44/1. Chapter:
Sunan an-Nasai 4451 — Pure Food from Personal Work
Encouragement to Earn A Living
Pure Food and Halal Earnings in Islam
Sunan an-Nasai : 4451
Sunan an-NasaiHadith Number 4451
أَخْبَرَنَا يُوسُفُ بْنُ عِيسَى، قَالَ أَنْبَأَنَا الْفَضْلُ بْنُ مُوسَى، قَالَ أَنْبَأَنَا الأَعْمَشُ، عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، عَنِ الأَسْوَدِ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، قَالَتْ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " إِنَّ أَطْيَبَ مَا أَكَلَ الرَّجُلُ مِنْ كَسْبِهِ وَوَلَدُهُ مِنْ كَسْبِهِ " .
A'isha Narrated from:
The Messenger of Allah said: 'The best (most pure) food that a man eats is that which he has earned himself, and his child (and his child's wealth) is part of his earning,
Reference : Sunan an-Nasa'i 4451In-book reference : Book 44, Hadith 3English translation : Vol. 5, Book 44, Hadith 4456
Summary of Sunan an-Nasai Hadith 4451
The central teaching of this hadith is the value of personal earnings. The Messenger of Allah says that the best, or most pure, food a man eats is from what he has earned himself. This makes honest work and halal income the main focus. Food feels different when it comes from one's own lawful effort, and the hadith gives that source special praise. It then says that a person's child is part of his earning. That phrase shows a close connection between the parent's work and the child in the wording of the narration. The text does not describe every rule about family property, so the explanation should remain balanced. The clearest lesson is that self-earned food is praised, and a child is counted among a parent's earnings.
What we learn from this hadith
- Self-earned food is described as among the purest food.
- Lawful personal effort is praised.
- A child is described as part of the parent's earning.
- The narration should not be used to invent unstated property rules.
