Bukhari

Hadith Commentary:
The upper hand is the hand of the generous giver, and the lower hand is the hand of the one who receives charity and alms.
The rank of the generous person is very high, and that of the receiver is low.
However, according to the noble verse: ﴿لَا تُبْطِلُوا صَدَقَاتِكُمْ بِالْمَنِّ وَالْأَذَى﴾ (),
it is obligatory upon the giver that he should not consider the recipient insignificant, nor should he remind him of his favor, nor cause him any mental distress. Otherwise, the reward of his charity will be lost.

Hadith Commentary:
(1)
In this hadith, the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) has warned against greed, covetousness, and avarice regarding worldly matters, stating that any wealth acquired with such an intention will not have goodness or blessing from Allah, rather Allah protects His beloved servants from this kind of greed and avarice. As the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said:
“When Allah loves a servant, He protects him from the world just as one of you keeps his sick patient away from water when he fears harm from it.”
(Musnad Ahmad: 5/428)
(2)
In reality, the blameworthy wealth of the world is that which makes one heedless of Allah and, by being engrossed in it, a person’s path to the Hereafter becomes corrupted. Therefore, those whom Allah loves, He protects them from hoarding wealth in this manner, just as we keep our patients away from water.

Hadith Commentary:
The translation of the chapter is derived from the fact that Hakim bin Hizam (radi Allahu anhu) was newly entered into Islam; for the purpose of winning his heart, he was given money twice.
Later, upon hearing the noble statement of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), Hakim (radi Allahu anhu) upheld his promise for the rest of his life and even relinquished his legitimate right, lest his soul become accustomed to taking things for free in this manner.
Such are the true men of faith.
They are as rare in this world as red sulphur.
Except whom Allah wills.
If you find someone in today’s world speaking in such a manner, upon examining him you will find that he himself is the worst of the greedy regarding worldly matters.
Except whom Allah wills.
This is also the case with many claimants of religiosity, who outwardly appear very truthful, but inwardly turn out to be the worst in dealings.
Except those upon whom Allah has mercy.

Hadith Commentary:
➊
Hazrat Hakim bin Hizam (radi Allahu anhu) had newly embraced Islam at the time of the conquest of Makkah.
The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) gave him wealth again for the purpose of winning his heart. Later, after listening to the Prophet’s sermon, he was so deeply affected that he promised never to ask anything from anyone again.
Thus, he remained steadfast upon his promise for the rest of his life and even gave up his legitimate rights, lest his soul become accustomed to living off others.
➋
The term “mu’allafatu al-qulub” refers to those people who have embraced Islam but are still weak at heart and Islam has not yet become firmly established in their hearts, or it refers to such non-Muslims from whom there is hope that they may accept Islam.
The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) would console such individuals from the wealth of khums (one-fifth of war booty). From this hadith, Imam Bukhari (rahimahullah) also intends to show that the wealth of khums is at the discretion of the Imam, and he may spend it wherever he deems appropriate.
And Allah knows best.

Hadith Commentary:
(1)
The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) directed the attention of Hakim bin Hizam (radi Allahu anhu) towards a lack of desire in accepting gifts, and described the hand of the one who receives a gift as the lower hand. A bequest (wasiyyah) is also like charity (sadaqah), therefore the hand of the one who accepts it will be the lower hand, whereas in the case of a loan (qard), the matter is the opposite. In this, the hand of the receiver is not the lower hand because he is receiving the amount he had given, so it is permissible to compel the debtor to repay. In this respect, a loan is stronger than a gift or charity, therefore it should be given precedence.

(2)
Umar (radi Allahu anhu) made great efforts regarding the fulfillment of their rights and considered them entitled to it just like a loan. It should be remembered that when a loan is specified, its repayment is necessary before giving voluntary charity (nafl sadaqah). And Allah knows best.

Hadith Commentary:
The kunyah of Hakim bin Hizam (radi Allahu anhu) is Abu Khalid, and he was from the Quraysh, of the Asad clan.
He was the nephew of Umm al-Mu’minin Khadijah al-Kubra (radi Allahu anha).
He was born in the Ka’bah thirteen years before the Year of the Elephant (the year of the Prophet’s birth).
He was among the most honored people of the Quraysh.
He possessed great respect and status in both the pre-Islamic era (Jahiliyyah) and in Islam.
He accepted Islam on the day of the conquest of Makkah.
He passed away in 64 AH inside his house in Madinah.
He lived to the age of one hundred and twenty years.
He spent sixty years in the era of Jahiliyyah and sixty years in the era of Islam.
He was among the intelligent, virtuous, and God-fearing Companions. In the time of Jahiliyyah, he freed one hundred slaves and gave away one hundred camels for riding.
After the passing of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), he lived for a long time, even witnessing ten years during the era of Mu’awiyah (radi Allahu anhu).
Yet, he never took a single coin from anyone,
which is a matter of great distinction.
In this hadith, the Sage of Humanity, the Noble Messenger (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), has presented the example of the contented and the greedy: whoever adopts contentment regarding worldly wealth and protects himself from the disease of greed and avarice, the doors of blessings will be opened for him, and even a small amount of wealth will suffice for him.
His life will be one of great satisfaction and tranquility.
And the person who is afflicted with the disease of greed and the fever of avarice, his belly will never be filled—even if he acquires all the wealth in the world, he will still remain caught in the cycle of seeking more and more wealth by any means.
Such covetous people neither know how to spend in the name of Allah, nor do they possess the motivation to benefit the creation.
Nor do they spend generously on themselves or their families.
If one studies the lives of capitalists, a very dreadful picture emerges.
The Pride of Creation (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) has described these very realities in this noble hadith.

Hadith Commentary:
(1)
From this hadith, it is understood that asking from others without necessity is forbidden (haram). The same ruling applies to one who is able to work and earn a living through labor. However, some scholars have allowed a concession with three conditions:
➊ He should not persist (in asking).
➋ He should not let his self-respect be harmed.
➌ And he should not cause discomfort to the one from whom he asks.
If these conditions are not met, then asking is unanimously forbidden (haram). Furthermore, in this hadith, the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) has mentioned the reward for the patient and the content: whoever adopts contentment regarding worldly wealth and protects himself from the disease of greed and covetousness, Allah, the Exalted, will open the doors of blessings for him, and even a small amount of wealth will suffice for him, and his life will pass with great peace and tranquility.
On the contrary, the one who falls prey to greed and covetousness will never have his belly filled, even if he is given all the wealth of the world. Such people neither give anything in the name of Allah nor do they benefit the creation with their wealth; rather, they do not even spend on their own family and dependents.

(2)
If one studies the lives of capitalists in the present era, a very dreadful picture emerges. The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) has described worldly wealth as pleasant and sweet; pleasant wealth is attractive in appearance, and sweet wealth is desirable due to its luster and shine. When both these qualities are combined, the desire to acquire it increases even more.

Hadith Commentary:

Benefits and Issues:
Allah Almighty has placed two aspects within wealth for the testing of mankind: outwardly, it is a source of attraction for the eyes, it pleases the eyes of a person; and inwardly, it contains sweetness and pleasantness. Because of this, a person’s heart inclines towards it, or it is alluring and captivating. And it is best for a person that he earns wealth through his own effort and striving, and does not become greedy or desirous of acquiring wealth for free. If, from somewhere, wealth comes to him without his seeking or desiring it, then he should take it and spend it further. The greed and longing for wealth is such a hunger that is never satiated.

Hazrat Hakim bin Hizam radi Allahu anhu remained so steadfast upon this oath and covenant that later, when the Rightly Guided Caliphs would give him his stipend from the Bayt al-Mal (public treasury), he would not accept it. It was on this basis that Farooq-e-Azam, Hazrat Umar radi Allahu anhu, said: "O assembly of Muslims (the noble Companions radi Allahu anhum)! Bear witness that I am giving Hakim his due right, but he refuses to take his right." (Sahih al-Bukhari, Zakat, Hadith: 1472) In this very state, he met his True Creator.

By "barakah" (blessing) it is meant that even a small amount of wealth will suffice, and by the absence of barakah it is meant that despite having abundant wealth, he will remain poor. This may be in reality, that Allah Ta'ala will continue to afflict him with unforeseen calamities by which his wealth will be lost, or apparently, that he will display behavior like that of the poor, for example: he will covet other people's wealth, etc. (For details, see Hadith: 2532)

(1) "Green and sweet": Green fodder is highly favored by animals, and sweet things are generally much liked by humans; therefore, wealth has been likened to these two things.

(2) "Purity of the heart": That is, there should be no greed or covetousness in the heart, nor should one have asked for it. Or, the giver should have given it willingly, not out of compulsion or without being asked.

(3) "Greed and covetousness of the heart": Meaning, this is the state of the recipient, or the giver gave out of greed and covetousness, hoping to get more in return.

(4) "Is not satisfied": Because the heart is not content. If the heart is content (ghani), even a little feels sufficient; otherwise, even a heap cannot bring satisfaction.

(5) "The upper hand": That is, the giver, because he remains elevated. He is not humiliated before anyone.

(6) "The lower hand": That is, the one who asks. He is, in reality, beneath the hand of the giver, and in terms of status as well, he is lesser.

(7) The purpose of the hadith is that one should not ask except in extreme need, and even if something comes to you on its own, there should not be greed or covetousness in the heart. And when the need is fulfilled, one should refrain from asking, and even refuse what is given by others. Therein lies honor.