The prohibition of giving gifts to agents

It has been narrated on the authority of Abu Humaid as-Sa'idi who said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ appointed a man from the Asad tribe who was called Ibn Lutbiyya in charge of Sadaqa (i. e. authorised hign to receive Sadaqa from the people on behalf of the State. When he returned (with the collictions), he said: This is for you and (this is mine as) it was presented to me as a gift. The narrator said: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upod him) stood on the pulpit and praised God and extolled Him. Then he said: What about a State official whom I give an assignment and who (comes and) says: This is for you and this has been presented to me as a gift? Why didn't he remain in the house of his father or the house of his mother so that he could observe whether gifts were presented to him or not. By the Being in Whose Hand is the life of Muhammad, any one of you will not take anything from it but will bring it on the Day of Judgment, carrying on his neck a camel that will be growling, or a cow that will be bellowing or an ewe that will be bleating. Then he raised his hands so that we could see the whiteness of his armpits. Then he said twice: O God, I have conveyed (Thy Commandments).

حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، وَعَمْرٌو النَّاقِدُ، وَابْنُ أَبِي عُمَرَ، - وَاللَّفْظُ لأَبِي بَكْرٍ - قَالُوا حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ بْنُ عُيَيْنَةَ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، عَنْ عُرْوَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي حُمَيْدٍ السَّاعِدِيِّ، قَالَ اسْتَعْمَلَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ رَجُلاً مِنَ الأَسْدِ يُقَالُ لَهُ ابْنُ اللُّتْبِيَّةِ - قَالَ عَمْرٌو وَابْنُ أَبِي عُمَرَ عَلَى الصَّدَقَةِ - فَلَمَّا قَدِمَ قَالَ هَذَا لَكُمْ وَهَذَا لِي أُهْدِيَ لِي قَالَ فَقَامَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ عَلَى الْمِنْبَرِ فَحَمِدَ اللَّهَ وَأَثْنَى عَلَيْهِ وَقَالَ " مَا بَالُ عَامِلٍ أَبْعَثُهُ فَيَقُولُ هَذَا لَكُمْ وَهَذَا أُهْدِيَ لِي . أَفَلاَ قَعَدَ فِي بَيْتِ أَبِيهِ أَوْ فِي بَيْتِ أُمِّهِ حَتَّى يَنْظُرَ أَيُهْدَى إِلَيْهِ أَمْ لاَ وَالَّذِي نَفْسُ مُحَمَّدٍ بِيَدِهِ لاَ يَنَالُ أَحَدٌ مِنْكُمْ مِنْهَا شَيْئًا إِلاَّ جَاءَ بِهِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ يَحْمِلُهُ عَلَى عُنُقِهِ بَعِيرٌ لَهُ رُغَاءٌ أَوْ بَقَرَةٌ لَهَا خُوَارٌ أَوْ شَاةٌ تَيْعِرُ " . ثُمَّ رَفَعَ يَدَيْهِ حَتَّى رَأَيْنَا عُفْرَتَىْ إِبْطَيْهِ ثُمَّ قَالَ " اللَّهُمَّ هَلْ بَلَّغْتُ " . مَرَّتَيْنِ .

It has been reported on the authority of Abu Humaid as-Sa'idi who said: Prophet ﷺ appointed Ibn Lutbiyya, a man from the Azd tribe, in charge of Sadaqa (authorising him to receive gifts from the people on behalf of the State). He came with the collectio, gave it to Prophet ﷺ. and said: This wealth is for you and this is a gift presented to me. Prophet ﷺ said to him: Why didn't you remain in the house of your father and your mother to see whether gifts were presented to you or not. Then he stood up to deliver a sermon. Here follows the tradition like the tradition of Sufyan.

حَدَّثَنَا إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، وَعَبْدُ بْنُ حُمَيْدٍ، قَالاَ أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ، حَدَّثَنَا مَعْمَرٌ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، عَنْ عُرْوَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي حُمَيْدٍ السَّاعِدِيِّ، قَالَ اسْتَعْمَلَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ ابْنَ اللُّتْبِيَّةِ - رَجُلاً مِنَ الأَزْدِ - عَلَى الصَّدَقَةِ فَجَاءَ بِالْمَالِ فَدَفَعَهُ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ ﷺ فَقَالَ هَذَا مَالُكُمْ وَهَذِهِ هَدِيَّةٌ أُهْدِيَتْ لِي . فَقَالَ لَهُ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ " أَفَلاَ قَعَدْتَ فِي بَيْتِ أَبِيكَ وَأُمِّكَ فَتَنْظُرَ أَيُهْدَى إِلَيْكَ أَمْ لاَ " . ثُمَّ قَامَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ خَطِيبًا . ثُمَّ ذَكَرَ نَحْوَ حَدِيثِ سُفْيَانَ .

It has been reported on the authority of Abu Humaid as-Sa'idi who said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ appointed a man from the Azd tribe. called Ibn al-, Utbiyya, in charge of Sadaqat to be received from Banu Sulaim. When he came (back), the Messenger of Allah ﷺ asked him to render his account. He said: This wealth is for you (i. e. for the public treasury) and this is a gift (presented to me). The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: You should have remained in the house of your father and your mother, until your gift came to you if you spoke the truth;
then he addressed us. He praised God and extolled Him, and afterwards said: I appoint a man from you to a responsible post sharing with the authority that God has entrusted to me, and he comes to me saying: This wealth is for you (i. e. for the public treasury) and this is a gift presented to me. Why did he not remain in the house of his father and his mother and his gift came to him, if he was truthful? By God, any one of you will not take anything from (the public funds) without any justification, but will meet his Lord carrying it on himself on the Day of judgment. I will recognise any one of you meeting Allah and carrying a growling camel, or a cow bellowing or a goat bleating. Then he raised his hands so high that whiteness of his armpits could be seen. Then he said: O my Lord, I have conveyed (Thy Commandments). The narrator says: My eyes saw (the Holy Prophet standing in that pose) and my ears heard (what he said).

حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو كُرَيْبٍ، مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْعَلاَءِ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو أُسَامَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا هِشَامٌ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ أَبِي حُمَيْدٍ السَّاعِدِيِّ، قَالَ اسْتَعْمَلَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ رَجُلاً مِنَ الأَزْدِ عَلَى صَدَقَاتِ بَنِي سُلَيْمٍ يُدْعَى ابْنَ الأُتْبِيَّةِ فَلَمَّا جَاءَ حَاسَبَهُ قَالَ هَذَا مَالُكُمْ وَهَذَا هَدِيَّةٌ . فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ " فَهَلاَّ جَلَسْتَ فِي بَيْتِ أَبِيكَ وَأُمِّكَ حَتَّى تَأْتِيَكَ هَدِيَّتُكَ إِنْ كُنْتَ صَادِقًا " . ثُمَّ خَطَبَنَا فَحَمِدَ اللَّهَ وَأَثْنَى عَلَيْهِ ثُمَّ قَالَ " أَمَّا بَعْدُ فَإِنِّي أَسْتَعْمِلُ الرَّجُلَ مِنْكُمْ عَلَى الْعَمَلِ مِمَّا وَلاَّنِي اللَّهُ فَيَأْتِي فَيَقُولُ هَذَا مَالُكُمْ وَهَذَا هَدِيَّةٌ أُهْدِيَتْ لِي . أَفَلاَ جَلَسَ فِي بَيْتِ أَبِيهِ وَأُمِّهِ حَتَّى تَأْتِيَهُ هَدِيَّتُهُ إِنْ كَانَ صَادِقًا وَاللَّهِ لاَ يَأْخُذُ أَحَدٌ مِنْكُمْ مِنْهَا شَيْئًا بِغَيْرِ حَقِّهِ إِلاَّ لَقِيَ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى يَحْمِلُهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ فَلأَعْرِفَنَّ أَحَدًا مِنْكُمْ لَقِيَ اللَّهَ يَحْمِلُ بَعِيرًا لَهُ رُغَاءٌ أَوْ بَقَرَةً لَهَا خُوَارٌ أَوْ شَاةً تَيْعِرُ " . ثُمَّ رَفَعَ يَدَيْهِ حَتَّى رُئِيَ بَيَاضُ إِبْطَيْهِ ثُمَّ قَالَ " اللَّهُمَّ هَلْ بَلَّغْتُ " . بَصُرَ عَيْنِي وَسَمِعَ أُذُنِي .

This tradition has been hanoed down through a different chain of transmitters on the authority of Hisham with aslight variation in the wording.

وَحَدَّثَنَا أَبُو كُرَيْبٍ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدَةُ، وَابْنُ، نُمَيْرٍ وَأَبُو مُعَاوِيَةَ ح وَحَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ، أَبِي شَيْبَةَ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّحِيمِ بْنُ سُلَيْمَانَ، ح وَحَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ أَبِي عُمَرَ، حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ، كُلُّهُمْ عَنْ هِشَامٍ، بِهَذَا الإِسْنَادِ . وَفِي حَدِيثِ عَبْدَةَ وَابْنِ نُمَيْرٍ فَلَمَّا جَاءَ حَاسَبَهُ . كَمَا قَالَ أَبُو أُسَامَةَ . وَفِي حَدِيثِ ابْنِ نُمَيْرٍ " تَعْلَمُنَّ وَاللَّهِ وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ لاَ يَأْخُذُ أَحَدُكُمْ مِنْهَا شَيْئًا " . وَزَادَ فِي حَدِيثِ سُفْيَانَ قَالَ بَصُرَ عَيْنِي وَسَمِعَ أُذُنَاىَ . وَسَلُوا زَيْدَ بْنَ ثَابِتٍ فَإِنَّهُ كَانَ حَاضِرًا مَعِي .

It has been narrated on the authority of Abu Humaid as-Sa'idi that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ appointed a man in charge of Sadaqa (authorising him to receive charity from the people on behalf of the State). He came (back to the Holy prophet) with a large number of things and started saying: This is for you and this has been presented to me as a gift. Here follows the tradition that has gone before except that 'Urwa (one of the narrators in the chain of transmitters) asked Abu Humaid: Did you hear it from the Messenger of Allah (himself) ﷺ? He replied: My ears heard it from his mouth.

وَحَدَّثَنَاهُ إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، أَخْبَرَنَا جَرِيرٌ، عَنِ الشَّيْبَانِيِّ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ ذَكْوَانَ، - وَهُوَ أَبُو الزِّنَادِ - عَنْ عُرْوَةَ بْنِ الزُّبَيْرِ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ اسْتَعْمَلَ رَجُلاً عَلَى الصَّدَقَةِ فَجَاءَ بِسَوَادٍ كَثِيرٍ فَجَعَلَ يَقُولُ هَذَا لَكُمْ وَهَذَا أُهْدِيَ إِلَىَّ . فَذَكَرَ نَحْوَهُ قَالَ عُرْوَةُ فَقُلْتُ لأَبِي حُمَيْدٍ السَّاعِدِيِّ أَسَمِعْتَهُ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقَالَ مِنْ فِيهِ إِلَى أُذُنِي .

It has been reported on the authority of 'Adi b. 'Amira al-Kindi who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say: Whoso from you is appointed by us to a position of authority and he conceals from us a needle or something smaller than that, it would be misappropriation (of public funds) and will (have to) produce it on the Day of Judgment. The narrator says: A dark-complexioned man from the Ansar stood up-I can visualise him still-and said: Messenger of Allah, take back from me your assignment. He said: What has happened to you? The man said: I have heard you say so and so. He said: I say that (even) now: Whoso from you is appointed by as to a position of authority, he should bring everything, big of small, and whatever he is given therefrom he should take, and he should restrain himself from taking that which is forbidden.

حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا وَكِيعُ بْنُ الْجَرَّاحِ، حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ أَبِي، خَالِدٍ عَنْ قَيْسِ بْنِ أَبِي حَازِمٍ، عَنْ عَدِيِّ بْنِ عَمِيرَةَ الْكِنْدِيِّ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ " مَنِ اسْتَعْمَلْنَاهُ مِنْكُمْ عَلَى عَمَلٍ فَكَتَمَنَا مِخْيَطًا فَمَا فَوْقَهُ كَانَ غُلُولاً يَأْتِي بِهِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ " . قَالَ فَقَامَ إِلَيْهِ رَجُلٌ أَسْوَدُ مِنَ الأَنْصَارِ كَأَنِّي أَنْظُرُ إِلَيْهِ فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ اقْبَلْ عَنِّي عَمَلَكَ قَالَ " وَمَا لَكَ " . قَالَ سَمِعْتُكَ تَقُولُ كَذَا وَكَذَا . قَالَ " وَأَنَا أَقُولُهُ الآنَ مَنِ اسْتَعْمَلْنَاهُ مِنْكُمْ عَلَى عَمَلٍ فَلْيَجِئْ بِقَلِيلِهِ وَكَثِيرِهِ فَمَا أُوتِيَ مِنْهُ أَخَذَ وَمَا نُهِيَ عَنْهُ انْتَهَى " .

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Isma'il with the same chain of transmitters.

وَحَدَّثَنَاهُ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ نُمَيْرٍ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بِشْرٍ، ح وَحَدَّثَنِي مُحَمَّدُ، بْنُ رَافِعٍ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو أُسَامَةَ، قَالُوا حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ، بِهَذَا الإِسْنَادِ بِمِثْلِهِ .