Hadith Research Libraryمكتبة الحديث والرجال
Sahih Muslim, 1056
sahih

Chain of narration · Isnād

Each narrator name opens their biography and classical source evidence.

9 transmitters

Narrated by 'Uthman bin Muhammad (Abi Shayba)fromZuhayr bin HarbfromIshaq bin RahwayafromIshaq bin Shahyn al-WastifromJarir bin 'Abdullah al-BajlifromSulaiman al-A'mashfromShaqayq bin Salmah al-AsadifromSalman bin Rabi'ya bin Yazidfrom'Umar ibn al-Khattab

Hadith text · Matn

‏ إِنَّهُمْ خَيَّرُونِي أَنْ يَسْأَلُونِي بِالْفُحْشِ أَوْ يُبَخِّلُونِي فَلَسْتُ بِبَاخِلٍ ‏

‏ ‏.‏

English translation

Umar b. Khattab (Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) distributed something. Upon this I said:

Messenger of Allah, I swear by God, the others besides them were more deserving than these (to whom you gave charity). He said: They had in fact left no other alternative for me. but (that they should) either beg importunately from me or they would regard me as a miser, but I am not a miser.

Original Arabic chain wording

حَدَّثَنَا عُثْمَانُ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، وَزُهَيْرُ بْنُ حَرْبٍ، وَإِسْحَاقُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ الْحَنْظَلِيُّ، قَالَ إِسْحَاقُ أَخْبَرَنَا وَقَالَ الآخَرَانِ، حَدَّثَنَا جَرِيرٌ، عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ، عَنْ أَبِي وَائِلٍ، عَنْ سَلْمَانَ، بْنِ رَبِيعَةَ قَالَ قَالَ عُمَرُ بْنُ الْخَطَّابِ رضى الله عنه قَسَمَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَسْمًا فَقُلْتُ وَاللَّهِ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ لَغَيْرُ هَؤُلاَءِ كَانَ أَحَقَّ بِهِ مِنْهُمْ ‏.‏ قَالَ ‏

References2 variants
In-Book Reference
Book 12, Hadith 165
USC-MSA web (English) reference
Book 5, Hadith 2295 (deprecated numbering scheme)
Sharh · explanationclick to expand
The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was the most generous and bountiful among the people. He would give like one who fears no poverty. This was to teach his Ummah and serve certain Shar‘i purposes that were probably not known or grasped at the time by anyone other than him (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). In this Hadīth, ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb (may Allah be pleased with him) says The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) distributed some wealth among the people, and he gave some people, whereas ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb (may Allah be pleased with him) held that others were more deserving of being given than them. So, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) clarified to him why he gave to them and not those who were more deserving to be given than them. This is because those he gave were people of ignorance and lying. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said that they begged in an importunate manner due to their weak faith and drove him, by their very importunate attitude, to either give them what they asked for or they would describe him as a miser and defame him, while in fact, he is not a miser. Hence, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) gave to them and protected his honor by his giving, lest they might lie about him. Miserliness is not part of his character (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), and he gave to them to appease them and win their friendliness. Similarly, he said in a Hadīth of the Two Sahīh Collections: "Indeed, the worst people in rank in the sight of Allah is the one whom people leave or abandon for fear of his discourteousness." Thus, he endured their rudeness and treated them forbearingly to win their friendliness and protect himself from being described as a miser, a trait that does not befit him (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). The Hadīth indicates that we can appease the people of ignorance and harshness and win their friendliness, if this achieves a good interest. It also shows that patience and forbearance were part of the Prophet's character. The Hadīth demonstrates and directs a person to spend out of his money to protect his honor and himself from the people of ignorance..
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