12/50. Chapter:
Sahih Muslim 1071a — A Date Found in the Street
Zakat is forbidden for the messenger of Allah pbuh and his family, and they are Banu Hashim and Banu Al-Muttalib, and no one else
Sadaqa Hadith: The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم and a Date Found in the Street
Sahih Muslim : 1071a
Sahih MuslimHadith Number 1071a
حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ يَحْيَى، أَخْبَرَنَا وَكِيعٌ، عَنْ سُفْيَانَ، عَنْ مَنْصُورٍ، عَنْ طَلْحَةَ بْنِ مُصَرِّفٍ، عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ، أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَجَدَ تَمْرَةً فَقَالَ " لَوْلاَ أَنْ تَكُونَ مِنَ الصَّدَقَةِ لأَكَلْتُهَا " .
Anas b. Malik reported that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) found a date in the street and said: If it were not of sadaqa I would have eaten it.
Reference : Sahih Muslim 1071aIn-book reference : Book 12, Hadith 215USC-MSA web (English) reference : Book 5, Hadith 2344
Summary of Sahih Muslim Hadith 1071a
This hadith from Anas b. Malik shows the same careful approach in another setting. The Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم found a date in the street and said that if it were not of sadaqa, he would have eaten it. The wording does not say the date was certainly sadaqa. It says the concern about sadaqa stopped him from eating it. This makes the hadith a strong example of caution with doubtful food when it may belong to a category not allowed for him. The lesson is also practical: even something small and ordinary, like a date found on the road, was treated with care when charity was possible.
What we learn from this hadith
- The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم avoided a found date because it might be from sadaqa.
- The hadith teaches caution without claiming certainty about the date.
- Small food items can still require care when their source is unclear.
- The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم clearly separated ordinary food from sadaqa.
