Abu Rafi' said God’s messenger sent a man of the B. Makhzum to collect sadaqa and he asked him to accompany him so that he might get some of it; but he refused to do so till he went to God's messenger and asked him. He went to the Prophet and asked him, and he said,
“The sadaqa is not lawful for us, and the clients of a people are treated as being of their number.” *
Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud and Nasa’i transmitted it.
* Abu Rafi’ had been a slave of the Prophet by whom he was set free. The point of the tradition is that the rules which apply to any people apply to their freedmen as well, and so Abu Rafi' was not entitled to receive sadaqa.
‘Ubaidallah b. ‘Adi b. al-Khiyar said two men informed him that they had come to the Prophet when he was at the Farewell Pilgrimage while he was dividing the sadaqa and asked him for some of it. He looked them up and down, and seeing that they were robust, he said,
“If you wish I shall give you something, but there is no share in it for a rich man or for one who is strong and able to earn a living.”
He reported God’s messenger as saying,
"The poor man (miskin) is not the one who goes round to people and is dismissed with one or two morsels, and one or two dates, but is he who does not get enough to satisfy him, is not taken notice of so that alms may be given him, yet does not get up and beg from people.”
