Abu Dawud

1683. Commentary:
➊ (Al-Maniha) or (Al-Minha) refers to an animal or thing that is given to someone as a gift. There are two forms of this: The first is to give the animal or thing completely to someone and to relinquish one’s own ownership of it. The second is to keep the thing in one’s own ownership, but to give it temporarily to someone for benefit, and then to take it back later. Both forms of gift (minha) are permissible. From this comes (minhat al-waraq): giving silver, i.e., money, as a loan. (Minhat al-laban): gifting milk—that is, giving a she-camel, goat, cow, or buffalo during its milking days for someone to benefit from is a highly virtuous act. Similarly, during the fruit-bearing season, giving a fruit-bearing tree to someone in need, or giving land for cultivation, is included. After benefiting, the thing returns to its original owner.

➋ Besides the qualities mentioned in the hadith, the branches of faith, the hour of acceptance on Friday, and Laylat al-Qadr, etc., have been kept hidden. The wisdom in this is that Muslims should strive as much as possible in seeking them, so that they do not confine themselves only to those specific acts.

Hadith Commentary: The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) left these qualities unspecified for a certain wisdom. Perhaps the purpose was so that people would not become negligent regarding other good qualities besides these. The translator says that such excellent qualities, for which Paradise has been promised, are mentioned in various hadiths as being forty or even more. It is another matter that Hasan ibn Atiyyah (rahimahullah) was not able to know all of them collectively. For further details, studying the book Shu'ab al-Iman by Imam Bayhaqi (rahimahullah) will be beneficial.

Hadith Commentary:
According to the hadith, the most virtuous deed among these forty good deeds is the gift of a milk-giving goat.
There are two conditions for the acceptance of these good deeds:
➊ While performing them, one should have hope for reward.
➋ One should act with firm belief in Allah’s promise.
If one acts with these two conditions, Allah, the Exalted, will admit him into Paradise.
The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) knew the remaining qualities, but perhaps he left them unspecified so that people would not become negligent regarding other acts of goodness and virtue.
Such excellent qualities for which Paradise has been promised have been mentioned in more than forty instances in various ahadith.
For details, the study of Imam Bayhaqi’s (rahimahullah) book "Shu’ab al-Iman" will be beneficial.
It is possible that Hasan bin Atiyyah (rahimahullah) may not have had comprehensive knowledge of all these qualities.