The Book of Gifts

It was narrated from Amr bin Shu'aib, from his father, that his grandfather said: We were with the Messenger of Allah when the delegation of Hawazin came and said, ‘O Muhammad, we are a people of standing and kinship, and a hardship has befallen us that you know well. Show us favor, as Allah has shown you favor.’ He said, ‘Choose between your wealth and your women and children.’ They replied, ‘You have given us the choice between our honor and our wealth; we choose our women and children.’ The Messenger of Allah said, ‘Whatever belongs to me and to Banu Abd al-Muttalib is yours. After I pray Zuhr, stand and say, “We seek the Messenger of Allah’s help with the believers—or Muslims—regarding our women and children.”’ After they prayed Zuhr, they stood and said this. The Messenger of Allah repeated, ‘Whatever belongs to me and Banu Abd al-Muttalib is yours.’ The Emigrants said, ‘What belongs to us is for the Messenger of Allah,’ and the Ansar said the same. Al-Aqra bin Habis said, ‘As for me and Banu Tamim, no.’ Uyaynah bin Hisn said, ‘As for me and Banu Fazara, no.’ Al-Abbas bin Mirdas said, ‘As for me and Banu Sulaym, no.’ The people of Banu Sulaym stood and said, ‘You have lied; what belongs to us is for the Messenger of Allah.’ The Messenger of Allah said, ‘People, return their women and children. Whoever gives up any part of this booty will receive six shares from the first booty Allah grants us.’ He mounted his camel, and the people crowded around him, saying, ‘Distribute our spoils among us.’ They pressed him toward a tree, and his cloak was caught and pulled away. He said, ‘People, return my cloak. By Allah, if I had as many camels as there are trees in Tihamah, I would distribute them among you, and you would find me neither miserly, cowardly, nor dishonest.’ He then went to a camel, took a hair from its hump between his fingers, and said, ‘Look, I have no share of the booty except the fifth, and that fifth is returned among you.’ A man came forward holding a ball of hair and said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, I took this to repair my camel’s saddle.’ He replied, ‘What belongs to me and Banu Abd al-Muttalib is yours.’ The man said, ‘If even this is included, I have no need of it,’ and threw it down. The Messenger of Allah said, ‘People, return even the thread and the needle, for embezzlement will bring shame and disgrace upon those who commit it on the Day of Resurrection.’

It was narrated from Amr bin Shu'aib, from his father, that his grandfather said: The Messenger of Allah said, ‘No one may take back a gift, except a father taking back a gift from his child. The one who takes back a gift is like one who returns to his vomit.’

It was narrated from Ibn Umar and Ibn Abbas, who attributed it to the Prophet: ‘It is not lawful for a man to give a gift and then take it back, except a father taking back what he gave his child. The one who gives a gift and then takes it back is like a dog that eats until it is full, vomits, and then returns to its vomit.’

It was narrated that Ibn Abbas said: The Messenger of Allah said, ‘The one who takes back his gift is like a dog that vomits and then returns to its vomit.’

It was narrated that Tawus said: The Messenger of Allah said, ‘It is not lawful for anyone to give a gift and then take it back, except a parent taking back what was given to their child.’ Tawus said, ‘When I was young, I used to hear the phrase “one who returns to his vomit,” but we did not know that it was being used as a comparison.’ He said, ‘The one who does that is like a dog that eats, vomits, and then returns to its vomit.’

It was narrated from Abdullah bin Abbas that the Messenger of Allah said: ‘The one who takes back his charity is like a dog that returns to its vomit and eats it.’

It was narrated from Ibn Abbas that the Prophet said: ‘The one who gives charity and then takes it back is like a dog that vomits, returns to its vomit, and eats it.’

It was narrated from Abdullah bin Abbas that the Messenger of Allah said: ‘The one who takes back his charity is like a dog that vomits and then returns to its vomit.’ Al-Awza'i said, ‘I heard him narrating this hadith to Ata bin Abi Rabah.’

It was narrated from Ibn Abbas that the Prophet said: ‘The one who takes back his gift is like one who returns to his vomit.’

It was narrated that Ibn Abbas said: The Messenger of Allah said, ‘The one who takes back his gift is like one who returns to his vomit.’

It was narrated that Ibn Abbas said: The Messenger of Allah said, ‘We should not set a bad example. The one who takes back his gift is like one who returns to his vomit.’

It was narrated that Ibn Abbas said: The Messenger of Allah said, ‘We should not set a bad example. The one who takes back his gift is like a dog that returns to its vomit.’

It was narrated that Ibn Abbas said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, ‘We should not set a bad example. The one who takes back his gift is like a dog returning to its vomit.’

It was narrated from Abdullah ibn Tawus, from his father, from Ibn Abbas, that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: ‘The one who takes back his gift is like a dog that vomits, then returns to its vomit.’

It was narrated from Abu az-Zubayr, from Tawus, that Ibn Abbas said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, ‘The one who takes back his gift is like one who returns to his vomit.’

It was narrated from Amr ibn Shuayb, from Tawus, from Ibn Umar and Ibn Abbas, who said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, ‘It is not lawful for anyone to give a gift and then take it back, except a father with regard to what he gives his child. The one who gives a gift and then takes it back is like a dog that eats until it is full, vomits, and then returns to its vomit.’

It was narrated from al-Hasan ibn Muslim, from Tawus, that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: ‘It is not lawful for anyone to give a gift and then take it back, except a father.’ Tawus said: ‘I used to hear the boys say, “O you who returns to his vomit!” I did not realize that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ had used this as a parable until we heard that he used to say: “The likeness of one who gives a gift and then takes it back is like a dog that eats its vomit.”’ (The narrator said that he mentioned a phrase with this meaning.)

It was narrated from Hanzalah, who heard Tawus say: Some of those who met the Prophet ﷺ told us that he said, ‘The likeness of one who gives something and then takes back his gift is that of a dog that eats, vomits, and then eats its vomit.’