68/24. Chapter:
Sahih Bukhari 5299 — Generosity and Miserliness
Using gestures to express the decision of divorce
وَقَالَ ابْنُ عُمَرَ قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «لاَ يُعَذِّبُ اللَّهُ بِدَمْعِ الْعَيْنِ وَلَكِنْ يُعَذِّبُ بِهَذَا». فَأَشَارَ إِلَى لِسَانِهِ. وَقَالَ كَعْبُ بْنُ مَالِكٍ أَشَارَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِلَيَّ أَيْ خُذِ النِّصْفَ. وَقَالَتْ أَسْمَاءُ صَلَّى النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فِي الْكُسُوفِ، فَقُلْتُ لِعَائِشَةَ مَا شَأْنُ النَّاسِ وَهْيَ تُصَلِّي، فَأَوْمَأَتْ بِرَأْسِهَا إِلَى الشَّمْسِ، فَقُلْتُ آيَةٌ فَأَوْمَأَتْ بِرَأْسِهَا أَنْ نَعَمْ. وَقَالَ أَنَسٌ أَوْمَأَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ بِيَدِهِ إِلَى أَبِي بَكْرٍ أَنْ يَتَقَدَّمَ. وَقَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ أَوْمَأَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ بِيَدِهِ لاَ حَرَجَ. وَقَالَ أَبُو قَتَادَةَ قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فِي الصَّيْدِ لِلْمُحْرِمِ: «آحَدٌ مِنْكُمْ أَمَرَهُ أَنْ يَحْمِلَ عَلَيْهَا أَوْ أَشَارَ إِلَيْهَا». قَالُوا لاَ. قَالَ: «فَكُلُوا».
Generosity Hadith: The Miser and the Generous Person
Sahih Bukhari : 5299
Sahih BukhariHadith Number 5299
وَقَالَ اللَّيْثُ حَدَّثَنِي جَعْفَرُ بْنُ رَبِيعَةَ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ هُرْمُزَ، سَمِعْتُ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " مَثَلُ الْبَخِيلِ وَالْمُنْفِقِ كَمَثَلِ رَجُلَيْنِ عَلَيْهِمَا جُبَّتَانِ مِنْ حَدِيدٍ، مِنْ لَدُنْ ثَدْيَيْهِمَا إِلَى تَرَاقِيهِمَا، فَأَمَّا الْمُنْفِقُ فَلاَ يُنْفِقُ شَيْئًا إِلاَّ مَادَّتْ عَلَى جِلْدِهِ حَتَّى تُجِنَّ بَنَانَهُ وَتَعْفُوَ أَثَرَهُ، وَأَمَّا الْبَخِيلُ فَلاَ يُرِيدُ يُنْفِقُ إِلاَّ لَزِمَتْ كُلُّ حَلْقَةٍ مَوْضِعَهَا، فَهْوَ يُوسِعُهَا فَلاَ تَتَّسِعُ ". وَيُشِيرُ بِإِصْبَعِهِ إِلَى حَلْقِهِ.
Abu Hurairah Narrated from:
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, The example of a miser and a generous person is like that of two persons wearing iron cloaks from the breast upto the neck When the generous person spends, the iron cloak enlarges and spread over his skin so much so that it covers his fingertips and obliterates his tracks. As for the miser, as soon as he thinks of spending every ring of the iron cloak sticks to its place (against his body) and he tries to expand it, but it does not expand. The Prophet (ﷺ) pointed with his hand towards his throat.
Reference : Sahih al-Bukhari 5299In-book reference : Book 68, Hadith 48USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 7, Book 63, Hadith 219
Summary of Sahih Bukhari Hadith 5299
This generosity hadith gives a strong example from Allah's Messenger. He compared a miser and a generous person to two people wearing iron cloaks from the breast to the neck. When the generous person spends, the cloak expands over his skin until it covers his fingertips and removes his traces. But when the miser wants to spend, every ring of the cloak sticks in place, and he tries to widen it but it does not widen. The Prophet also pointed toward his throat while describing it. The image is easy to understand: spending is shown as something that opens and expands, while miserliness is shown as tight and restrictive. The narration encourages generosity without needing a long explanation.
What we learn from this hadith
- The generous person is compared to someone whose cloak expands when he spends.
- The miser is compared to someone whose cloak stays tight.
- The example shows the inner tightness connected with miserliness.
- The Prophet used a physical image to make the lesson easy to picture.
