‘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.”
Narrated ‘Ata’ b. Yasar reported in mursal form that God’s messenger said,
''Sadaqa may not be given to a rich man, with the exception of five classes:
one who fights in God’s path, or one who collects it, or a debtor, a man who buys it with his money, or a man who has a poor neighbour a no has been given sadaqa and gives a present to the rich man.”
Malik and Abu Dawud transmitted it. A version by Abu Dawud from Abu Sa'id has ‘‘or a traveller.”
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.
