Sunan an-Nasa'i
The Book of Zakah
كتاب الزكاة
Chapter 100
شِرَاءِ الصَّدَقَةِ
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.
Harun ibn Ishaq reported: Abd al-Razzaq narrated to us, from Mamar, from al-Zuhri, from Salim ibn Abd Allah, from his father, from Umar, that he gave a horse in the path of Allah. He saw it being sold and wanted to buy it. The Prophet ﷺ said to him: Do not interfere with your charity.
Translation notes
This version omits the later dog-and-vomit comparison found in another route and ends with the prohibition against buying back the charitable gift.
Muhammad ibn Abd Allah ibn al-Mubarak reported: Hujayn informed us: al-Layth narrated to us, from Uqayl, from Ibn Shihab, from Salim ibn Abd Allah, that Abd Allah ibn Umar used to relate that Umar gave a horse in charity in the path of Allah, Mighty and Majestic. He later found it for sale and wanted to buy it. Then he came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ to consult him about it. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: Do not return to your charity.
Translation notes
This route includes Umar consulting the Prophet before buying the horse and preserves the brief instruction not to return to a charitable gift.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ instructed Attab bin Usaid to estimate the grape harvest so that its zakah could be paid in raisins, just as zakah on date palms is paid in dates.