Author: Hafiz Muhammad Anwar Zahid (May Allah Protect Him)
This story is quite famous among public storytellers and speakers. However, Hafiz Ibn Kathir (رحمه الله) states that the incident is narrated in a rare Hadith reported by Ibn Abi Hatim, describing the circumstances behind the revelation of an entire Surah:
A man owned a date palm orchard. Whenever he came to harvest dates from one particular tree, he would go into a poor man's house, where the branches of that tree hung. As the dates fell, the poor man's children would pick them up, but the orchard owner would snatch them away. He would even insert his fingers into the mouths of any children who managed to eat the dates, forcing them to spit them out.
The poor man complained to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) about this. The Prophet (ﷺ) said to him, "Alright, go back, and I will speak to the orchard owner." The Prophet (ﷺ) approached the man and said, "Would you give me that tree, whose branches hang over that poor man's house? In return, Allah will grant you a tree in Paradise." The orchard owner replied, "I would give it, but I am very fond of its dates; none of my other trees yield dates as good as this one." Hearing this, the Prophet (ﷺ) silently turned away.
A man who was listening to this conversation approached the Prophet (ﷺ) and asked, "O Messenger of Allah, if I acquire that tree and give it to you, will I also receive a tree in Paradise in exchange?" The Prophet (ﷺ) replied, "Yes."
This man then went to the orchard owner, who also owned a date orchard, and began recounting the conversation with the Prophet (ﷺ). He said, "The Messenger of Allah offered me a tree in Paradise in exchange for that specific tree, but I refused. Then, after a while, he asked, ‘Would you be willing to sell it?’" The owner responded, "No, unless someone offers me an exorbitant price, which no one can afford."
The man then asked, "How much do you want for it?" The owner replied, "Forty date trees." The man remarked, "That's an exorbitant price—exchanging one tree for forty!" They continued talking until finally, the buyer said, "Alright, I agree to purchase it at that price." The owner insisted, "If you are serious, get witnesses." The man called some people as witnesses, and the deal was finalized.
After sealing the deal, the owner tried to backtrack, saying, "Until we officially part ways, this transaction is not finalized." The buyer responded, "That's fine, but let it be clear that I am not foolish enough to trade forty trees for just one crooked tree." The owner finally agreed, saying, "Alright, alright, I accept. However, I will take only the best trees with strong trunks." The buyer agreed, and in the presence of witnesses, the transaction was concluded.
The man then happily went to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and said, "O Messenger of Allah, I have acquired that tree and have given it to you." The Prophet (ﷺ) then went to the poor man and said, "This tree is now yours and your children's." According to Ibn Abbas (رضي الله عنهما), this incident led to the revelation of a Surah.
The chain of this Hadith is weak. It is mentioned in:
This story is quite famous among public storytellers and speakers. However, Hafiz Ibn Kathir (رحمه الله) states that the incident is narrated in a rare Hadith reported by Ibn Abi Hatim, describing the circumstances behind the revelation of an entire Surah:
A man owned a date palm orchard. Whenever he came to harvest dates from one particular tree, he would go into a poor man's house, where the branches of that tree hung. As the dates fell, the poor man's children would pick them up, but the orchard owner would snatch them away. He would even insert his fingers into the mouths of any children who managed to eat the dates, forcing them to spit them out.
The poor man complained to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) about this. The Prophet (ﷺ) said to him, "Alright, go back, and I will speak to the orchard owner." The Prophet (ﷺ) approached the man and said, "Would you give me that tree, whose branches hang over that poor man's house? In return, Allah will grant you a tree in Paradise." The orchard owner replied, "I would give it, but I am very fond of its dates; none of my other trees yield dates as good as this one." Hearing this, the Prophet (ﷺ) silently turned away.
A man who was listening to this conversation approached the Prophet (ﷺ) and asked, "O Messenger of Allah, if I acquire that tree and give it to you, will I also receive a tree in Paradise in exchange?" The Prophet (ﷺ) replied, "Yes."
This man then went to the orchard owner, who also owned a date orchard, and began recounting the conversation with the Prophet (ﷺ). He said, "The Messenger of Allah offered me a tree in Paradise in exchange for that specific tree, but I refused. Then, after a while, he asked, ‘Would you be willing to sell it?’" The owner responded, "No, unless someone offers me an exorbitant price, which no one can afford."
The man then asked, "How much do you want for it?" The owner replied, "Forty date trees." The man remarked, "That's an exorbitant price—exchanging one tree for forty!" They continued talking until finally, the buyer said, "Alright, I agree to purchase it at that price." The owner insisted, "If you are serious, get witnesses." The man called some people as witnesses, and the deal was finalized.
After sealing the deal, the owner tried to backtrack, saying, "Until we officially part ways, this transaction is not finalized." The buyer responded, "That's fine, but let it be clear that I am not foolish enough to trade forty trees for just one crooked tree." The owner finally agreed, saying, "Alright, alright, I accept. However, I will take only the best trees with strong trunks." The buyer agreed, and in the presence of witnesses, the transaction was concluded.
The man then happily went to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and said, "O Messenger of Allah, I have acquired that tree and have given it to you." The Prophet (ﷺ) then went to the poor man and said, "This tree is now yours and your children's." According to Ibn Abbas (رضي الله عنهما), this incident led to the revelation of a Surah.
Hadith Verification:
Its chain of narration is weak.The chain of this Hadith is weak. It is mentioned in:
- Tafsir Ibn Kathir, commentary on Surah Al-Lail, Juz 30
- Ad-Durr Al-Manthur, Volume 6, Page 62
- Al-Wahidi, in Asbab al-Nuzul, Hadith 852