Sunan an-Nasa'i
Sunan an-Nasa'i 2615
أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ سَلَمَةَ، وَالْحَارِثُ بْنُ مِسْكِينٍ، قِرَاءَةً عَلَيْهِ وَأَنَا أَسْمَعُ، عَنِ ابْنِ الْقَاسِمِ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا مَالِكٌ، عَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ أَسْلَمَ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ عُمَرَ، يَقُولُ حَمَلْتُ عَلَى فَرَسٍ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ فَأَضَاعَهُ الَّذِي كَانَ عِنْدَهُ وَأَرَدْتُ أَنْ أَبْتَاعَهُ مِنْهُ وَظَنَنْتُ أَنَّهُ بَائِعُهُ بِرُخْصٍ فَسَأَلْتُ عَنْ ذَلِكَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ " لاَ تَشْتَرِهِ وَإِنْ أَعْطَاكَهُ بِدِرْهَمٍ فَإِنَّ الْعَائِدَ فِي صَدَقَتِهِ كَالْكَلْبِ يَعُودُ فِي قَيْئِهِ " .
Muhammad ibn Salamah and al-Harith ibn Miskin reported; it was read to him while I listened, from Ibn al-Qasim, who said: Malik narrated to us, from Zayd ibn Aslam, from his father, who said: I heard Umar say: I gave a horse in the path of Allah, Mighty and Majestic. The man who had it neglected it, and I wanted to buy it from him. I thought he would sell it cheaply, so I asked the Messenger of Allah ﷺ about that. He said: Do not buy it, even if he offers it to you for a dirham, for one who returns to his charity is like a dog returning to its vomit.
Translation notes
The horse was originally given in the path of Allah, then neglected by its recipient. The attempted purchase and the Prophetic prohibition are preserved.