The Book of Zakah

Qutaybah reported: Ibn Abi al-Rijal narrated to us, from Umarah ibn Ghaziyyah, from Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi Saeed al-Khudri, from his father, who said: My mother sent me to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. I came and sat down. He turned toward me and said: Whoever seeks self-sufficiency, Allah, Mighty and Majestic, will make him self-sufficient. Whoever exercises restraint, Allah will preserve his dignity. Whoever seeks enough, Allah, Mighty and Majestic, will suffice him. Whoever asks while possessing the value of an uqiyyah has begged insistently. I said: My she-camel, al-Yaqutah, is worth more than an uqiyyah. So I returned and did not ask him.

Al-Harith ibn Miskin reported; it was read to him while I listened, from Ibn al-Qasim, who said: Malik informed us, from Zayd ibn Aslam, from Ata ibn Yasar, from a man of Banu Asad, who said: My family and I settled at Baqi al-Gharqad. My family said to me: Go to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and ask him for something for us to eat. I went to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and found a man with him asking him, while the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was saying: I have nothing to give you. The man turned away from him angrily, saying: By my life, you give to whomever you wish. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: He is angry with me because I cannot find anything to give him. Whoever among you asks while possessing an uqiyyah or its equivalent has asked insistently. The Asadi said: I said: Our milch camel is worth more than an uqiyyah—and an uqiyyah is forty dirhams—so I returned and did not ask him. Later, barley and raisins came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and he distributed some of them to us until Allah, Mighty and Majestic, made us self-sufficient.

Hannad ibn al-Sari reported from Abu Bakr, from Abu Husayn, from Salim, from Abu Hurayrah, who said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: Charity is not lawful for a rich person, nor for someone strong and physically sound.

Amr ibn Ali and Muhammad ibn al-Muthanna reported: Yahya narrated to us, from Hisham ibn Urwah, who said: My father related to me: Ubayd Allah ibn Adi ibn al-Khiyar related to me that two men told him they came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ to ask him for charity. He looked them over—and Muhammad said: he looked at him—and saw that they were strong. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: If you wish. But there is no share in it for a rich person or a strong person able to earn.

Ahmad ibn Sulayman reported: Muhammad ibn Bishr narrated to us: Shuubah informed us, from Abd al-Malik, from Zayd ibn Uqbah, from Samurah ibn Jundub, who said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: Asking leaves scratches with which a man scratches his face. Whoever wishes may scratch his face, and whoever wishes may leave it—except for asking a person in authority or asking for something one cannot do without.

Mahmud ibn Ghaylan reported: Waki narrated to us: Sufyan narrated to us, from Abd al-Malik, from Zayd ibn Uqbah, from Samurah ibn Jundub, who said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: Asking is a hardship by which a man wears down his face, except when he asks a person in authority or asks about a matter he cannot do without.

Abd al-Jabbar ibn al-Ala ibn Abd al-Jabbar reported from Sufyan, from al-Zuhri, who said: Urwah informed me, from Hakim ibn Hizam, who said: I asked the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and he gave me something. Then I asked him, and he gave me something. Then I asked him, and he gave me something. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: O Hakim, this wealth is fresh and sweet. Whoever takes it with contentment will be blessed in it, but whoever takes it with a covetous eye will not be blessed in it. He will be like one who eats but is never satisfied. The upper hand is better than the lower hand.

Ahmad ibn Sulayman reported: Miskin ibn Bukayr narrated to us: al-Awzai narrated to us, from al-Zuhri, from Saeed ibn al-Musayyib, from Hakim ibn Hizam, who said: I asked the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and he gave me something. Then I asked him, and he gave me something. Then I asked him, and he gave me something. Then the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: O Hakim, this wealth is fresh and sweet. Whoever takes it with a generous, contented disposition will be blessed in it. Whoever takes it covetously will not be blessed in it; he will be like one who eats but is never satisfied. The upper hand is better than the lower hand.

Al-Rabi ibn Sulayman ibn Dawud informed me: Ishaq ibn Bakr narrated to us: My father narrated to me, from Amr ibn al-Harith, from Ibn Shihab, from Urwah ibn al-Zubayr and Saeed ibn al-Musayyib, that Hakim ibn Hizam said: I asked the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and he gave me something. Then I asked him, and he gave me something. Then the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: O Hakim, this wealth is sweet. Whoever takes it with a generous, contented disposition will be blessed in it. Whoever takes it covetously will not be blessed in it; he will be like one who eats but is never satisfied. The upper hand is better than the lower hand. Hakim said: I said: O Messenger of Allah, by the One who sent you with the truth, I will not take anything from anyone after you until I leave this world.

Qutaybah reported: al-Layth narrated to us, from Bukayr, from Busr ibn Saeed, from Ibn al-Saidi al-Maliki, who said: Umar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, appointed me to collect charity. When I had finished and delivered it to him, he ordered a payment for me. I said: I worked only for Allah, Mighty and Majestic, and my reward is with Allah, Mighty and Majestic. He said: Take what I have given you, for I served in the time of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and said the same thing you have said. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to me: If you are given something without asking for it, then eat from it and give charity.

Saeed ibn Abd al-Rahman Abu Ubayd Allah al-Makhzumi reported: Sufyan narrated to us, from al-Zuhri, from al-Saib ibn Yazid, from Huwaytib ibn Abd al-Uzza, who said: Abd Allah ibn al-Sadi informed me that he came from Syria to Umar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him. Umar said: Have I not been told that you hold a position among the Muslims and are given a payment for it, but do not accept it? He said: Yes. I have horses and enslaved servants, and I am well-off. I want my service to be charity for the Muslims. Umar said: I wanted what you want. The Prophet ﷺ used to give me wealth, and I would say: Give it to someone poorer than me. Once he gave me wealth, and I said to him: Give it to someone more in need of it than me. He said: Whatever Allah, Mighty and Majestic, gives you of this wealth without your asking for it or coveting it, take it, make it your own, or give it in charity. As for what is not given to you, do not let yourself pursue it.

Kathir ibn Ubayd reported: Muhammad ibn Harb narrated to us, from al-Zubaydi, from al-Zuhri, from al-Saib ibn Yazid, that Huwaytib ibn Abd al-Uzza informed him that Abd Allah ibn al-Sadi informed him that he came to Umar ibn al-Khattab during his caliphate. Umar said to him: Have I not been told that you manage some public offices, and when you are given a payment for the work, you return it? He said: Yes. Umar said: What do you want from that? He said: I have horses and enslaved servants, and I am well-off. I want my work to be charity for the Muslims. Umar said to him: Do not do that, for I wanted what you wanted. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to give me a payment, and I would say: Give it to someone more in need of it than me. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: Take it, make it your own, or give it in charity. Whatever of this wealth comes to you while you are neither coveting it nor asking for it, take it. Whatever does not come to you, do not pursue it.

Amr ibn Mansur and Ishaq ibn Mansur reported from al-Hakam ibn Nafi, who said: Shuayb informed us, from al-Zuhri, who said: al-Saib ibn Yazid informed me that Huwaytib ibn Abd al-Uzza informed him that Abd Allah ibn al-Sadi informed him that he came to Umar ibn al-Khattab during his caliphate. Umar said: Have I not been told that you manage some public offices and dislike it when you are given payment for your work? He said: Yes. Umar said: What do you want from that? He said: I have horses and enslaved servants, and I am well-off. I want my work to be charity for the Muslims. Umar said: Do not do that, for I wanted what you wanted. The Prophet ﷺ used to give me a payment, and I would say: Give it to someone more in need of it than me. Once he gave me some wealth, and I said: Give it to someone more in need of it than me. The Prophet ﷺ said: Take it, make it your own, and give it in charity. Whatever of this wealth comes to you while you are neither coveting it nor asking for it, take it. Whatever does not come to you, do not pursue it.

Amr ibn Mansur reported: al-Hakam ibn Nafi narrated to us: Shuayb informed us, from al-Zuhri, who said: Salim ibn Abd Allah informed me that Abd Allah ibn Umar said: I heard Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, say: The Prophet ﷺ used to give me a payment, and I would say: Give it to someone more in need of it than me. This continued until one time he gave me wealth, and I said to him: Give it to someone more in need of it than me. He said: Take it, make it your own, and give it in charity. Whatever of this wealth comes to you while you are neither coveting it nor asking for it, take it. Whatever does not come to you, do not pursue it.

Amr ibn Sawwad ibn al-Aswad ibn Amr reported from Ibn Wahb, who said: Yunus narrated to us, from Ibn Shihab, from Abd Allah ibn al-Harith ibn Nawfal al-Hashimi, that Abd al-Muttalib ibn Rabiah ibn al-Harith ibn Abd al-Muttalib informed him that his father, Rabiah ibn al-Harith, said to Abd al-Muttalib ibn Rabiah ibn al-Harith and al-Fadl ibn al-Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib: Go to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and say to him: Appoint us, O Messenger of Allah, to collect charity. Ali ibn Abi Talib came while we were in that situation and said to them: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ does not appoint any of you over charity. Abd al-Muttalib said: Al-Fadl and I went until we came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. He said to us: This charity is only the impurities of the people, and it is not lawful for Muhammad or the family of Muhammad ﷺ.

Ishaq ibn Ibrahim reported: Waki narrated to us: Shuubah said: I asked my father, Iyas—Muawiyah ibn Qurrah—Did you hear Anas ibn Malik say that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: A sister son of a people is one of them? He said: Yes.

Ishaq ibn Ibrahim reported: Waki informed us: Shuubah narrated to us, from Qatadah, from Anas ibn Malik, from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, who said: A sister son of a people is one of them.

Amr ibn Ali reported: Yahya narrated to us: Shuubah narrated to us: al-Hakam narrated to us, from Ibn Abi Rafi, from his father, that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ appointed a man from Banu Makhzum to collect charity. Abu Rafi wanted to accompany him, but the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: Charity is not lawful for us, and the mawla of a people is one of them.

Ziyad ibn Ayyub reported: Abd al-Wahid ibn Wasid narrated to us: Bahz ibn Hakim narrated to us, from his father, from his grandfather, who said: Whenever the Prophet ﷺ was brought something, he would ask: Is it a gift or charity? If he was told it was charity, he would not eat it. If he was told it was a gift, he would extend his hand.

Amr ibn Yazid reported: Bahz ibn Asad narrated to us: Shuubah narrated to us: al-Hakam narrated to us, from Ibrahim, from al-Aswad, from Aishah, that she wanted to buy Barirah and emancipate her. The sellers stipulated that her wala belong to them. She mentioned this to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, who said: Buy her and emancipate her, for wala belongs to the one who emancipates. Barirah was given the choice when she was emancipated. Meat was brought to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and it was said: This is from what was given to Barirah as charity. He said: It is charity for her and a gift for us. Her husband was a free man.