24/2. Chapter:
Sahih Muslim 1622g — Do Not Reclaim a Gift After Giving It
The Prohibition Of Taking Back One's Charity After It Has Been Accepted, Except In The Case Of What A Father Gives To A Son Or Grandson
Hadith About Taking Back a Gift After Giving It
Sahih Muslim : 1622g
Sahih MuslimHadith Number 1622g
وَحَدَّثَنَا إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، أَخْبَرَنَا الْمَخْزُومِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا وُهَيْبٌ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ، بْنُ طَاوُسٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " الْعَائِدُ فِي هِبَتِهِ كَالْكَلْبِ يَقِيءُ ثُمَّ يَعُودُ فِي قَيْئِهِ " .
Ibn 'Abbas Narrated from:
Abdullah b. Tawus reported on the authority of his father who reported from Ibn Abas (Allah be pleased with them) who reported from Allah's Messenger 'may peace be upon him) that he said: One who gets back his gift is like a dog which vomits and then swallows that vomit.
Reference : Sahih Muslim 1622gIn-book reference : Book 24, Hadith 14USC-MSA web (English) reference : Book 12, Hadith 3960
Summary of Sahih Muslim Hadith 1622g
This narration gives the warning through Abdullah b. Tawus, from his father, from Ibn Abbas. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said that the one who gets back his gift is like a dog that vomits and then swallows that vomit. This is a direct hadith about taking back gifts. The wording is vivid and hard to ignore. It teaches the giver not to look back at the gift as if it is still his. Once a gift is given, returning to it is shown as a blameworthy act. The text does not add a long story or wider ruling details here. It gives a clear moral picture: taking back a gift after giving it is something a believer should strongly avoid.
What we learn from this hadith
- A gift should not be reclaimed after it is given.
- The Prophet used a strong comparison to warn against the act.
- The report focuses on the giver returning to his gift.
- The wording helps the listener feel how disliked the act is.
