‘Abdallah b. Tha'laba, or Tha'laba b. ‘Abdallah b. Abu Su'air* reported on his father’s authority that God’s messenger said,
“A sa’ of wheat** is to be taken from every two, young or old, freeman or slave, male or female. Those of you who are rich will be purified by God and those of you who are poor will have more than they gave returned by Him to them.”
Abu Dawud transmitted it.
* Abu Dawud, zakat, 21 gives the name as above, but others often give b. Su'air. Ibn 'Abd al-Barr in Isti'ab and Ibn Hajar in Tahdhib give b. Su'air, adding that b. Abu Su'air also occurs.
** The transmitter is not sure which word for "wheat” was used, so he gives either burr or qamh.
Abu Huraira told that al-Hasan b. 'All took one of the dates of the sadaqa and put it in his mouth, whereupon the Prophet said, “Leave it alone, leave it alone,” in order that he might throw it away. He then said,
“Do you not know that we* do not eat the sadaqa?’
(Bukhari and Muslim.)
* The pronoun includes the Prophet and his family, al Hasan being his grandson. The idea is more definitely expressed in 'Abd al-Muttalib's tradition.
‘Amr b. Shu'aib on his father’s authority said his grandfather told that the Prophet sent someone to announce in the ravines of Mecca,
“The sadaqa relating to the breaking of the fast is incumbent on every Muslim, male or female, freeman or slave, young or old, consisting of two mudds of wheat or such like, or a sa' of grain."
