In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.
The Ifadah Center
for Human Studies and Research
presents:
Abridgment of Sahih al-Bukhari.
Chapter: A man's gift to his wife, and a woman's gift to her husband.
On the authority of Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him and his father), who said:
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:
"The bad example is not fitting for us:
the one who takes back his gift
is like a dog that returns to its vomit."
In another narration:
"The one who takes back his gift is like the one who returns to his vomit."
Commentary on the hadith:
"is not fitting for us"
means: it is unbefitting for us.
"The bad example"
By "bad example" is meant:
adopting a blameworthy trait,
in which one resembles the basest of animals in its basest state.
"returns"
means: takes it back.
"its vomit"
Vomit is:
food brought up from the belly before it has finished digesting.
Benefits of the hadith:
Derived from the hadith is:
a strong deterrence against resembling the blameworthy traits of animals;
and that striking parables is more impactful on the soul in commanding and prohibiting.
Chapter: A woman's gift to other than her husband and her manumitting a slave when she has a husband,
and that it is permissible so long as she is not legally incompetent.
On the authority of Maymunah bint al-Harith (may Allah be pleased with her),
that she manumitted a bondwoman without asking permission from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).
When it was her day for him to stay with her,
she said,
"Did you notice, O Messenger of Allah, that I manumitted my bondwoman?"
He said,
"Did you really do so?"
She replied, "Yes."
He said,
"Indeed, had you given her to your maternal uncles,"
— and in another narration:
"maintained ties with some of your maternal uncles with her" —
"it would have been greater for your reward."
Commentary on the hadith:
"A bondwoman"
means: an enslaved girl,
and she owned a black maidservant.
"her day"
means: her turn and allotted share of time.
"Did you notice"
means: did you know?
"had you given her"
means: gifted her.
"your maternal uncles"
Her maternal uncles were from Banu Hilal.
"greater"
means: more abundant and superior.
Benefits of the hadith:
In the hadith is evidence for those who hold
that gifting to a relative of the womb is superior to manumission;
and in it is guidance for a wife toward virtuous deeds and noble matters;
and in it is the permissibility of a woman gifting from her own property without her husband's permission.
On the authority of Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her), who said:
Whenever the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)
intended to travel,
he would cast lots among his wives,
and whichever of them had her arrow drawn,
he would take her along with him.
He used to apportion to each woman among them her day and her night,
except that Sawdah bint Zam'ah
gifted her day and her night to Aisha, the wife of the Prophet (peace be upon him),
seeking thereby the pleasure of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him).
Commentary on the hadith:
"he cast lots"
Casting lots
refers to arrows upon which names were written,
so whoever's designated arrow was drawn
secured the portion assigned to it.
"he took her along"
means: he (peace be upon him) accompanied her on his journey.
"seeking"
means: desiring.
Benefits of the hadith:
Derived from the hadith is:
the legitimacy of casting lots in division among partners;
and in it is the permissibility of a woman relinquishing some of her binding rights to her husband.
Chapter:
How a slave and goods are taken into possession.
On the authority of al-Miswar ibn Makhramah:
his father, Makhramah, said to him,
"O my son,
it has reached me that some robes have arrived for the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him),
and he is distributing them,
so take us to him."
So we went,
and we found the Prophet (peace be upon him) at his home.
He said to me,
"O my son,
call the Prophet (peace be upon him) out to me."
I found that momentous to say,
so I said,
"Should I call the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) out for you?!"
He said,
"O my son,
he is not a tyrant."
So I called him.
In another narration:
My father stood at the door and spoke,
and the Prophet (peace be upon him) recognized his voice.
He came out wearing an outer robe of brocade buttoned with gold.
In another narration:
And he was showing him its beauties.
He said,
"O Makhramah,
we hid this away for you."
In another narration:
"I hid this away for you,
I hid this away for you."
And he gave it to him.
In another narration:
And he had a harsh temperament.
And in another narration:
So he said,
"Is Makhramah pleased?"
Commentary on the hadith:
"Robes"
refers to close-fitting non-Arab garments.
"I found that momentous"
means: I considered it an enormous matter,
for such speech is unbefitting the station of prophethood.
"he is not a tyrant"
means: he is not an oppressive despot.
"of brocade"
Brocade refers to garments made of raw silk.
"buttoned"
means: fastened with buttons.
"we hid this away for you"
means: we concealed it for your sake.
Benefits of the hadith:
Derived from the hadith is:
the recommendation of winning over hearts;
and that taking possession is achieved merely by handing over the item to the recipient of the gift.
Chapter: Gifting that which is disliked to wear.
On the authority of Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him and his father), who said:
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) came to the house of Fatimah,
but he did not enter upon her.
Then Ali came,
and she mentioned that to him,
so he mentioned it to the Prophet (peace be upon him).
He said,
"I saw upon her door a decorated curtain."
And he said,
"What have I to do with the worldly life?"
So Ali went to her and mentioned that to her,
and she said,
"Let him command me concerning it whatever he pleases."
He said,
"Send it to so-and-so,
a family in need."
Commentary on the hadith:
"she mentioned that to him"
means: Fatimah (may Allah be pleased with her) mentioned to Ali (may Allah be pleased with him)
the arrival of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and his turning back.
"a decorated curtain"
A decorated fabric is one patterned with various colors.
"Send it"
means: send it to them and give it as charity,
"a family in need"
meaning: so that they may benefit from it as protection against the cold,
whether as bedding, a rug, or a garment.
Benefits of the hadith:
Derived from the hadith is:
the dislike of entering a house in which there is something reprehensible;
and in it is forsaking places where religious violations occur;
and in it is a demonstration of the fiqh of Fatimah (may Allah be pleased with her)
and the soundness of her intellect,
for she did not rush to ruin the curtain,
but rather said, "Let him command me concerning it whatever he pleases";
and in it is a man's disciplining of his married daughter.
On the authority of Ali (may Allah be pleased with him), who said:
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) gifted me a striped silken suit of clothes,
so I wore it,
but I saw anger on his face,
so I tore it up among my womenfolk.
Commentary on the hadith:
"a striped silken suit of clothes"
It is a type of cloak interwoven with silk in striped bands.
"I tore it up"
means: I divided it.
Benefits of the hadith:
Derived from the hadith is:
anger upon seeing an evil;
and in it is the prohibition of wearing silk for men.
Chapter: Accepting gifts from polytheists.
On the authority of Anas (may Allah be pleased with him), who said:
A robe of fine silk was gifted to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him),
while he used to forbid silk,
The people marveled at its beauty,
so he said:
"By the One in Whose Hand is the soul of Muhammad,
the handkerchiefs of Sa'd ibn Mu'adh in Paradise are far better than this."
Commentary on the hadith:
A cloak was gifted to the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
and the one who gifted it was Ukaydir of Dawmat al-Jandal.
*Sundus*
means fine silk brocade.
"The handkerchiefs" (*la-manadilu*):
a handkerchief (*al-mandil*)
is a piece of cloth used to remove dirt or sweat.
"Far better" (*ahsanu*)
means superior and softer.
Points of benefit derived from the hadith:
The hadith highlights an immense virtue of Sa'd ibn Mu'adh, may Allah be pleased with him.
It shows the permissibility of gifting garments that are disliked or forbidden to wear oneself.
It also indicates the prohibition of men wearing silk.
On the authority of Anas ibn Malik, may Allah be pleased with him:
A Jewish woman brought the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, a poisoned sheep,
and he ate from it.
She was subsequently brought in,
and it was asked:
"Shall we not kill her?"
He said, "No."
Anas added: "I continued to perceive the effects of that poison in the palate of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him."
Commentary on the hadith:
"A Jewish woman":
Her name was Zaynab,
and there is a difference of opinion as to whether she later embraced Islam.
"In the palate" (*fi lahawat*):
*al-lahah* (the uvula)
is the small piece of flesh at the top of the throat at the very back of the mouth.
Points of benefit derived from the hadith:
The hadith indicates the permissibility of eating the food of those whose food is lawful to consume,
without inquiring about its origin.
It establishes that the default presumption is that things are safe and pure,
unless evidence proves otherwise.
Likewise, the ruling concerning goods sold in Muslim markets
is that they are presumed sound and lawful until the opposite becomes clear.
Chapter: Giving Gifts to Polytheists
On the authority of Asma' bint Abi Bakr, may Allah be pleased with her, who said:
"My mother came to visit me while she was still a polytheist,
during the treaty of Quraysh when they had a pact with the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
and she was accompanied by her father.
So I consulted the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, for a ruling,
saying:
'O Messenger of Allah,
my mother has come to visit me, and she is desiring kinship and aid;
should I maintain ties of kinship with her?'
He replied:
'Yes,
maintain ties of kinship with your mother.'"
Commentary on the hadith:
"My mother":
Her name was Qutaylah.
"During the treaty of Quraysh":
That is, during the period between the Treaty of al-Hudaybiyyah and the Conquest of Makkah.
"Desiring" (*raghibah*):
Some scholars said:
inclined toward Islam,
while others said:
desiring gifts, support, and kind treatment.
Points of benefit derived from the hadith:
Some scholars used this hadith to deduce the obligation of a Muslim child providing financial support for non-Muslim parents.
It demonstrates the legitimacy of making truces with belligerent non-Muslims and dealing with them during periods of armistice.
It indicates the permissibility of traveling to visit relatives.
It demonstrates the virtue of Asma', may Allah be pleased with her,
as she was scrupulous and cautious regarding her religious affairs.
The hadith also points to the obligation of exercising caution and verification in religious matters.
Chapter
On the authority of 'Abdullah ibn 'Ubaydullah ibn Abi Mulaykah:
The sons of Suhayb, the freedman of Ibn Jud'an,
laid claim to two houses and a room,
asserting that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, had granted them to Suhayb.
Marwan said:
"Who will testify for the two of you to that effect?"
They said: "Ibn 'Umar."
So he summoned him, and he testified:
"The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, indeed granted Suhayb two houses and a room."
So Marwan ruled in their favor based on his testimony.
Commentary on the hadith:
Suhayb is Ibn Sinan ibn Khalid al-Mawsili, later al-Rumi, may Allah be pleased with him.
Marwan is Ibn al-Hakam ibn Abi al-'As,
and he was at that time the governor of Madinah on behalf of Mu'awiyah ibn Abi Sufyan, may Allah be pleased with him.
"He ruled" (*qada*) means he passed legal judgment.
Points of benefit derived from the hadith:
The hadith indicates the obligation of giving testimony when called upon.
It illustrates the high merit of Ibn 'Umar, may Allah be pleased with them both.
The hadith also serves as evidence for those who accept the sole testimony of a single witness whose integrity and justice are widely renowned.
Chapter: What Has Been Said Concerning Life-Tenancy (*'Umra*) and Survivorship (*Ruqba*)
On the authority of Jabir, may Allah be pleased with him, who said:
The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, ruled that a lifetime grant (*'umra*) belongs entirely to the one to whom it was granted.
And on the authority of Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him,
from the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, who said:
"A lifetime grant (*'umra*) is valid."
Commentary on the hadith:
Chapter: What has been said concerning life-tenancy (*'umra*) and survivorship (*ruqba*).
*Ruqba* is when a man says to another:
"I assign my house to you on survivorship:
if I die before you, it belongs to you;
and if you die before me, it reverts to me."
*'Umra*:
is when a man says to another:
"I grant you my house for a lifetime,"
meaning: "I have made it yours for the duration of your life."
"Was granted" (*wuhibat*) means it was gifted.
"Valid" (*ja'izah*):
meaning it becomes the permanent property of the recipient,
and the grantor retains no right to it whatsoever thereafter.
Points of benefit derived from the hadith:
It is derived from the hadith
that a lifetime grant (*'umra*) is a valid and binding outright gift.
It contains encouragement to give voluntary charity.
The hadith also points to the necessity of taking precautions when formulating gifts.
Chapter: Borrowing Horses, Riding Beasts, and Other Items
On the authority of Anas, who said:
"The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, was the most handsome of people,
the most generous of people, and the bravest of people.
One night, the people of Madinah were terrified by an alarming noise,
so the people headed toward the sound.
But they were met by the Prophet, peace be upon him,
who had already rushed toward the sound ahead of everyone else,
and he was saying:
'Do not be afraid, do not be afraid!'
He was riding a horse belonging to Abu Talhah, bareback without a saddle,
with a sword slung around his neck."
In one narration:
The Prophet, peace be upon him, borrowed
a horse from Abu Talhah called al-Mandub.
And in another narration:
"It used to be slow, or it had a slow gait."
So he said:
In one narration:
"We saw nothing to be alarmed by."
And in another narration:
"We found nothing frightening;
we found this horse to be as swift as an ocean,"
or: "Indeed, it is like a vast sea!"
In one narration:
"And that horse was never outrun in any race after that day."
Commentary on the hadith:
"The most handsome of people" means the best and most perfected of them.
"The most generous of people"
means the most magnanimous of them.
"Terrified" (*fazi'a*)
means became alarmed and frightened.
"The people headed toward the sound":
meaning people set out rushing toward its direction.
"Do not be afraid" (*lan tura'u*):
that is, do not panic.
"Belonging to Abu Talhah":
His name was Zayd ibn Sahl, may Allah be pleased with him.
"Saddle" (*sarj*):
it is the equipment placed on the back of a riding beast to mount it.
"We found it to be as swift as an ocean":
a metaphor for the horse's immense speed and boundless running stamina.
Points of benefit derived from the hadith:
It is derived from the hadith
that borrowing animals is permissible.
It shows that borrowed property must be returned safely to its owner.
It illustrates the unmatched courage of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
It offers guidance on calming people's fears and showing gentleness toward them
when crises and alarming events occur.
Chapter: Borrowing Garments for a Bride upon Her Wedding
On the authority of Ibn Abi Mulaykah, who said:
"I entered upon 'A'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her,
and she was wearing a coarse cotton shift (*dir'*) worth only five dirhams.
She said:
'Look up at my servant girl;
look at her,
for she feels too proud to wear such a dress inside the house!
Yet I had one like it during the lifetime of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
and there was not a single woman being adorned for her wedding in Madinah
who did not send for me to borrow it.'"
Commentary on the hadith:
A shift (*al-dir'*) is a woman's everyday dress or gown.
*Qutr* is attributed to a locality in Bahrain,
referring to garments made of thick, coarse cotton,
though other views have been stated.
"Feels too proud" (*tuzha*)
means she acts haughty or disdains to wear it.
"Adorned" (*tuqayyan*)
means beautified and prepared for her bridal procession.
Points of benefit derived from the hadith:
It is derived from the hadith
that it is permissible to borrow fine garments for a bride,
which is an act of recognized kindness aligned with sound custom and social practice.
It indicates that a woman may wear fine clothes at home,
even if such clothing might also be worn by some servants.
It illustrates the profound humility of 'A'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her,
and her contentment with simple sustenance even when prosperous.
Chapter: The Merit of Granting Milking Animals (*al-Maniha*)
On the authority of Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him,
that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:
"What an excellent charity—"
and in another narration:
"What an excellent gift—
A precious, high-yielding milch-camel,
and a precious, high-yielding sheep or goat,
yielding a vessel of milk in the morning and another in the evening."
Commentary on the Hadith:
The term *manīḥah* (a loan for use):
It is a she-camel or a ewe that a man lends to another to milk and later return.
The word *laqḥah*:
That is, a she-camel or ewe that is lactating.
The word *ṣafī*:
Meaning one that yields abundant milk.
"Yielding a vessel in the morning and another in the evening":
Meaning it is milked to fill one vessel in the morning and another in the evening.
Lessons Derived from the Hadith:
It is inferred from the hadith:
Encouragement to relieve the needs of the poor through continuous charity,
and that granting a *manīḥah* is a form of ongoing charity (ṣadaqah jāriyah),
as it provides sustenance morning and evening.
On the authority of Ibn Shihāb,
from Anas ibn Mālik (may Allah be pleased with him), who said:
"When the Emigrants arrived in Medina from Mecca,
they had nothing at all in their hands,
while the Ansar were owners of the land and real estate.
So the Ansar agreed with them to share the produce of their properties every year,
sparing them the labor and the provision of maintenance.
And his mother was Umm Anas, Umm Sulaym—
who was also the mother of 'Abdullah ibn Abī Ṭalḥah—
and Umm Anas had given the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) some date palms.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) then gave them to Umm Ayman, his freedwoman,
the mother of Usāmah ibn Zayd.
In another narration:
A man would assign date palms to the Prophet (peace be upon him)
until he conquered Banu Qurayzah and Banu al-Naḍīr.
And when the Prophet (peace be upon him)
finished subduing the people of Khaybar
and returned to Medina,
the Emigrants returned to the Ansar their *manā'iḥ* (temporary fruit-grants) which they had granted them from their fruits,
and the Prophet (peace be upon him) returned to his [Anas's] mother her date palms.
In another narration:
And my family instructed me to go to the Prophet (peace be upon him)
to ask him for what they had given him, or a portion thereof.
But the Prophet (peace be upon him) had already granted it to Umm Ayman,
so Umm Ayman came and wrapped a cloth around my neck,
saying:
'No, by the One besides Whom there is no deity!
He shall not give them to you, for he has already granted them to me!'
So the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) gave Umm Ayman others from his orchard in their place."
In another narration:
"He gave her ten times as many."
Commentary on the Hadith:
"So the Ansar agreed with them to share":
Meaning, they reached an agreement.
"Sparing them the labor and the provision of maintenance":
This falls under the chapter of sharecropping trees (*musāqāh*).
*'Idhāq* is the plural of *'idhq*:
Which means the date palm,
and what is meant is that she granted him date palms.
"The Prophet (peace be upon him) gave them":
Meaning, he granted them as a gift.
"And when the Prophet (peace be upon him) finished subduing the people of Khaybar":
That is, when he concluded that battle.
"And returned":
Meaning, he came back.
"Returned":
That is, gave back.
"Their *manā'iḥ*":
The *manīḥah*:
It is a she-camel or a sheep given so that it may be milked and its milk utilized;
this is its original linguistic sense,
but it was later applied to any beneficial gift.
"Which they had granted them":
That is, which they had given to them.
"His mother":
That is, the mother of Anas.
"In their place":
Meaning, as compensation to her.
"And he gave her ten times as many":
"From his orchard":
That is, from his garden.
"A man would assign date palms to the Prophet (peace be upon him)":
Meaning, as a temporary grant to be returned.
"She wrapped the cloth around my neck":
A figurative expression indicating her intense anger.
Lessons Derived from the Hadith:
It is inferred from the hadith:
The recommendation to console and support one's brothers;
and it shows the virtue of the Ansar,
and their noble character, generous nature,
and deep love for Islam and its people.
It demonstrates that a *manīḥah* is a gift of usufruct,
so it is permissible to reclaim it at any time.
It also shows the permissibility of swearing an oath without being asked to do so.
The hadith indicates that a *manīḥah* of date palms is not zakat,
because the Prophet (peace be upon him) accepted it.
It proves the permissibility of transferring a *manīḥah* to someone else
after acquiring the right to its usufruct.
It shows that when a *manīḥah* is no longer needed,
it should be returned to its original owners.
It also demonstrates that if someone gives a poor person a *manīḥah* that had been lent to him,
and then wishes to return the original *manīḥah* to its owner
because he no longer needs to accept such grants,
he should compensate that poor person with something else.
On the authority of 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both), who said:
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:
"There are forty good deeds,
the highest of which is granting a milk-giving goat;
no person performs any one of them,
hoping for its reward and believing in what was promised for it,
except that Allah will admit him thereby into Paradise."
Commentary on the Hadith:
*Khaṣlah* means a quality or a branch of good deed.
"The grant of a goat":
An *'anz* is a female goat.
"Hoping for its reward":
Meaning, to attain its recompense.
"And believing in what was promised for it":
That is, believing firmly in what is known conclusively from the words of the Prophet (peace be upon him).
Lessons Derived from the Hadith:
It is inferred from the hadith:
An exposition of the virtue of lending a milk-giving goat,
and that milk suffices to fulfill basic needs.
The hadith points out that sincerity is among the prerequisites for deeds to be accepted.
It also shows the obligation of having absolute faith in the reward promised through the words of the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).