Hadithcore
Sahih al-Bukhari, 2055
sahih

Narrated Anas:

The Prophet (ﷺ) passed by a fallen date and said, "Were it not for my doubt that this might have been given in charity, I would have eaten it." And narrated Abu Huraira the Prophet (ﷺ) said, "I found a datefruit fallen on my bed."

حَدَّثَنَا قَبِيصَةُ، حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ، عَنْ مَنْصُورٍ، عَنْ طَلْحَةَ، عَنْ أَنَسٍ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ قَالَ مَرَّ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم بِتَمْرَةٍ مَسْقُوطَةٍ فَقَالَ ‏"‏ لَوْلاَ أَنْ تَكُونَ صَدَقَةً لأَكَلْتُهَا ‏"‏‏.‏ وَقَالَ هَمَّامٌ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏"‏ أَجِدُ تَمْرَةً سَاقِطَةً عَلَى فِرَاشِي ‏"‏‏.‏

References2 variants
In-Book Reference
Book 34, Hadith 9
USC-MSA web (English) reference
Vol. 3, Book 34, Hadith 271 (deprecated numbering scheme)
Sharh · explanationclick to expand
Allah, Exalted is He, deemed it prohibited for His Prophet ﷺ or his household to avail themselves of charity, even an insignificant amount. In this hadeeth, Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him) stated that the Prophet ﷺpassed by a fallen date once, and he ﷺ did not know its source or owner. He ﷺ said that he would have eaten it had not he any doubt that it may have been given in charity. Therefore, he ﷺ refrained from eating it to avoid such doubts. Another version of the hadeeth reads: "I found a date fruit fallen on my bed," meaning he ﷺ refrained from eating a date fruit fallen in his own home lest it was given in charity, because he ﷺ used to distribute the dates offered in charity to the poor; it was possible that some date fruits could have clung to his garment and fallen on his bed or the like, or that he ﷺ was collecting dates given in charity in his house to distribute them and feared that this date belonged to them. Therefore, he ﷺ refrained from eating the it out of his mindfulness of Allah, lest it was given in charity.He would not eat it unless he ﷺ verified that it belonged to the household supply. The hadeeth highlights the enjoined mindfulness of Allah and abandoning doubtful matters. It is deduced from it that it is permissible to eat food that is thrown away by the road, because the Prophet ﷺ refrained from eating that date fruit only out of his mindfulness of Allah, lest it was given in charity. It is also inferred therefrom that a Muslim’s wealth and property that only declared unlawful and inviolable to his fellow Muslims (as per the laws of Islam) is that which has a value. .
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