The Book of Zakat

"‏ مَنْ يُرِدِ اللَّهُ بِهِ خَيْرًا يُفَقِّهْهُ فِي الدِّينِ وَإِنَّمَا أَنَا قَاسِمٌ وَيُعْطِي اللَّهُ ‏"

I heard Mu'awiya b. Abu Sufyan saying in an address that he had heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying: He to whom Allah intends to do good, He gives him insight into religion. And I am only the distributor while Allah is the Bestower.

"‏ لاَ تُلْحِفُوا فِي الْمَسْأَلَةِ فَوَاللَّهِ لاَ يَسْأَلُنِي أَحَدٌ مِنْكُمْ شَيْئًا فَتُخْرِجَ لَهُ مَسْأَلَتُهُ مِنِّي شَيْئًا وَأَنَا لَهُ كَارِهٌ فَيُبَارَكَ لَهُ فِيمَا أَعْطَيْتُهُ ‏"

Do not press in a matter, for I swear by Allah, none of you who asks me for anything and manages to get his request while I disdain it, will he be blessed in that which I give him.

حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ أَبِي عُمَرَ الْمَكِّيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ، عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ دِينَارٍ، حَدَّثَنِي وَهْبُ بْنُ، مُنَبِّهٍ - وَدَخَلْتُ عَلَيْهِ فِي دَارِهِ بِصَنْعَاءَ فَأَطْعَمَنِي مِنْ جَوْزَةٍ فِي دَارِهِ - عَنْ أَخِيهِ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ مُعَاوِيَةَ بْنَ أَبِي سُفْيَانَ يَقُولُ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ ‏.‏ فَذَكَرَ مِثْلَهُ ‏.‏

I went to his house in San'a' and he offered me nuts grown in his house to eat. And his brother said: I heard Mu'awiya b. Abu Sufyan saying that he had heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying, and then he made a mention (of a hadith) like one mentioned above.

حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا الْمُغِيرَةُ، - يَعْنِي الْحِزَامِيَّ - عَنْ أَبِي الزِّنَادِ، عَنِ الأَعْرَجِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏"‏ لَيْسَ الْمِسْكِينُ بِهَذَا الطَّوَّافِ الَّذِي يَطُوفُ عَلَى النَّاسِ فَتَرُدُّهُ اللُّقْمَةُ وَاللُّقْمَتَانِ وَالتَّمْرَةُ وَالتَّمْرَتَانِ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالُوا فَمَا الْمِسْكِينُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ ‏"‏ الَّذِي لاَ يَجِدُ غِنًى يُغْنِيهِ وَلاَ يُفْطَنُ لَهُ فَيُتَصَدَّقَ عَلَيْهِ وَلاَ يَسْأَلُ النَّاسَ شَيْئًا ‏"‏ ‏.‏

The poor man (miskin) is not the one who goes round to the people and is dismissed with one or two morsels. and one or two dates. They (the Prophet's Companions) said: Messenger of Allah, then who is miskin? He said: He who does not get enough to satisfy him, and he is not considered so (as to elicit the attention of the benevolent people), so that charity way be given to him. and he does not beg anything from people.

"‏ لَيْسَ الْمِسْكِينُ بِالَّذِي تَرُدُّهُ التَّمْرَةُ وَالتَّمْرَتَانِ وَلاَ اللُّقْمَةُ وَاللُّقْمَتَانِ إِنَّمَا الْمِسْكِينُ الْمُتَعَفِّفُ اقْرَءُوا إِنْ شِئْتُمْ ‏{‏ لاَ يَسْأَلُونَ النَّاسَ إِلْحَافًا‏}‏ ‏"

Miskin is not he who is dismissed with one or two dates, and with one morsel or two morsels. (In fact) miskin is he who abstains (from begging). Read if you so desire (the verse):" They beg not of men importunately)" (ii. 273).

وَحَدَّثَنِيهِ أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ إِسْحَاقَ، حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ أَبِي مَرْيَمَ، أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ، أَخْبَرَنِي شَرِيكٌ، أَخْبَرَنِي عَطَاءُ بْنُ يَسَارٍ، وَعَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ أَبِي عَمْرَةَ، أَنَّهُمَا سَمِعَا أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ، يَقُولُ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏.‏ بِمِثْلِ حَدِيثِ إِسْمَاعِيلَ ‏.‏

This hadith has been narrated through another chain of transmitters.

"‏ لاَ تَزَالُ الْمَسْأَلَةُ بِأَحَدِكُمْ حَتَّى يَلْقَى اللَّهَ وَلَيْسَ فِي وَجْهِهِ مُزْعَةُ لَحْمٍ ‏"

When a man is always begging from people. he would meet Allah (in a state) that there would be no flesh on his face.

"‏ مُزْعَةُ ‏"

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of the brother of Zuhri with the same chain of transmitters, but no mention has been made of the word" muz'a" (piece).

"‏ مَا يَزَالُ الرَّجُلُ يَسْأَلُ النَّاسَ حَتَّى يَأْتِيَ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ وَلَيْسَ فِي وَجْهِهِ مُزْعَةُ لَحْمٍ ‏"

The person would continue begging from people till he would come on the Day of Resurrection and there would be no flesh on his face.

"‏ مَنْ سَأَلَ النَّاسَ أَمْوَالَهُمْ تَكَثُّرًا فَإِنَّمَا يَسْأَلُ جَمْرًا فَلْيَسْتَقِلَّ أَوْ لِيَسْتَكْثِرْ ‏"

He who begs the riches of others to increase his own is asking only for live coals, so let him ask a little or much.