In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
Ifadah Center
for Humanities Studies and Research
presents
The Abridged Sahih al-Bukhari
Chapter: Zakat on Cattle
Narrated Abu Dharr, may Allah be pleased with him, who said:
I came to the Prophet, peace be upon him,
and he said:
"By Him in Whose hand is my soul,"
or "By Him besides Whom there is no god,"
or as he swore,
"There is no man who possesses camels, cows, or sheep
and does not pay their due,
but he will be brought on the Day of Resurrection
in their greatest and fattest form,
trampling him with their hooves and goring him with their horns.
Whenever the last of them passes, the first of them returns to him,
until judgment is passed between the people."
Commentary on the hadith:
"I came to" means I arrived at.
"Man" is used in the general sense, which includes women.
"Does not pay their due" refers to zakat.
It is said it may also include other obligations.
"In their greatest form"
means in strength and fatness.
"Trampling him with their hooves"
means treading upon him with their feet.
"Whenever they pass" means whenever they go by.
"Returns" means they are brought back.
"Until judgment is passed between the people"
means until the reckoning is finished.
Benefits of the hadith:
The hadith indicates the obligation of zakat on camels, cows, and sheep.
Some have used this hadith as evidence
that the milk of livestock and the fruits of trees contain a right for the poor and the wayfarer.
This right is distinct from zakat.
The hadith shows that the Prophet, peace be upon him, warned his Ummah against withholding zakat
and described the punishment for doing so.
Thus, there is no excuse for those who withhold it on the Day of Resurrection.
It also permits swearing an oath without being asked to do so.
Chapter: Zakat on Relatives
Narrated Anas Ibn Malik, may Allah be pleased with him, who said:
Abu Talhah was the wealthiest of the Ansar in Medina in terms of palm trees.
His most beloved property was Bayruha.
It faced the mosque,
and the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, used to enter it and drink from its sweet water.
Anas said:
When this verse was revealed:
﴾You will not attain righteousness until you spend from that which you love﴿,
Abu Talhah stood up and went to the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, and said:
"O Messenger of Allah,
Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, says:
﴾You will not attain righteousness until you spend from that which you love﴿.
My most beloved property is Bayruha,
and it is a charity for the sake of Allah.
I hope for its righteousness and its reward with Allah.
So place it, O Messenger of Allah, where Allah shows you."
He said:
The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said:
"Well done! That is a profitable property.
That is a profitable property."
In one narration:
"That is a productive property.
That is a productive property.
I have heard what you said."
In one narration:
"We have accepted it from you and returned it to you,
and I see that you should give it to your relatives."
Abu Talhah said:
"I will do so, O Messenger of Allah."
So Abu Talhah distributed it among his relatives and his cousins.
In one narration:
"Among them were Ubayy and Hassan."
He said:
Hassan sold his share of it to Mu'awiyah.
It was said to him:
"Do you sell the charity of Abu Talhah?"
He replied:
"Shall I not sell a sa' of dates for a sa' of dirhams?"
He said:
That garden was located where the palace of Banu Hudaylah, which Mu'awiyah built, now stands.
Commentary on the hadith:
"Bayruha"
is the orchard that contained the well of Bayruha.
"Faced the mosque" means it was opposite it.
"Drink from its sweet water"
refers to the water of Bayruha.
"You will not attain righteousness"
means you will not reach or achieve righteousness,
which is all goodness, including types of obedience and rewards
that lead its possessor to Paradise.
“Ye will not attain unto piety until ye spend of that which ye love. And whatsoever ye spend, Allah is Aware thereof.” (3:92)
This means until you spend from your precious wealth that your souls love.
For when you prioritize the love of Allah over the love of wealth and spend it for His pleasure,
it demonstrates your sincere faith,
the righteousness of your hearts, and the certainty of your piety.
This includes spending precious wealth,
spending in times of need,
and spending in times of health.
"I hope for its righteousness"
means I seek its goodness.
"And its reward"
means I offer it forward and store it so I may find it there.
"Well done" (Bakhan)
is a word said to express praise and satisfaction with something.
"Among his relatives"
refers to kinship by blood.
"And his cousins"
is an example of mentioning the specific after the general.
Benefits of the hadith:
One learns from the hadith
the permissibility of attributing the love of wealth to a righteous man.
It also permits owning orchards and real estate.
Earning through real estate is permissible if it is lawful and one pays its due.
It is permissible for a person to enter the orchard of his companions and drink from its water,
and eat from its fruits and food.
The hadith provides guidance on consulting people of knowledge and virtue
regarding the methods and ways of performing acts of obedience and other matters.
It encourages spending from what one loves.
It permits appointing agents for charities, gifts, and endowments,
and similar matters that accept representation.
It confirms the validity of absolute charity and absolute endowment,
which is that whose recipient is not specified, and is then specified later.
It is permissible to praise the giver of charity if there is no fear of fitnah (temptation/pride) for the giver.
Chapter:
There is no zakat on a Muslim's horse.
Narrated Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, who said:
The Prophet, peace be upon him, said:
"There is no zakat on a Muslim for his horse or his slave."
Commentary on the hadith:
"His horse" refers to his mount.
"His slave" refers to the one who serves him.
"Zakat" here means the obligatory alms.
Benefits of the hadith:
One learns from the hadith
that there is no zakat on horses,
unless they are for trade.
It also permits a person to say,
"So-and-so's slave."
Chapter: Zakat on the Husband and Orphans under Guardianship
Narrated Zaynab, the wife of Abdullah, who said:
I was in the mosque
and saw the Prophet, peace be upon him.
He said:
"Give charity, even from your jewelry."
Zaynab used to provide for Abdullah
and orphans under her guardianship.
She said:
She said to Abdullah,
"Ask the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him,
if it is sufficient for me to spend on you
and on the orphans under my guardianship from my charity."
He said:
"You ask the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him."
So I went to the Prophet, peace be upon him,
and found a woman from the Ansar at the door
who had the same need as I did.
Bilal passed by us,
and we said:
"Ask the Prophet, peace be upon him,
if it is sufficient for me to spend on my husband and orphans under my guardianship."
We said:
"Do not tell him who we are."
He entered and asked him.
He said:
"Who are they?"
He said:
"Zaynab."
He said:
"Which Zaynab?"
He said:
"The wife of Abdullah."
He said:
"Yes,
she has two rewards:
the reward of kinship and the reward of charity."
Commentary on the hadith:
Abdullah is Ibn Mas'ud, may Allah be pleased with him.
"From your jewelry"
Jewelry
is what a woman adorns herself with, such as gold and the like.
"Sufficient"
An orphan is one whose father has died while he is still a minor.
"Under her guardianship"
means under her care and supervision, and she is responsible for their upbringing.
"Is it sufficient for me?"
means is it enough for me?
"I went"
means I departed.
"Who had the same need as I did"
means she had a question like mine.
"Bilal passed by us"
means Bilal passed by us.
"Do not tell him who we are"
means do not say that the questioner is so-and-so.
"The reward of kinship"
means the reward for maintaining family ties.
Benefits of the hadith:
The following points are derived from the hadith:
The legitimacy of a woman going to the mosque,
Listening to sermons, and acting upon them.
It also establishes the permissibility of a woman asking about a fiqh-related issue,
And the permissibility of her sending someone to ask the scholar on her behalf,
Or going herself to ask.
It also permits a person to ask about a matter concerning themselves in an indirect or generalized manner.
The hadith indicates that for some deeds, the doer receives a reward from two sources.
Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her) said:
I said, "O Messenger of Allah,
Do I have a reward if I spend on the sons of Abu Salamah?
They are, after all, my sons."
He replied,
"Spend on them,
For you have the reward of what you spend on them."
Commentary on the hadith:
"Do I have a reward?"
Meaning: Is there a reward for me?
"They are, after all, my sons,"
Meaning: They are the children of Abu Salamah.
They were ‘Umar, Muhammad, Zaynab, and Durrah.
Benefits of the hadith:
The hadith shows that a woman’s spending on her children is considered charity.
It contains an indication of the perfection of maternal compassion.
It highlights the virtue of caring for a close relative who is an orphan,
And spending upon them.
Chapter: The Statement of Allah the Exalted:
“The alms are only for the poor and the needy, and those who collect them, and those whose hearts are to be reconciled, and to free the captives and the debtors, and for the cause of Allah, and (for) the wayfarer; a duty imposed by Allah. Allah is Knower, Wise.” (9:60)
Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said:
The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) commanded the payment of zakat.
It was said that Ibn Jamil refused,
As did Khalid ibn al-Walid,
And ‘Abbas ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) then said:
"Ibn Jamil only resents this because he was poor,
And Allah and His Messenger enriched him.
As for Khalid, you are being unjust to him;
He has already set aside his armor and equipment for the sake of Allah.
As for ‘Abbas ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib,
He is the uncle of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him),
So it is charity upon him, and an equal amount along with it."
Commentary on the hadith:
"It was said":
The speaker was ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him).
"Ibn Jamil":
It is said his name was ‘Abdullah.
"Resents" (yanqam) means he denies or objects to it.
The meaning is that he should not have withheld the zakat.
He had been poor, and Allah enriched him,
So this is not the proper way to show gratitude for the blessing.
"Set aside his armor" (ihtabasa) means he dedicated his armor as an endowment.
"And equipment" (a‘tadah):
Meaning what a man prepares of mounts and weaponry.
"For the sake of Allah":
Meaning they are endowed for jihad in the path of Allah.
"It is charity upon him":
The meaning is that the Prophet (peace be upon him) pays it on his behalf.
Benefits of the hadith:
The hadith confirms the obligation of zakat on trade goods.
It shows that a person may offer excuses for their companions
If their outward conduct seems to show negligence,
While one knows otherwise about them.
The hadith shows the leader’s duty to check on those who possess wealth,
To see whether they have paid their zakat or not.
It contains a warning to the heedless regarding the blessing of wealth Allah has bestowed upon them after poverty,
So that they may fulfill the right of Allah upon them.
It includes criticism and disapproval of those who withhold what is mandatory,
And the permissibility of mentioning this in their absence for a valid interest.
It permits the waiving of zakat on endowed assets.
The hadith indicates the permissibility of delaying zakat for a valid interest.
Chapter: Seeking Chastity and Refraining from Asking.
Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) reported:
Some people from the Ansar asked the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him),
And he gave to them.
Then they asked him again, and he gave to them.
Then they asked him again, and he gave to them,
Until what he had was exhausted.
He then said:
"Whatever wealth I have, I will never withhold it from you.
Whoever seeks to be chaste, Allah will make him chaste.
Whoever seeks to be self-sufficient, Allah will make him self-sufficient.
Whoever seeks to be patient, Allah will grant him patience.
And no one has been given a gift better and more encompassing than patience."
Commentary on the hadith:
"Exhausted" (nafada) means it was depleted.
"I will never withhold it from you":
Meaning I will not store it away for others,
While turning away from you.
It is also said:
I will not keep it back from you.
"Whoever seeks to be chaste, Allah will make him chaste":
Meaning whoever strives to refrain from asking,
Allah will grant him contentment.
"Whoever seeks to be self-sufficient, Allah will make him self-sufficient":
Meaning whoever seeks to be independent of people,
Allah will grant him independence from people,
So he will not be in need of anyone.
"Whoever seeks to be patient, Allah will grant him patience":
Meaning whoever practices patience, Allah will bestow patience upon him.
"Better and more encompassing than patience":
Meaning better than patience itself.
Benefits of the hadith:
The following is derived from the hadith:
The recommendation to give to a requester twice,
To apologize to the requester, and to encourage chastity.
It encourages patience in the face of hardship in life and other worldly adversities.
The hadith indicates the necessity of turning to Allah the Exalted in all matters,
Because self-sufficiency and chastity come through the success granted by Allah the Exalted.
It demonstrates the generosity of the Prophet (peace be upon him),
And the extent of his munificence, kindness, and altruism.
It shows that the reward is of the same nature as the deed.
From Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him):
The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:
"By Him in Whose hand is my soul,
For one of you to take his rope,
And gather firewood on his back,
In one narration:
And sell it, then eat and give charity,
Is better for him than to come to a man and ask him,
Whether he gives him or refuses him."
And from Zubayr ibn al-‘Awwam (may Allah be pleased with him):
From the Prophet (peace be upon him), who said:
"For one of you to take his rope,
And bring a bundle of firewood on his back and sell it,
Whereby Allah protects his honor,
Is better for him than to ask people,
Whether they give him or refuse him."
Commentary on the hadith:
"Gather firewood" (yahtatib) means collecting wood.
"Whether he gives him": In giving, there is a sense of obligation and the humiliation of asking.
"Or refuses him":
In refusal, there is humiliation, disappointment, and deprivation.
"Whereby Allah protects his honor":
Meaning Allah prevents his face from losing its dignity through the act of asking.
Benefits of the hadith:
The following is derived from the hadith:
The incitement to eat from the work of one's own hands and to earn through permissible means.
It shows the dislike of asking.
There is detail regarding this.
The hadith shows that a person demeaning themselves and bearing hardship
Is better for them than asking.
Hakim ibn Hizam (may Allah be pleased with him) said:
I asked the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him),
And he gave to me.
Then I asked him again, and he gave to me.
Then I asked him again, and he gave to me.
Then he said:
"O Hakim,
This wealth is green and sweet.
In one narration:
Green and sweet.
Whoever takes it with a generous soul, it will be blessed for him,
And whoever takes it with a greedy soul, it will not be blessed for him,
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 Him who sent you with the truth,
I will not take anything from anyone after you until I leave this world."
Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) used to call Hakim to give him his share,
But he would refuse to accept it from him.
Then ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) called him to give him,
But he refused to accept anything from him.
‘Umar said:
"I call you as witnesses, O community of Muslims, regarding Hakim,
That I am offering him his right from this fay’ (spoils),
But he refuses to take it."
So Hakim did not take anything from anyone after the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him),
Until he passed away.
Commentary on the hadith:
"Green and sweet":
Green is desirable to the eye,
And sweet to the taste.
When they combine, they increase desire.
"With a generous soul":
Meaning without greed, covetousness, or longing.
"It will be blessed for him":
Blessing is the abundance and continuity of good.
"With a greedy soul":
Meaning intense desire and covetousness,
And the requester exposing themselves to the act of asking.
"The upper hand":
It is the hand that gives.
"Better":
Meaning superior.
"Than the lower hand":
It is the hand that asks.
"I will not take anything" (la arza’u):
Meaning I will not diminish anyone's wealth by asking.
"Until I leave this world":
Meaning until I die.
"To give him":
The gift is wealth assigned to him in the public treasury.
"But he refuses":
Meaning he abstains.
"From this fay’":
Fay’ is what the Muslims obtain
From the wealth of the enemy without fighting.
Benefits of the hadith:
The hadith teaches us
the permissibility of repeating a request three times,
and the permissibility of refusing it on the fourth.
It also indicates that if a petitioner is importunate,
there is no harm in turning them away,
and instructing them to practice self-restraint and abandon greed.
It further shows that true generosity of spirit is asceticism (zuhd).
The hadith also establishes that one who accepts wealth with a generous spirit
attains the reward of asceticism,
and blessing in their provision.
It also shows that moderation in seeking worldly things is accompanied by blessing.
It also demonstrates the legitimacy of using parables,
including those that the listener might not immediately grasp.
Chapter: Regarding one to whom Allah gives something without them asking or coveting it.
From ‘Abdullah Ibn al-Sa‘di,
that he came to ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) during his caliphate,
and ‘Umar said to him,
"Have I not been informed that you manage some of the people’s affairs,
and when you are given payment for the work, you dislike it?"
I replied, "Yes."
‘Umar then said,
"What is your intention in doing that?"
I said,
"I possess horses and slaves,
and I am in a good state.
I want my payment to be a charity for the Muslims."
‘Umar said,
"Do not do that,
for I once intended what you intend.
The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)
would give me a gift,
and I would say,
'Give it to someone poorer than me.'
Until one day he gave me some wealth,
and I said,
'Give it to someone poorer than me.'
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said,
'Take it, possess it, and give charity from it.
Whatever comes to you of this wealth without you coveting it or asking for it, take it;
otherwise, do not let your soul pursue it.'"
Commentary on the hadith:
"Tali" (manage),
meaning you take charge of work.
"‘Amalah" (payment),
meaning the wage for the work.
"What is your intention in doing that?"
meaning, what is your ultimate goal in this refusal?
"Afrasan wa ‘abdan" (horses and slaves),
"Afrasan" is the plural of "faras" (horse).
"‘Abdan" is the plural of "‘abd" (slave).
"Al-‘ata’" (the gift),
meaning the wealth that the Imam distributes for the public interest.
"Fatamawwalhu" (possess it),
meaning take it and make it your property,
then dispose of it.
"Ghayr mushrif" (without coveting),
meaning not greedy for it, nor looking toward it.
"Wa la sa’il" (nor asking),
meaning for the wealth.
"Wa illa fala tutbi‘hu nafsak" (otherwise, do not let your soul pursue it),
meaning if it does not come to you, do not seek it,
but rather leave it.
Benefits of the hadith:
The hadith teaches
the permissibility of accepting provision for one who works in the interests of the Muslims.
It also shows that accepting wealth that comes without asking is better than refusing it,
because if one were to refuse it, they might fall into wasting wealth.
It also shows that the Imam may give wealth to a man even if others are more in need of it than him,
if he sees a valid reason for doing so.
Chapter: Regarding one who asks people for wealth to increase their own.
From ‘Abdullah Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), who said:
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said,
"A man will continue to ask people
until he comes on the Day of Resurrection with no flesh on his face."
Commentary on the hadith:
"A man will continue to ask,"
indicates the frequency of asking.
"Maz‘at lahm" means a piece of flesh.
This is because he humiliated his face by asking.
Benefits of the hadith:
The hadith points to the fact that the recompense is of the same nature as the deed.
So, whoever sacrifices the dignity of their face to accumulate wealth,
will come on the Day of Resurrection with the flesh stripped from their face.
It also encourages self-restraint (isti‘faf),
and not asking unless there is a need.
It also indicates that whoever asks people to increase their wealth,
is considered wealthy, and charity is not lawful for them.
From ‘Abdullah Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), who said:
"The sun will draw near on the Day of Resurrection,
until the sweat reaches half the ear."
In one narration:
"People will be on their knees on the Day of Resurrection,
every nation following its Prophet,
saying, 'O so-and-so, intercede for us.'
While they are in that state,
they will seek help from Adam,
then from Musa,
then from Muhammad (peace be upon him).
He will intercede so that judgment may be passed among the creation.
He will walk until he takes hold of the ring of the door,
and on that day, Allah will raise him to a praised station (Maqam Mahmud),
which all the people of the gathering will praise."
Commentary on the hadith:
"Tadnu" means it will draw near.
"They sought help from Adam,"
meaning they asked him to intercede for them to begin the reckoning.
"So that judgment may be passed among the creation,"
meaning to relieve the people of the gathering from its terrors,
by judging between them,
and finishing their reckoning.
"Maqam Mahmud" (praised station),
is the station of the Great Intercession.
This station is exclusive to the Prophet (peace be upon him).
"Ahl al-jam‘" (people of the gathering),
meaning the people of the place of assembly (Mahshar).
Benefits of the hadith:
The hadith describes the severity of the Day of Assembly for the people.
It also shows people turning to the Prophets (peace be upon them) on the Day of Resurrection.
Likewise, salvation is found by turning to the path of the Prophets.
The hadith also clarifies the excellence of the Prophet (peace be upon him),
and the confirmation of the Great Intercession for the Prophet (peace be upon him),
which is the Praised Station.
It also shows the legitimacy of asking for help when there is a need or a public interest.
Chapter: Regarding the saying of Allah the Exalted:
"They do not ask people at all" (la yas’aluna al-nasa ilhafa).
And what constitutes wealth?
From Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him),
that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:
"The poor person is not the one who goes around among the people,
whom a morsel or two of food turns away,
in one narration:
a meal or two,
or a date or two.
Rather, the poor person is..."
In one narration:
"The poor person is only the one who practices self-restraint."
And they recited, if you wish,
meaning His saying:
"They do not ask people at all,"
the one who does not find enough wealth to suffice him,
and people do not notice him so that they might give him charity,
and he does not stand up and ask people.
In one narration:
"And he is shy."
Or: "They do not ask people at all."
Commentary on the hadith:
Chapter: Regarding the saying of Allah the Exalted:
"They do not ask people at all,"
meaning they do not ask them with importunity.
Rather, if a request is issued by them,
when they are in need of it,
they do not persist with those they ask.
These are the most deserving of people to be given charity,
because of the beautiful qualities described.
"Yatawwaf" (goes around),
meaning he wanders and passes by.
"Does not find enough wealth to suffice him,"
meaning he does not find what is enough for him.
"And people do not notice him,"
meaning people have no knowledge of his condition.
Benefits of the hadith:
The hadith teaches
good guidance regarding where to place charity,
and that one should strive to place it with those who deserve it.
Self-restraint without importunity.
The hadith also praises the poor person
who is overcome by modesty,
so they do not ask people.
It also shows the desirability of modesty
in all circumstances.