A poor person for whom something is ordered but who is not found

Sayyiduna Amr bin al-As (may Allah be pleased with him) would order something to be given to a poor man, and if the poor man could not be found, it was set aside until he gave it to someone else.

Ikrimah disliked that, when he had ordered some food to be given to a beggar and could not reach him, he should eat it himself; rather (he kept it) until he gave it in charity.

Amr bin Sa'id said: A man begged something from Humayd bin Abd al-Rahman. Humayd said to him: "You are astray." It seemed that he was an Ibadi (an Arab tribe that went astray and adopted Christianity is called Ibadi). Then he ordered something to be given to him, but he considered it too little and refused to accept it. Humayd said: "As you wish: accept it, or else we will give it to someone else." Then he said: "It used to be said: Do not turn the beggar away empty-handed, even if it is with something as small as the head of a bird (sandgrouse)."

Tawus was asked about a man who takes something out to give to a beggar, but the beggar is lost to him and he cannot find him afterwards: what should he do? He replied: "He should give it to someone else."

Ibrahim was asked about a man who goes out to give charity to a poor man, but misses him: what should he do now? He replied: "He should keep it until he gives it to another poor man, and he should not go back on anything he has set aside for Allah."

Ibn Sirin said: When you go out to a beggar with something (a piece of bread) and do not find him, keep that thing back until someone else comes.

Ibn Sirin narrates that Sayyiduna Ibn al-As (Amr bin al-As) (may Allah be pleased with him) used to say: When you go out to a beggar with something (a piece of bread) and do not find him, keep that thing back until someone else comes.

Ibn Sirin narrates that Sayyiduna Amr bin al-As (may Allah be pleased with him) said: He should keep it with him until another beggar comes.

Ibrahim and Bakr said: He should hold it back with him until he gives it to someone else.

It is also narrated through Humayd from Bakr: He should hold it back until he gives it to someone else.