Returning a Gift: A Prohibition in Islamic Teachings

❖ Returning a Gift in Islam​

✿ Source: Urdu Explanation of Umdat al-Ahkam min Kalam Khayr al-Anam
✿ Translator: Hafiz Faizullah Nasir
✿ Referenced Hadith: Bukhari: 1490, Muslim: 1620

◈ The Incident of Umar رضي الله عنه​

Narrated by Umar رضي الله عنه:
"I donated a horse in the way of Allah. The person who received it did not take care of it properly. I wished to buy it back, thinking he might sell it cheaply. I asked the Prophet ﷺ about it, and he said:

‘Do not buy it, and do not take back what you have given in charity—even if he sells it to you for one dirham. Verily, the one who takes back his gift is like the one who licks up his own vomit.’"

In another narration, it is stated:
"Indeed, the one who takes back his charity is like a dog who vomits and then eats its vomit."

◈ Explanation of Key Terms​

• برخص (Birkhs): At a cheap price or low rate.

◈ Commentary on the Hadith​

From the explicit wording of this Hadith, it is understood that returning a gift or charity is strictly prohibited. However, the majority of scholars interpret this prohibition not as haram (strictly forbidden) but as makruh tanzihi (discouraged and disliked).
Irshad al-Sari by Al-Qastallani: 3/75

Qatadah said:
"In my view, vomit is haram."
Sunan Abi Dawud: 3538

If vomiting is haram, then surely licking it is even more reprehensible. Consequently, anything likened to this act carries the same ruling—it is impermissible and blameworthy.

◈ Juridical and Moral Lessons​

✔ This Hadith underscores the sanctity of charity and the seriousness of revoking it.
✔ The simile used by the Prophet ﷺ vividly illustrates the ugliness and moral repulsion of taking back a gift.
✔ Charity, once given, becomes an act of worship, and reclaiming it diminishes its sincerity and purpose.

◈ Conclusion​

This narration teaches us that returning a gift or donation not only violates the ethics of giving but also equates to spiritual regression and moral deficiency. Islam urges believers to be firm in generosity, and dignified in charity, without any regret or reversal.