Returning Gifts
Total Hadiths 36
What Authentic Hadiths Teach Us About the Rules of Returning Gifts in Islam
Exchanging and returning gifts involves important social and ethical lessons in Islamic history. According to authentic narrations, when the Muhajirs originally migrated to Medina, the wealthy Ansar shared half their fruit harvests with them. Later, after historical victories like Khaibar, Quraiza, and Nadir, the Muhajirs honorably returned these generous land and fruit grants. In one case, the Prophet Muhammad beautifully settled a dispute over returned date-palms between Anas bin Malik's mother and his nurse, Umm Aiman, by compensating her with nearly ten times the value from his own orchard. According to Islamic scholars, while voluntarily returning temporary communal support is praiseworthy, reclaiming an standard present you already gave away is strictly forbidden. The Prophet strongly discouraged this by warning that someone who takes back their gift is like a dog that swallows its own vomit, highlighting how deeply disliked it is to reclaim a gesture of goodwill.
وَحَدَّثَنَاهُ أَبُو كُرَيْبٍ، مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْعَلاَءِ أَخْبَرَنَا ابْنُ الْمُبَارَكِ، عَنِ الأَوْزَاعِيِّ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ مُحَمَّدَ بْنَ عَلِيِّ بْنِ الْحُسَيْنِ، يَذْكُرُ بِهَذَا الإِسْنَادِ نَحْوَهُ .
This hadith is also reported through another chain.
Reference : Sahih Muslim 1622bIn-book reference : Book 24, Hadith 9USC-MSA web (English) reference : Book 12, Hadith 3955
وَحَدَّثَنَاهُ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْمُثَنَّى، حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ أَبِي عَدِيٍّ، عَنْ سَعِيدٍ، عَنْ قَتَادَةَ، بِهَذَا الإِسْنَادِ مِثْلَهُ .
This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Qatada with the same chain of transmitters.
Reference : Sahih Muslim 1622fIn-book reference : Book 24, Hadith 13USC-MSA web (English) reference : Book 12, Hadith 3959
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو أُسَامَةَ، عَنْ عَوْفٍ، عَنْ خِلاَسٍ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " إِنَّ مَثَلَ الَّذِي يَعُودُ فِي عَطِيَّتِهِ كَمَثَلِ الْكَلْبِ أَكَلَ حَتَّى إِذَا شَبِعَ قَاءَ ثُمَّ عَادَ فِي قَيْئِهِ فَأَكَلَهُ " .
Abu Hurairah Narrated from:
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “The likeness of one who takes back his gift is that of a dog that eats until it is full and vomits; then it goes back to its vomit and eats it again.”
Reference : Sunan Ibn Majah 2384In-book reference : Book 14, Hadith 10English translation : Vol. 3, Book 14, Hadith 2384
حَدَّثَنَا مُسْلِمُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، حَدَّثَنَا وُهَيْبٌ، حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ طَاوُسٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ ـ رضى الله عنهما ـ قَالَ قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم " الْعَائِدُ فِي هِبَتِهِ كَالْكَلْبِ يَقِيءُ، ثُمَّ يَعُودُ فِي قَيْئِهِ ".
Ibn 'Abbas Narrated from:
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "One who takes back his gift (which he has already given) is like a dog that swallows its vomit."
Reference : Sahih al-Bukhari 2589In-book reference : Book 51, Hadith 23USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 3, Book 47, Hadith 762
حَدَّثَنَا مُسْلِمُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، حَدَّثَنَا هِشَامٌ، وَشُعْبَةُ، قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا قَتَادَةُ، عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ الْمُسَيَّبِ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ ـ رضى الله عنهما ـ قَالَ قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم " الْعَائِدُ فِي هِبَتِهِ كَالْعَائِدِ فِي قَيْئِهِ ".
Ibn 'Abbas Narrated from:
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "He who takes back his present is like him who swallows his vomit."
Reference : Sahih al-Bukhari 2621In-book reference : Book 51, Hadith 53USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 3, Book 47, Hadith 790
حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ الْمُبَارَكِ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْوَارِثِ، حَدَّثَنَا أَيُّوبُ، عَنْ عِكْرِمَةَ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ ـ رضى الله عنهما ـ قَالَ قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم " لَيْسَ لَنَا مَثَلُ السَّوْءِ، الَّذِي يَعُودُ فِي هِبَتِهِ كَالْكَلْبِ يَرْجِعُ فِي قَيْئِهِ ".
Ibn 'Abbas Narrated from:
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "The bad example is not for us. He who takes back his present is like a dog that swallows back its vomit."
Reference : Sahih al-Bukhari 2622In-book reference : Book 51, Hadith 54USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 3, Book 47, Hadith 791
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بَشَّارٍ، وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْمُثَنَّى، قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ، حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ قَتَادَةَ، يُحَدِّثُ عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ الْمُسَيَّبِ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " الْعَائِدُ فِي هِبَتِهِ كَالْعَائِدِ فِي قَيْئِهِ " .
Ibn 'Abbas Narrated from:
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “The one who takes back his gift is like the one who goes back to his vomit.”
Reference : Sunan Ibn Majah 2385In-book reference : Book 14, Hadith 11English translation : Vol. 3, Book 14, Hadith 2385
حَدَّثَنِي إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ مُوسَى الرَّازِيُّ، وَإِسْحَاقُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، قَالاَ أَخْبَرَنَا عِيسَى، بْنُ يُونُسَ حَدَّثَنَا الأَوْزَاعِيُّ، عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ، مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ عَنِ ابْنِ الْمُسَيَّبِ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " مَثَلُ الَّذِي يَرْجِعُ فِي صَدَقَتِهِ كَمَثَلِ الْكَلْبِ يَقِيءُ ثُمَّ يَعُودُ فِي قَيْئِهِ فَيَأْكُلُهُ " .
Ibn 'Abbas Narrated from:
Ibn 'Abbas (Allah be pleased with them) reported Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) having said this: He who gets back his charity is like a dog which vomits, and then returns to that and eats it.
Reference : Sahih Muslim 1622aIn-book reference : Book 24, Hadith 8USC-MSA web (English) reference : Book 12, Hadith 3955
وَحَدَّثَنِي هَارُونُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ الأَيْلِيُّ، وَأَحْمَدُ بْنُ عِيسَى، قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ وَهْبٍ، أَخْبَرَنِي عَمْرٌو، - وَهُوَ ابْنُ الْحَارِثِ - عَنْ بُكَيْرٍ، أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ سَعِيدَ بْنَ الْمُسَيَّبِ، يَقُولُ سَمِعْتُ ابْنَ عَبَّاسٍ، يَقُولُ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ " إِنَّمَا مَثَلُ الَّذِي يَتَصَدَّقُ بِصَدَقَةٍ ثُمَّ يَعُودُ فِي صَدَقَتِهِ كَمَثَلِ الْكَلْبِ يَقِيءُ ثُمَّ يَأْكُلُ قَيْأَهُ " .
Ibn 'Abbas Narrated from:
I heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) say: The similitude of one who gives a charity and then gets it back is like that of a dog which vomits and then eats its vomit.
Reference : Sahih Muslim 1622dIn-book reference : Book 24, Hadith 11USC-MSA web (English) reference : Book 12, Hadith 3957
وَحَدَّثَنَاهُ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْمُثَنَّى، وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بَشَّارٍ، قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ، حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، سَمِعْتُ قَتَادَةَ، يُحَدِّثُ عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ الْمُسَيَّبِ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَنَّهُ قَالَ " الْعَائِدُ فِي هِبَتِهِ كَالْعَائِدِ فِي قَيْئِهِ " .
Ibn 'Abbas Narrated from:
Ibn Abbas (Allah be pleased with them) reported Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) as saying: One who gets back the gift is like one who eats vomit.
Reference : Sahih Muslim 1622eIn-book reference : Book 24, Hadith 12USC-MSA web (English) reference : Book 12, Hadith 3958
