The Likeness of the giver and the miser

Abu Haraira reported that the likeness of one who spends or one who gives charity is that of a person who has two cloaks or two coats-of-mail over him right from the breast to the collar bones. And when the spender (and the other narrator said, when the giver of charity) makes up his mind to give charity, it (coat-mail) becomes expanded for him. But when a miserly person intends to spend, it contracts and every ring grips the place where it is. For the giver of charity, this coat-of. mail expands to cover his whole body and obliterates even his footprints. Abu Huraira said: (The miserly man) tries to expand it (the coat-of-mail) but it does not expand.

حَدَّثَنَا عَمْرٌو النَّاقِدُ، حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ بْنُ عُيَيْنَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي الزِّنَادِ، عَنِ الأَعْرَجِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ . قَالَ عَمْرٌو وَحَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ بْنُ عُيَيْنَةَ قَالَ وَقَالَ ابْنُ جُرَيْجٍ عَنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ مُسْلِمٍ عَنْ طَاوُسٍ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ " مَثَلُ الْمُنْفِقِ وَالْمُتَصَدِّقِ كَمَثَلِ رَجُلٍ عَلَيْهِ جُبَّتَانِ أَوْ جُنَّتَانِ مِنْ لَدُنْ ثُدِيِّهِمَا إِلَى تَرَاقِيهِمَا فَإِذَا أَرَادَ الْمُنْفِقُ - وَقَالَ الآخَرُ فَإِذَا أَرَادَ الْمُتَصَدِّقُ - أَنْ يَتَصَدَّقَ سَبَغَتْ عَلَيْهِ أَوْ مَرَّتْ وَإِذَا أَرَادَ الْبَخِيلُ أَنْ يُنْفِقَ قَلَصَتْ عَلَيْهِ وَأَخَذَتْ كُلُّ حَلْقَةٍ مَوْضِعَهَا حَتَّى تُجِنَّ بَنَانَهُ وَتَعْفُوَ أَثَرَهُ " . قَالَ فَقَالَ أَبُو هُرَيْرَةَ فَقَالَ يُوَسِّعُهَا فَلاَ تَتَّسِعُ .

Abu Haraira reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ gave similitudes of a miserly man and the giver of charity as two persons who have two coats-of-mail over them with their hands pressed closely to their breasts and their collar bones. Whenever the giver of charity gives charity it (the coat-of mail) expands so much as to cover his finger tips and obliterate his foot prints. And whenever the miserly person intends to give charity (the coat-of-mail) contracts and every ring grips the place where it is. He (Abu Huraira) said: I saw the Messenger of Allah ﷺ saying with fingers in the opening of his shirt:" If you had seen him trying to expand it, it will not expand."

حَدَّثَنِي سُلَيْمَانُ بْنُ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ أَبُو أَيُّوبَ الْغَيْلاَنِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو عَامِرٍ، - يَعْنِي الْعَقَدِيَّ - حَدَّثَنَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ نَافِعٍ، عَنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ مُسْلِمٍ، عَنْ طَاوُسٍ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ ضَرَبَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ " مَثَلَ الْبَخِيلِ وَالْمُتَصَدِّقِ كَمَثَلِ رَجُلَيْنِ عَلَيْهِمَا جُنَّتَانِ مِنْ حَدِيدٍ قَدِ اضْطُرَّتْ أَيْدِيهِمَا إِلَى ثُدَيِّهِمَا وَتَرَاقِيهِمَا فَجَعَلَ الْمُتَصَدِّقُ كُلَّمَا تَصَدَّقَ بِصَدَقَةٍ انْبَسَطَتْ عَنْهُ حَتَّى تُغَشِّيَ أَنَامِلَهُ وَتَعْفُوَ أَثَرَهُ وَجَعَلَ الْبَخِيلُ كُلَّمَا هَمَّ بِصَدَقَةٍ قَلَصَتْ وَأَخَذَتْ كُلُّ حَلْقَةٍ مَكَانَهَا " . قَالَ فَأَنَا رَأَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ بِإِصْبَعِهِ فِي جَيْبِهِ فَلَوْ رَأَيْتَهُ يُوَسِّعُهَا وَلاَ تَوَسَّعُ .