The Book of Zakat

كتاب الزكاة

Chapter 42: The virtue of refraining from asking and being patient and content

Abu Sa'id al-Khudri reported that some people from among the Ansar begged from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and he gave them. They again begged him and he again gave them, till when what was in his possession was exhausted he said

Whatever good (riches, goods) I have, I will not withhold it from you. He who refrains from begging Allah safeguards him against want. and he who seeks sufficiency, Allah would keep him in a state of sufficiency, and he who shows endurance. Allah would grant him power to endure, and none is blessed with an endowment better and greater than endurance.

This hadith has been narrated by Zuhri with the same chain of transmitters.

Chapter 43: Sufficient provision and contentment

'Amr b. al-'As reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying

He Is successful who has accepted Islam, who has been provided with sufficient for his want and been made contented by Allah with what He has given him.

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying

O Allah, make the provision of Muhammad's family sufficient just to sustain life.

Chapter 44: Giving to those whose hearts have been inclined (towards Islam) and to those for whose faith there is fear if they are not given anything, and putting up with the one who asks rudely due to ignorance, and the Khawarij and rulings regarding them

Umar b. Khattab (Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) distributed something. Upon this I said

Messenger of Allah, I swear by God, the others besides them were more deserving than these (to whom you gave charity). He said: They had in fact left no other alternative for me. but (that they should) either beg importunately from me or they would regard me as a miser, but I am not a miser.

Anas b. Malik reported

I was walking with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and he had put on a mantle of Najran with a thick border. A bedouin met him and pulled the mantle so violently that I saw this violent pulling leaving marks of the border of the mantle on the skin of the neck of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). And he (the bedouin) said: Muhammad, issue command that I should be given out of the wealth of Allah which is at your disposal. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) turned his attention to him and smiled, and then ordered for him a gift (provision).

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Anas b. Malik through another chain of transmitters. And In the hadith transmitted by Ikrima b. 'Ammir there is an addition

" He (the bedouin) pulled his (mantle) so violently that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was drifted very close to the bedouin." And in the hadith transmitted by Hammam, (the words are):" He pulled it so violently that the mantle was torn and the border was left around the neck of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)."

Miswar b. Makhrama reported that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) distributed some cloaks but did not bestow one upon Makhrama. Upon this Makhrama said

O my son, come along with me to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). So I went with him. He said: Enter the house and call him (to come out) for me. So I called him and he (the Holy Prophet) came out, and there was a cloak (from those already distributed) on him. He (the Holy Prophet) said: I had kept it for you. He (Makhrama), looked at it and was pleased.

Miswar b. Makhrama reported

Some cloaks were presented to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). My father Makhrama said to me: Come along with me to him; perhaps we may be able to get anything out of that (stock of cloaks). My father stood at the door and began to talk. The Apostle of Allah (ﷺ) recognised him by his voice and came out and there was a cloak with him, and he was showing its beauties and saying: I kept it for you, I kept it for you.

Chapter 45: Giving to one whose faith one fears

Sa'd reported that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) bestowed (some gifts) upon a group of people and I was sitting amongst them. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), however, left a person and he did not give him anything. and he seemed to me the most excellent among them (and thus deserved the gifts more than anyone else). So I stood up before the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and said to him in undertone

Messenger of Allah, what about so and so? By Allah, I find him a believer. He (the Messenger of Allah) said: He may be a Muslim. I kept quiet for a short while, and then what I knew of him urged me (to plead his case again) and I said: Messenger of Allah, what about so and so? By Allah, I find him a believer. Upon this he (the Holy Prophet) said: He may be a Muslim. I again remained quiet for a short while, and what I knew of him again urged me (to plead his case so I) said: Messenger of Allah, what about so and so? By Allah, I find him a believer. Upon this he (the Holy Prophet) said: He may be a Muslim. I often bestow (something) upon a person, whereas someone else is dearer to me than he, because of the fear that he may fall headlong into the fire. And in the hadith transmitted by Hulwani this statement was repeated twice.

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

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Muhammad b. Sa'd through another chain of transmitters (and the words are)

" The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) struck between my neck and shoulder with his hand and said: Do you wrangle, O Sa'd, because I bestow (some gifts) upon a person?"

Chapter 46: Giving to those whose hearts have been inclined (towards Islam) and urging those whose faith is strong to show patience

Anas b. Malik reported that when on the Day of Hunain Allah conferred upon His Apostle (ﷺ) the riches of Hawazin (without armed encounter), the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) set about distributing to some persons of Quraish one hundred camels Upon this they (the young people from the Ansar) said

May Allah grant pardon to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) that he bestowed (these camels) upon the people of Quraish, and he ignored us, whereas our swords are still dripping blood. Anas b. Malik said: Their statement was conveyed to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and he sent (someone) to the Ansar and gathered them under a tent of leather. When they had assembled, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) came to them and said: What is this news that has reached me from you? The wise people of the Ansar said: Messenger of Allah, so far as the sagacious amongst us are concerned they have said nothing, but we have amongst us persons of immature age; they said: May Allah grant pardon to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) that he gave to the Quraish and ignored us (despite the fact) that our swords are besmeared with their blood. Upon this the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: I give (at times material gifts) to persons who were quite recently in the state of unbelief, so that I may incline them to truth Don't you feel delighted that people should go with riches, and you should go back to your places with the Messenger of Allah? By Allah, that with which you would return is better than that with which they would return. They said: Yes, Messenger of Allah, we are pleased. The Prophet said too: You would find marked preference (in conferring of the material gifts) in future, so you should show patience till you meet Allah and His Messenger and I would he at the Haud Kauthar. They said: We would show patience.

Anas b. Malik reported that when Allah conferred upon His Messenger (ﷺ) the riches of Hawazin (without armed encounter) ; the rest of the hadith is the same except some variation (of words)

" Anas said: We could not tolerate it and he also said: The people were immature in age."

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Anas b. Malik through another chain of transmitters.

Anas b. Malik reported that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) gathered the Ansar and said

Is there someone alien among you? They said: No, but only the son of our sister. Upon this the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: The son of the sister of the people is included among the tribe, and (farther) said: The Quraish have recently abandoned Jahillyya and have just been delivered from distress; I, therefore, intend to help them and conciliate them. Don't you feel happy that the people should return with worldly riches and you return with the Messenger of Allah to your houses? (So far as my love for you is concerned I should say) if the people were to tread a valley and the Ansar tread a narraw path (in a mountain) I would tread the narrow path of the Ansar.

Anas b. Malik reported

When Mecca was conquered, he (the Holy Prophet) distributed the spoils among the Quraish. Upon this the Ansar said: It is strange that our swords are dripping with their blood, whereas our spoils have been given to them (to the Quraish). This (remark) reached the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), and so he gathered them and said: What is this that has been conveyed to me about you? They said: (Yes) it is that very thing that, has reached you and they were not (the people) to speak a lie. Upon this he said: Don't you like that the people should return to their houses along with worldly riches, whereas you should return to your houses with the Messenger of Allah? If the people were to tread a valley or a narrow path, and the Ansar were also to tread a valley or a narrow path, I would tread the valley (along with the) Ansar or the narrow path (along with the) Ansar.

Anas b. Malik reported that when it was the Day of Hunain there came the tribes of Hawazin, Ghatafan and others along with their children and animals, and there were with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) that day ten thousand (soldiers), and newly freed men (of Mecca after its conquest). All these men (once) turned their backs, till he (the Holy Prophet) was left alone. He (the Messenger of Allah) on that day called twice and he did not interpose anything between these two (announcements). He turned towards his right and said

O people of Ansar! They said: At thy beck and call (are we), Messenger of Allah. Be glad we are with thee. He then turned towards his left and said: O people of Ansar. They said: At thy beck and call (are we). Be glad we are with thee. He (the Holy Prophet) was riding a white mule. He dismounted and said: I am the servant of Allah and His Apostle. The polytheists suffered defeat and the Messenger of Allah (may peace he upon him) acquired a large quantity of spoils, and he distributed them among the refugees and the people recently delivered (of Mecca) but did not give anything to the Ansar. The Ansar said: In the hour of distress it is we who are called (for help). but the spoils are given to other people besides us. This (remark) reached him (the Holy Prophet). and he gathered them In a tent. and said: What is this news that has reached me on your behalf? They kept silence. Upon this he said: O people of Ansar, don't you like that people should go away with worldly (riches), and you go away with Muhammad taking him to your houses? They said: Yes, happy we are. Messenger of Allah. He (the Holy Prophet) said: If the people were to tread a valley, and the Ansar were to tread a narrow path, I would take the narrow path of the Ansar. Hisham said: I asked Abu Hamza if he was present there. He said: How could I be absent from him?

Anas b. Malik reported

We conquered Mecca and then we went on an expedition to Hunain. The polytheists came, forming themselves into the best rows that I have seen. They first formed the rows of cavalry, then those of infantry, and then those of women behind them. Then there were formed the rows of sheep and goats and then of other animals. We were also people large in number, and our (number) had reached six thousand. And on one side Khalid b. Walid was in charge of the cavalry. And our horses at once turned back from our rear. And we could hardly hold our own when our horses were exposed, and the bedouins and the people whom we knew took to their heels. (Seeing this) the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) called thus: O emigrants, O emigrants. He then. said: O Ansar, O Ansar. (Anas said: This hadith is transmitted by a group of eminent persons.) We said: At thy beck and call are we, Messenger of Allah. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) then advanced and he (Anas) said: By Allah, we had not yet reached them when Allah defeated them. and we took possession of the wealth and we then marched towards Ta'if, and we besieged them for forty nights. and then came back to Mecca and encamped (at a place), and the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) began to bestow a hundred camels upon each individual. The rest of the hadith is the same.

Rafi' b. Khadij reported that the Messenger of Allah; (ﷺ) gave to Abu Sufyan b. Harb and Safwan. b. Umayya and 'Uyaina b. Hisn and Aqra' b. Habis, i.e. to every one of these persons, one hundred camels, and gave to 'Abbas b. Mirdas less than this number. Upon this 'Abbas b. Mirdis said

You allot the share of my booty and that of my horse between 'Uyaina and Aqra'. Both Uyaina and Aqra' are in no way more eminent than Mirdas (my father) in the assembly. I am in no way inferior to any one of these persons. And he who is let down today would not be elevated. He (the narrator) said: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) then completed one hundred camels for him.