أَخْبَرَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ سُلَيْمَانَ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عَفَّانُ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا وُهَيْبٌ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ طَاوُسٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ عَنْ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّی اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ مَثَلُ الْبَخِيلِ وَالْمُتَصَدِّقِ مَثَلُ رَجُلَيْنِ عَلَيْهِمَا جُنَّتَانِ مِنْ حَدِيدٍ قَدْ اضْطَرَّتْ أَيْدِيَهُمَا إِلَی تَرَاقِيهِمَا فَکُلَّمَا هَمَّ الْمُتَصَدِّقُ بِصَدَقَةٍ اتَّسَعَتْ عَلَيْهِ حَتَّی تُعَفِّيَ أَثَرَهُ وَکُلَّمَا هَمَّ الْبَخِيلُ بِصَدَقَةٍ تَقَبَّضَتْ کُلُّ حَلْقَةٍ إِلَی صَاحِبَتِهَا وَتَقَلَّصَتْ عَلَيْهِ وَانْضَمَّتْ يَدَاهُ إِلَی تَرَاقِيهِ وَسَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّی اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُولُ فَيَجْتَهِدُ أَنْ يُوَسِّعَهَا فَلَا تَتَّسِعُ
سنن نسائی · Hadith 2554
It was narrated from Abu Hurairah that the Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم said: “The parable of the miser and the one who gives in charity is that of two men wearing coats of mail with their hands tied to their collarbones. Every time the one who gives thinks of giving in charity, the (coat of mail) expands until it obliterates his traces, and every time the miser thinks of giving charity, every circle (of the coat of mail) contracts and sticks to him, and his hand is tied up to his collarbone.” I heard the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم say: “He tries to expand it, but he cannot.” (Sahih)
Translated by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan · Reviewed by Islamic University of Madinah · Published March 2020