49/74. Chapter:
Jami at-Tirmidhi 3946 — Gift Return and Contentment
About Thaqif And Banu Hanifah
Hadith About Returning Gifts According to Ability
Jami at-Tirmidhi : 3946
Jami at-TirmidhiHadith Number 3946
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ خَالِدٍ الْحِمْصِيُّ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ ابْنُ إِسْحَاقَ، عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْمَقْبُرِيِّ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ أَهْدَى رَجُلٌ مِنْ بَنِي فَزَارَةَ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم نَاقَةً مِنْ إِبِلِهِ الَّتِي كَانُوا أَصَابُوا بِالْغَابَةِ فَعَوَّضَهُ مِنْهَا بَعْضَ الْعِوَضِ فَتَسَخَّطَهُ فَسَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم عَلَى هَذَا الْمِنْبَرِ يَقُولُ " إِنَّ رِجَالاً مِنَ الْعَرَبِ يُهْدِي أَحَدُهُمُ الْهَدِيَّةَ فَأُعَوِّضُهُ مِنْهَا بِقَدْرِ مَا عِنْدِي ثُمَّ يَتَسَخَّطُهُ فَيَظَلُّ يَتَسَخَّطُ فِيهِ عَلَىَّ وَايْمُ اللَّهِ لاَ أَقْبَلُ بَعْدَ مَقَامِي هَذَا مِنْ رَجُلٍ مِنَ الْعَرَبِ هَدِيَّةً إِلاَّ مِنْ قُرَشِيٍّ أَوْ أَنْصَارِيٍّ أَوْ ثَقَفِيٍّ أَوْ دَوْسِيٍّ " . هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ وَهُوَ أَصَحُّ مِنْ حَدِيثِ يَزِيدَ بْنِ هَارُونَ عَنْ أَيُّوبَ .
Narrated Abu Hurairah: "A Man From Banu Fazarah Gave A Gift To The Prophet (ﷺ) Of She-Camel From His Camels Which They Had Taken At Al-Ghabah. So He Reciprocated For It With Something In Return, But He Was Upset With It. So I Heard The Messenger Of Allah (ﷺ), Upon [This] Minbar Saying: 'Indeed One Of The Men From The Bedouins Gave Me A Gift So I Reciprocated For It To The Extent Of What I Had. Then He Became Very Upset With Me. By Allah! After My Experience With This Bedouin Man, I Shall Not Accept A Gift From Anyone Except From A Quraishi, Ansari, Thaqafi, Or Dawsi.'"
[1] See for details, Al-Bukhārī nos. 3041 and 4194. In one of the narrations of this Hadīth , recorded by Ahmad, the Prophet ﷺ said that they gave him one of his own camels which he recognized.Reference : Jami` at-Tirmidhi 3946In-book reference : Book 49, Hadith 346English translation : Vol. 1, Book 46, Hadith 3946
Summary of Jami at-Tirmidhi Hadith 3946
This Hadith about returning gifts gives another report about a man from Banu Fazarah who gave a she-camel to the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم gave him something in return, but the man was upset with it. Abu Hurairah heard the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم speak from the minbar and say that some Arab men would give a gift, then he would return something according to what he had, and they would remain upset with him. Because of that experience, he said he would not accept gifts except from a Quraishi, Ansari, Thaqafi, or Dawsi. The Hadith highlights contentment, fairness, and not turning gifts into demands.
What we learn from this hadith
- The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم returned something for the gift according to what he had.
- The giver became upset with the return he received.
- The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم addressed the issue publicly from the minbar.
- A gift should be given with a clean heart, not with hidden demands.
