrated on the authority of Jabir through other chains of transmitters, but (with this addition of words) that thehadith transmitted on the authority of Ayyub (these words are found)

" The Helpers (Ansar) conferred the benefit of 'Umra, upon the Emigrants (Muhajirin), whereupon Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: Keep your property to yourselves.