The Sa‘ of Al-Madina, and the Mudd of the Prophet ﷺ

Narrated Al-Ju'aid bin Abdur-Rahman:

As-Sa'ib bin Yazid said, "The Sa' at the time of the Prophet was equal to one Mudd plus one-third of a Mudd of your time, and then it was increased in the time of Caliph 'Umar bin 'Abdul Aziz."

حَدَّثَنَا عُثْمَانُ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا الْقَاسِمُ بْنُ مَالِكٍ الْمُزَنِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا الْجُعَيْدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ، عَنِ السَّائِبِ بْنِ يَزِيدَ، قَالَ كَانَ الصَّاعُ عَلَى عَهْدِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ مُدًّا وَثُلُثًا بِمُدِّكُمُ الْيَوْمَ فَزِيدَ فِيهِ فِي زَمَنِ عُمَرَ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْعَزِيزِ.

Narrated Nafi:

Ibn Umar used to give the Zakat of Ramadan (Zakat-al-Fitr) according to the Mudd of the Prophet, the first Mudd, and he also used to give things for expiation for oaths according to the Mudd of the Prophet. Abu Qutaiba said, "Malik said to us, 'Our Mudd (i.e., of Medina) is better than yours and we do not see any superiority except in the Mudd of the Prophet!' Malik further said, to me, 'If a ruler came to you and fixed a Mudd smaller than the one of the Prophet, by what Mudd would you measure what you give (for expiation or Zakat-al-Fitr?' I replied, 'We would give it according to the Mudd of the Prophet' On that, Malik said, 'Then, don't you see that we have to revert to the Mudd of the Prophet ultimately?'"

حَدَّثَنَا مُنْذِرُ بْنُ الْوَلِيدِ الْجَارُودِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو قُتَيْبَةَ ـ وَهْوَ سَلْمٌ ـ حَدَّثَنَا مَالِكٌ، عَنْ نَافِعٍ، قَالَ كَانَ ابْنُ عُمَرَ يُعْطِي زَكَاةَ رَمَضَانَ بِمُدِّ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ الْمُدِّ الأَوَّلِ، وَفِي كَفَّارَةِ الْيَمِينِ بِمُدِّ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ. قَالَ أَبُو قُتَيْبَةَ قَالَ لَنَا مَالِكٌ مُدُّنَا أَعْظَمُ مِنْ مُدِّكُمْ وَلاَ نَرَى الْفَضْلَ إِلاَّ فِي مُدِّ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ. وَقَالَ لِي مَالِكٌ لَوْ جَاءَكُمْ أَمِيرٌ فَضَرَبَ مُدًّا أَصْغَرَ مِنْ مُدِّ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ بِأَىِّ شَىْءٍ كُنْتُمْ تُعْطُونَ قُلْتُ كُنَّا نُعْطِي بِمُدِّ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ أَفَلاَ تَرَى أَنَّ الأَمْرَ إِنَّمَا يَعُودُ إِلَى مُدِّ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ.