ذِكْرُ تَمْثِيلِ الْمُصْطَفَى ﷺ الْمُتَصَدِّقَ بِالْمُتَجَنِّنِ لِلْقِتَالِ

Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, The example of a miser and a generous person is like that of two persons wearing iron cloaks from the breast upto the neck When the generous person spends, the iron cloak enlarges and spread over his skin so much so that it covers his fingertips and obliterates his tracks. As for the miser, as soon as he thinks of spending every ring of the iron cloak sticks to its place (against his body) and he tries to expand it, but it does not expand. The Prophet ﷺ pointed with his hand towards his throat.  

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ مَثَلُ الْبَخِيلِ وَالْمُنْفِقِ كَمَثَلِ رَجُلَيْنِ عَلَيْهِمَا جُبَّتَانِ مِنْ حَدِيدٍ مِنْ لَدُنْ ثَدْيَيْهِمَا إِلَى تَرَاقِيهِمَا فَأَمَّا الْمُنْفِقُ فَلاَ يُنْفِقُ شَيْئًا إِلاَّ مَادَّتْ عَلَى جِلْدِهِ حَتَّى تُجِنَّ بَنَانَهُ وَتَعْفُوَ أَثَرَهُ وَأَمَّا الْبَخِيلُ فَلاَ يُرِيدُ يُنْفِقُ إِلاَّ لَزِمَتْ كُلُّ حَلْقَةٍ مَوْضِعَهَا فَهْوَ يُوسِعُهَا فَلاَ تَتَّسِعُ وَيُشِيرُ بِإِصْبَعِهِ إِلَى حَلْقِهِ  

that the likeness of one who spends or one who gives charity is that of a person who has two cloaks or two coats-of-mail over him right from the breast to the collar bones. And when the spender (and the other narrator said, when the giver of charity) makes up his mind to give charity, it (coat-mail) becomes expanded for him. But when a miserly person intends to spend, it contracts and every ring grips the place where it is. For the giver of charity, this coat-of. mail expands to cover his whole body and obliterates even his footprints. Abu Huraira said: (The miserly man) tries to expand it (the coat-of-mail) but it does not expand.  

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ مَثَلُ الْمُنْفِقِ وَالْمُتَصَدِّقِ كَمَثَلِ رَجُلٍ عَلَيْهِ جُبَّتَانِ أَوْ جُنَّتَانِ مِنْ لَدُنْ ثُدِيِّهِمَا إِلَى تَرَاقِيهِمَا فَإِذَا أَرَادَ الْمُنْفِقُ وَقَالَ الآخَرُ فَإِذَا أَرَادَ الْمُتَصَدِّقُ أَنْ يَتَصَدَّقَ سَبَغَتْ عَلَيْهِ أَوْ مَرَّتْ وَإِذَا أَرَادَ الْبَخِيلُ أَنْ يُنْفِقَ قَلَصَتْ عَلَيْهِ وَأَخَذَتْ كُلُّ حَلْقَةٍ مَوْضِعَهَا حَتَّى تُجِنَّ بَنَانَهُ وَتَعْفُوَ أَثَرَهُ قَالَ فَقَالَ أَبُو هُرَيْرَةَ فَقَالَ يُوَسِّعُهَا فَلاَ تَتَّسِعُ  

"The Messenger of Allah said: "The parable of the one who spends and give in charity, and the one who is miserly, is that of two men wearing coats of mail, with their hands pressed closely to their breasts and their collarbones. When the one who spends wants to give charity, the (coat of mail) expends so much that it covers his fingertips and obliterates his traces. But when the miser wants to give, the (coat of mail) contracts and every ring grips the place where it is, and his hands are tied up to his collarbone."' Abu Hurairah says: 'I swear that he saw the Messenger trying to expand it but it did not." Tawus said: "I heard Abu Hurairah said: "I heard Abu Hurairah illustrating with his hand trying to expand it but it did not." (Sahaih)  

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِنَّ مَثَلَ الْمُنْفِقِ الْمُتَصَدِّقِ وَالْبَخِيلِ كَمَثَلِ رَجُلَيْنِ عَلَيْهِمَا جُبَّتَانِ أَوْ جُنَّتَانِ مِنْ حَدِيدٍ مِنْ لَدُنْ ثُدِيِّهِمَا إِلَى تَرَاقِيهِمَا فَإِذَا أَرَادَ الْمُنْفِقُ أَنْ يُنْفِقَ اتَّسَعَتْ عَلَيْهِ الدِّرْعُ أَوْ مَرَّتْ حَتَّى تُجِنَّ بَنَانَهُ وَتَعْفُوَ أَثَرَهُ وَإِذَا أَرَادَ الْبَخِيلُ أَنْ يُنْفِقَ قَلَصَتْ وَلَزِمَتْ كُلُّ حَلْقَةٍ مَوْضِعَهَا حَتَّى أَخَذَتْهُ بِتَرْقُوَتِهِ أَوْ بِرَقَبَتِهِ يَقُولُ أَبُو هُرَيْرَةَ أَشْهَدُ أَنَّهُ رَأَى رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يُوَسِّعُهَا فَلاَ تَتَّسِعُ قَالَ طَاوُسٌ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ يُشِيرُ بِيَدِهِ وَهُوَ يُوَسِّعُهَا وَلاَ تَتَوَسَّعُ