Caution: Translations of Quran and Ḥadīth may lead to possible misapplications and misinterpretations. This site is intended for students of sacred knowledge that are proficient in comprehending classical Arabic and have a strong foundation in Islamic sciences. Also note that religious injunctions rely on several aspects beyond what one may glean through reading individual aḥādīth.
nasai-kubra:6168ʿAmr b. Manṣūr > Abū Nuʿaym > Sufyān > Salamah b. Kuhayl > Abū Salamah > Abū Hurayrah

"A man had lent a camel of a certain age to the Prophet and he came to get it back. He said: "Give it to him" But they could only find a camel that was older than it. He said: "Give it to him." He said: "You have repaid me well," The Messenger of Allah said; "The best of you is the one who is best in repaying" (Using translation from Nasāʾī 4618)  

الكبرى للنسائي:٦١٦٨أَخْبَرَنَا عَمْرُو بْنُ مَنْصُورٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو نُعَيْمٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ عَنْ سَلَمَةَ بْنِ كُهَيْلٍ عَنْ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ

كَانَ لِرَجُلٍ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ ﷺ سِنٌّ مِنَ الْإِبِلِ فَجَاءَ يَتَقَاضَاهُ فَقَالَ «أَعْطُوهُ» فَلَمْ يَجِدُوا لَهُ إِلَّا سِنًّا فَوْقَ سِنِّهِ قَالَ «أَعْطُوهُ» فَقَالَ أَوْفَيْتَنِي فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ «إِنَّ خِيَارَكُمْ أَحْسَنُكُمْ قَضَاءً»  


See similar narrations below:

Collected by Bukhārī, Nasāʾī, Aḥmad, Bayhaqī
bukhari:2392Musaddad > Yaḥyá > Sufyān > Salamah b. Kuhayl > Abū Salamah > Abū Hurayrah

A man came to the Prophet ﷺ and demanded a camel (the Prophet ﷺ owed him). Messenger of Allah ﷺ told his companions to give him (a camel). They said, "We do not find except an older camel (than what he demands). (The Prophet ﷺ ordered them to give him that camel). The man said, "You have paid me in full and may Allah also pay you in full." Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "Give him, for the best amongst the people is he who repays his debts in the most handsome manner."  

البخاري:٢٣٩٢حَدَّثَنَا مُسَدَّدٌ عَنْ يَحْيَى عَنْ سُفْيَانَ قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي سَلَمَةُ بْنُ كُهَيْلٍ عَنْ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ؓ

أَنَّ رَجُلاً أَتَى النَّبِيَّ ﷺ يَتَقَاضَاهُ بَعِيرًا فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَعْطُوهُ فَقَالُوا مَا نَجِدُ إِلاَّ سِنًّا أَفْضَلَ مِنْ سِنِّهِ فَقَالَ الرَّجُلُ أَوْفَيْتَنِي أَوْفَاكَ اللَّهُ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَعْطُوهُ فَإِنَّ مِنْ خِيَارِ النَّاسِ أَحْسَنَهُمْ قَضَاءً  

bukhari:2393Abū Nuʿaym > Sufyān > Salamah > Abū Salamah > Abū Hurayrah

The Prophet ﷺ owed a camel of a certain age to a man who came to demand it back. The Prophet ﷺ ordered his companions to give him. They looked for a camel of the same age but found nothing but a camel one year older. The Prophet ﷺ told them to give it to him. The man said, "You have paid me in full, and may Allah pay you in full." The Prophet ﷺ said, "The best amongst you is he who pays his debts in the most handsome manner."  

البخاري:٢٣٩٣حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو نُعَيْمٍ حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ عَنْ سَلَمَةَ عَنْ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ؓ قَالَ

كَانَ لِرَجُلٍ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ ﷺ سِنٌّ مِنَ الإِبِلِ فَجَاءَهُ يَتَقَاضَاهُ فَقَالَ ﷺ أَعْطُوهُ فَطَلَبُوا سِنَّهُ فَلَمْ يَجِدُوا لَهُ إِلاَّ سِنًّا فَوْقَهَا فَقَالَ أَعْطُوهُ فَقَالَ أَوْفَيْتَنِي وَفَّى اللَّهُ بِكَ قَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ إِنَّ خِيَارَكُمْ أَحْسَنُكُمْ قَضَاءً  

bukhari:2305Abū Nuʿaym > Sufyān > Salamah > Abū Salamah > Abū Hurayrah

The Prophet ﷺ owed somebody a camel of a certain age. When he came to demand it back, the Prophet ﷺ said (to some people), "Give him (his due)." When the people searched for a camel of that age, they found none, but found a camel one year older. The Prophet ﷺ said, "Give (it to) him." On that, the man remarked, "You have given me my right in full. May Allah give you in full." The Prophet ﷺ said, "The best amongst you is the one who pays the rights of others generously."  

البخاري:٢٣٠٥حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو نُعَيْمٍ حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ عَنْ سَلَمَةَ عَنْ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ؓ قَالَ

كَانَ لِرَجُلٍ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ ﷺ سِنٌّ مِنَ الإِبِلِ فَجَاءَهُ يَتَقَاضَاهُ فَقَالَ أَعْطُوهُ فَطَلَبُوا سِنَّهُ فَلَمْ يَجِدُوا لَهُ إِلاَّ سِنًّا فَوْقَهَا فَقَالَ أَعْطُوهُ فَقَالَ أَوْفَيْتَنِي أَوْفَى اللَّهُ بِكَ قَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ إِنَّ خِيَارَكُمْ أَحْسَنُكُمْ قَضَاءً  

bukhari:2606ʿAbdullāh b. ʿUthmān b. Jabalah from my father > Shuʿbah > Salamah > Abū Salamah > Abū Hurayrah

Messenger of Allah ﷺ owed a man some debt (and that man demanded it very harshly). The companions of the Prophet ﷺ wanted to harm him, but the Prophet ﷺ said to them, "Leave him, as the creditor has the right to speak harshly." He then added, "Buy (a camel) of the same age and give it to him." They said, "We cannot get except a camel of an older age than that of his." He said, "Buy it and give it to him, as the best amongst you is he who pays back his debt in the most handsome way.'  

البخاري:٢٦٠٦حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عُثْمَانَ بْنِ جَبَلَةَ قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي أَبِي عَنْ شُعْبَةَ عَنْ سَلَمَةَ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا سَلَمَةَ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ؓ قَالَ

كَانَ لِرَجُلٍ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ دَيْنٌ فَهَمَّ بِهِ أَصْحَابُهُ فَقَالَ دَعُوهُ فَإِنَّ لِصَاحِبِ الْحَقِّ مَقَالاً وَقَالَ اشْتَرُوا لَهُ سِنًّا فَأَعْطُوهَا إِيَّاهُ فَقَالُوا إِنَّا لاَ نَجِدُ سِنًّا إِلاَّ سِنًّا هِيَ أَفْضَلُ مِنْ سِنِّهِ قَالَ فَاشْتَرُوهَا فَأَعْطُوهَا إِيَّاهُ فَإِنَّ مِنْ خَيْرِكُمْ أَحْسَنَكُمْ قَضَاءً  

nasai:4618ʿAmr b. Manṣūr > Abū Nuʿaym > Sufyān > Salamah b. Kuhayl > Abū Salamah > Abū Hurayrah

"A man had lent a camel of a certain age to the Prophet and he came to get it back. He said: "Give it to him" But they could only find a camel that was older than it. He said: "Give it to him." He said: "You have repaid me well," The Messenger of Allah said; "The best of you is the one who is best in repaying"  

النسائي:٤٦١٨أَخْبَرَنَا عَمْرُو بْنُ مَنْصُورٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو نُعَيْمٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ عَنْ سَلَمَةَ بْنِ كُهَيْلٍ عَنْ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ

كَانَ لِرَجُلٍ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ ﷺ سِنٌّ مِنَ الإِبِلِ فَجَاءَ يَتَقَاضَاهُ فَقَالَ أَعْطُوهُ فَلَمْ يَجِدُوا إِلاَّ سِنًّا فَوْقَ سِنِّهِ قَالَ أَعْطُوهُ فَقَالَ أَوْفَيْتَنِي فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِنَّ خِيَارَكُمْ أَحْسَنُكُمْ قَضَاءً  

ahmad:9106al-Faḍl b. Dukayn > Sufyān > Salamah b. Kuhayl > Abū Salamah > Abū Hurayrah

The Prophet ﷺ owed somebody a camel of a certain age. When he came to demand it back, the Prophet ﷺ said (to some people), "Give him (his due)." When the people searched for a camel of that age, they found none, but found a camel one year older. The Prophet ﷺ said, "Give (it to) him." On that, the man remarked, "You have given me my right in full. May Allah give you in full." The Prophet ﷺ said, "The best amongst you is the one who pays the rights of others generously." (Using translation from Bukhārī 2305)  

أحمد:٩١٠٦حَدَّثَنَا الْفَضْلُ بْنُ دُكَيْنٍ قَالَ أَخْبَرَنَا سُفْيَانُ عَنْ سَلَمَةَ بْنِ كُهَيْلٍ عَنْ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ

كَانَ لِرَجُلٍ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ ﷺ سِنٌّ مِنَ الْإِبِلِ فَجَاءَهُ يَتَقَاضَاهُ فَطَلَبُوا لَهُ فَلَمْ يَجِدُوا إِلَّا سِنًّا فَوْقَ سِنِّهِ فَقَالَ أَعْطُوهُ فَقَالَ أَوْفَيْتَنِي أَوْفَى اللهُ لَكَ قَالَ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ إِنَّ خِيَارَكُمْ أَحْسَنُكُمْ قَضَاءً  

bayhaqi:10948Muḥammad b. ʿAbdullāh al-Ḥāfiẓ > Abū Bakr b. Isḥāq > Mūsá b. al-Ḥasan b. ʿAbbād And Muḥammad b. al-Khaṭṭāb b. ʿUmar > Abū Nuʿaym > Sufyān > Salamah b. Kuhayl > Abū Salamah > Abū Hurayrah

[Machine] A man had a camel with the Prophet ﷺ, and he came to him asking for it. The Prophet ﷺ said, "Give it to him." They searched and found only an older camel above its age. The Prophet ﷺ said, "Give it to him." The man said, "You have done justice to me. May Allah make you do justice." The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "Indeed, the best among you is the one who is the best in giving verdicts."  

البيهقي:١٠٩٤٨أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللهِ الْحَافِظُ ثنا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ إِسْحَاقَ أنا مُوسَى بْنُ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ عَبَّادٍ وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْخَطَّابِ بْنِ عُمَرَ قَالَا ثنا أَبُو نُعَيْمٍ ثنا سُفْيَانُ عَنْ سَلَمَةَ بْنِ كُهَيْلٍ عَنْ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ

كَانَ لِرَجُلٍ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ ﷺ بَعِيرٌ مِنَ الْإِبِلِ فَجَاءَهُ يَتَقَاضَاهُ فَقَالَ أَعْطُوهُ فَطَلَبُوا فَلَمْ يَجِدُوا إِلَّا سِنًّا فَوْقَ سِنِّهِ فَقَالَ أَعْطُوهُ فَقَالَ أَوْفَيْتَنِي أَوْفَاكَ اللهُ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ إِنَّ خِيَارَكُمْ أَحْسَنُكُمْ قَضَاءً  

رَوَاهُ الْبُخَارِيُّ فِي الصَّحِيحِ عَنْ أَبِي نُعَيْمٍ وَأَخْرَجَهُ مُسْلِمٌ مِنْ وَجْهٍ آخَرَ عَنْ سُفْيَانَ