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:2548Aḥmad b. Sulaymān > ʿAffān > Wuhayb > ʿAbdullāh b. Ṭāwus from his father > Abū Hurayrah

"The parable of the miser and the one who gives in charity is that of two men wearing coats of mail with their hands tied to their collarbones. Every time the one who gives thinks of giving in charity, the (coat of mail) expands until it obliterates his traces, and every time the miser thinks of giving charity, every circle (of the coat of mail) contracts and sticks to him, and his hand is tied up to his collarbones." I heard the Messenger of Allah say: "He tries to expand it, but he cannot."  

النسائي:٢٥٤٨أَخْبَرَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ سُلَيْمَانَ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عَفَّانُ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا وُهَيْبٌ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ طَاوُسٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ مَثَلُ الْبَخِيلِ وَالْمُتَصَدِّقِ مَثَلُ رَجُلَيْنِ عَلَيْهِمَا جُنَّتَانِ مِنْ حَدِيدٍ قَدِ اضْطَرَّتْ أَيْدِيَهُمَا إِلَى تَرَاقِيهِمَا فَكُلَّمَا هَمَّ الْمُتَصَدِّقُ بِصَدَقَةٍ اتَّسَعَتْ عَلَيْهِ حَتَّى تُعَفِّيَ أَثَرَهُ وَكُلَّمَا هَمَّ الْبَخِيلُ بِصَدَقَةٍ تَقَبَّضَتْ كُلُّ حَلْقَةٍ إِلَى صَاحِبَتِهَا وَتَقَلَّصَتْ عَلَيْهِ وَانْضَمَّتْ يَدَاهُ إِلَى تَرَاقِيهِ وَسَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ فَيَجْتَهِدُ أَنْ يُوَسِّعَهَا فَلاَ تَتَّسِعُ  


See similar narrations below:

Collected by Bukhārī, Muslim, Aḥmad, Nasāʾī's Kubrá
bukhari:2917Mūsá b. Ismāʿīl > Wuhayb > Ibn Ṭāwus from his father > Abū Hurayrah

The Prophet ﷺ said, "The example of a miser and the one who gives in charity, is like the example of two men wearing iron cloaks so tightly that their arms are raised forcibly towards their collar-bones. So, whenever a charitable person wants to give in charity, his cloak spreads over his body so much so that it wipes out his traces, but whenever the miser wants to give in charity, the rings (of the iron cloak) come closer to each other and press over his body, and his hands gets connected to his collarbones. Abu Huraira heard the Prophet ﷺ saying. "The miser then tries to widen it but in vain."  

البخاري:٢٩١٧حَدَّثَنَا مُوسَى بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ حَدَّثَنَا وُهَيْبٌ حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ طَاوُسٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ؓ

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ مَثَلُ الْبَخِيلِ وَالْمُتَصَدِّقِ مَثَلُ رَجُلَيْنِ عَلَيْهِمَا جُبَّتَانِ مِنْ حَدِيدٍ قَدِ اضْطَرَّتْ أَيْدِيَهُمَا إِلَى تَرَاقِيهِمَا فَكُلَّمَا هَمَّ الْمُتَصَدِّقُ بِصَدَقَتِهِ اتَّسَعَتْ عَلَيْهِ حَتَّى تُعَفِّيَ أَثَرَهُ وَكُلَّمَا هَمَّ الْبَخِيلُ بِالصَّدَقَةِ انْقَبَضَتْ كُلُّ حَلْقَةٍ إِلَى صَاحِبَتِهَا وَتَقَلَّصَتْ عَلَيْهِ وَانْضَمَّتْ يَدَاهُ إِلَى تَرَاقِيهِ فَسَمِعَ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ يَقُولُ فَيَجْتَهِدُ أَنْ يُوَسِّعَهَا فَلاَ تَتَّسِعُ  

bukhari:5797ʿAbdullāh b. Muḥammad > Abū ʿĀmir > Ibrāhīm b. Nāfiʿ > al-Ḥasan > Ṭāwus > Abū Hurayrah

Messenger of Allah ﷺ has set forth an example for a miser and a charitable person by comparing them to two men wearing two iron cloaks and their hands are raised to their breasts and necks. Whenever the charitable man tries to give a charitable gift, his iron cloak expands till it becomes so wide that it will cover his fingertips and obliterate his tracks And, whenever the miser wants to give a charitable gift, his cloak becomes very tight over him and every ring gets stuck to its place Abu Huraira added; I saw Messenger of Allah ﷺ putting his finger in the (chest) pocket of his shirt like that If you but saw him trying to widen (the opening of his shirt) but it did not widen.  

البخاري:٥٧٩٧حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو عَامِرٍ حَدَّثَنَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ نَافِعٍ عَنِ الْحَسَنِ عَنْ طَاوُسٍ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ

ضَرَبَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ مَثَلَ الْبَخِيلِ وَالْمُتَصَدِّقِ كَمَثَلِ رَجُلَيْنِ عَلَيْهِمَا جُبَّتَانِ مِنْ حَدِيدٍ قَدِ اضْطُرَّتْ أَيْدِيهِمَا إِلَى ثُدِيِّهِمَا وَتَرَاقِيهِمَا فَجَعَلَ الْمُتَصَدِّقُ كُلَّمَا تَصَدَّقَ بِصَدَقَةٍ انْبَسَطَتْ عَنْهُ حَتَّى تَغْشَى أَنَامِلَهُ وَتَعْفُوَ أَثَرَهُ وَجَعَلَ الْبَخِيلُ كُلَّمَا هَمَّ بِصَدَقَةٍ قَلَصَتْ وَأَخَذَتْ كُلُّ حَلْقَةٍ بِمَكَانِهَا قَالَ أَبُو هُرَيْرَةَ فَأَنَا رَأَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ بِإِصْبَعِهِ هَكَذَا فِي جَيْبِهِ فَلَوْ رَأَيْتَهُ يُوَسِّعُهَا وَلاَ تَتَوَسَّعُ  

تَابَعَهُ ابْنُ طَاوُسٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ وَأَبُو الزِّنَادِ عَنِ الأَعْرَجِ فِي الْجُبَّتَيْنِ وَقَالَ حَنْظَلَةُ سَمِعْتُ طَاوُسًا سَمِعْتُ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ يَقُولُ جُبَّتَانِ وَقَالَ جَعْفَرٌ عَنِ الأَعْرَجِ جُبَّتَانِ
muslim:1021bSulaymān b. ʿUbaydullāh Abū Ayyūb al-Ghaylānī > Abū ʿĀmir / al-ʿAqadī > Ibrāhīm b. Nāfiʿ > al-Ḥasan b. Muslim > Ṭāwus > Abū Hurayrah

that the Messenger of Allah ( ﷺ) gave similitudes of a miserly man and the giver of charity as two persons who have two coats-of-mail over them with their hands pressed closely to their breasts and their collar bones. Whenever the giver of charity gives charity it (the coat-of mail) expands so much as to cover his finger tips and obliterate his foot prints. And whenever the miserly person intends to give charity (the coat-of-mail) contracts and every ring grips the place where it is. He (Abu Huraira) said: I saw the Messenger of Allah ﷺ saying with fingers in the opening of his shirt:" If you had seen him trying to expand it, it will not expand."  

مسلم:١٠٢١bحَدَّثَنِي سُلَيْمَانُ بْنُ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ أَبُو أَيُّوبَ الْغَيْلاَنِيُّ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو عَامِرٍ يَعْنِي الْعَقَدِيَّ حَدَّثَنَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ نَافِعٍ عَنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ مُسْلِمٍ عَنْ طَاوُسٍ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ

ضَرَبَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ مَثَلَ الْبَخِيلِ وَالْمُتَصَدِّقِ كَمَثَلِ رَجُلَيْنِ عَلَيْهِمَا جُنَّتَانِ مِنْ حَدِيدٍ قَدِ اضْطُرَّتْ أَيْدِيهِمَا إِلَى ثُدَيِّهِمَا وَتَرَاقِيهِمَا فَجَعَلَ الْمُتَصَدِّقُ كُلَّمَا تَصَدَّقَ بِصَدَقَةٍ انْبَسَطَتْ عَنْهُ حَتَّى تُغَشِّيَ أَنَامِلَهُ وَتَعْفُوَ أَثَرَهُ وَجَعَلَ الْبَخِيلُ كُلَّمَا هَمَّ بِصَدَقَةٍ قَلَصَتْ وَأَخَذَتْ كُلُّ حَلْقَةٍ مَكَانَهَا قَالَ فَأَنَا رَأَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ بِإِصْبَعِهِ فِي جَيْبِهِ فَلَوْ رَأَيْتَهُ يُوَسِّعُهَا وَلاَ تَوَسَّعُ  

muslim:1021cAbū Bakr b. Abū Shaybah > Aḥmad b. Isḥāq al-Ḥaḍramī > Wuhayb > ʿAbdullāh b. Ṭāwus from his father > Abū Hurayrah

. The similitude of a miserly man and the giver of charity is that of two persons with coats of mail over them; when the giver of charity intends to give charity, it expands over him (to much so) that the footprints are also obliterated. And when the miserly man intends to give charity, it contracts over him, and his hands are tied up to his collar bone, and every ring is fixed up to another. He (the narrator) said: I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ as saying: He would try to expand it. but he would not be able to do so.  

مسلم:١٠٢١cوَحَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ إِسْحَاقَ الْحَضْرَمِيُّ عَنْ وُهَيْبٍ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ طَاوُسٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ مَثَلُ الْبَخِيلِ وَالْمُتَصَدِّقِ مَثَلُ رَجُلَيْنِ عَلَيْهِمَا جُنَّتَانِ مِنْ حَدِيدٍ إِذَا هَمَّ الْمُتَصَدِّقُ بِصَدَقَةٍ اتَّسَعَتْ عَلَيْهِ حَتَّى تُعَفِّيَ أَثَرَهُ وَإِذَا هَمَّ الْبَخِيلُ بِصَدَقَةٍ تَقَلَّصَتْ عَلَيْهِ وَانْضَمَّتْ يَدَاهُ إِلَى تَرَاقِيهِ وَانْقَبَضَتْ كُلُّ حَلْقَةٍ إِلَى صَاحِبَتِهَا قَالَ فَسَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ فَيَجْهَدُ أَنْ يُوَسِّعَهَا فَلاَ يَسْتَطِيعُ  

ahmad:9057ʿAffān > Wuhayb > ʿAbdullāh b. Ṭāwus from his father > Abū Hurayrah

"The parable of the miser and the one who gives in charity is that of two men wearing coats of mail with their hands tied to their collarbones. Every time the one who gives thinks of giving in charity, the (coat of mail) expands until it obliterates his traces, and every time the miser thinks of giving charity, every circle (of the coat of mail) contracts and sticks to him, and his hand is tied up to his collarbones." I heard the Messenger of Allah say: "He tries to expand it, but he cannot." (Using translation from Nasāʾī 2548)   

أحمد:٩٠٥٧حَدَّثَنَا عَفَّانُ حَدَّثَنَا وُهَيْبٌ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ طَاوُسٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ مَثَلُ الْبَخِيلِ وَالْمُتَصَدِّقِ مَثَلُ رَجُلَيْنِ عَلَيْهِمَا جُنَّتَانِ مِنْ حَدِيدٍ قَدِ اضْطُرَّتْ أَيْدِيهِمَا إِلَى تَرَاقِيهِمَا فَكُلَّمَا هَمَّ الْمُتَصَدِّقُ بِصَدَقَةٍ اتَّسَعَتْ عَلَيْهِ حَتَّى تُعَفِّيَ أَثَرَهُ وَكُلَّمَا هَمَّ الْبَخِيلُ بِصَدَقَةٍ انْقَبَضَتْ عَلَيْهِ كُلُّ حَلْقَةٍ مِنْهَا إِلَى صَاحِبَتِهَا وَتَقَلَّصَتْ عَلَيْهِ قَالَ فَسَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ يَعْنِي يَقُولُ فَيَجْهَدُ أَنْ يُوَسِّعَهَا فَلَا تَتَّسِعُ  

ahmad:10770ʿAbd al-Malik b. ʿAmr > Ibrāhīm b. Nāfiʿ > al-Ḥasan b. Muslim > Ṭāwus > Abū Hurayrah

Messenger of Allah ﷺ has set forth an example for a miser and a charitable person by comparing them to two men wearing two iron cloaks and their hands are raised to their breasts and necks. Whenever the charitable man tries to give a charitable gift, his iron cloak expands till it becomes so wide that it will cover his fingertips and obliterate his tracks And, whenever the miser wants to give a charitable gift, his cloak becomes very tight over him and every ring gets stuck to its place Abu Huraira added; I saw Messenger of Allah ﷺ putting his finger in the (chest) pocket of his shirt like that If you but saw him trying to widen (the opening of his shirt) but it did not widen. (Using translation from Bukhārī 5797)  

أحمد:١٠٧٧٠حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْمَلِكِ بْنُ عَمْرٍو حَدَّثَنَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ نَافِعٍ عَنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ مُسْلِمٍ عَنْ طَاوُسٍ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ

ضَرَبَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ مَثَلَ الْبَخِيلِ وَالْمُتَصَدِّقِ كَمَثَلِ رَجُلَيْنِ عَلَيْهِمَا جُنَّتَانِ مِنْ حَدِيدٍ قَدِ اضْطُرَّتْ أَيْدِيهِمَا إِلَى ثَدْيَيْهِمَا وَتَرَاقِيهِمَا فَجَعَلَ الْمُتَصَدِّقُ كُلَّمَا تَصَدَّقَ بِصَدَقَةٍ انْبَسَطَتْ عَنْهُ حَتَّى تَغْشَى أَنَامِلَهُ وَتَعْفُوَ أَثَرَهُ وَجَعَلَ الْبَخِيلُ كُلَّمَا هَمَّ بِصَدَقَةٍ قَلَصَتْ كُلُّ حَلْقَةٍ وَأَخَذَتْ بِمَكَانِهَا قَالَ أَبُو هُرَيْرَةَ فَأَنَا رَأَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ بِإِصْبَعَيْهِ فِي جُبَّتِهِ فَلَوْ رَأَيْتَهُ يُوَسِّعُهَاوَلَا تُوَسَّعُ  

nasai-kubra:2340Aḥmad b. Sulaymān > ʿAffān > Wuhayb > ʿAbdullāh b. Ṭāwus from his father > Abū Hurayrah

The Prophet ﷺ said, "The example of a miser and the one who gives in charity, is like the example of two men wearing iron cloaks so tightly that their arms are raised forcibly towards their collar-bones. So, whenever a charitable person wants to give in charity, his cloak spreads over his body so much so that it wipes out his traces, but whenever the miser wants to give in charity, the rings (of the iron cloak) come closer to each other and press over his body, and his hands gets connected to his collarbones. Abu Huraira heard the Prophet ﷺ saying. "The miser then tries to widen it but in vain." (Using translation from Bukhārī 2917)  

الكبرى للنسائي:٢٣٤٠أَخْبَرَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ سُلَيْمَانَ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عَفَّانُ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا وُهَيْبٌ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ طَاوُسٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ «مَثَلُ الْبَخِيلِ وَالْمُتَصَدِّقِ مَثَلُ رَجُلَيْنِ عَلَيْهِمَا جُبَّتَانِ مِنْ حَدِيدٍ قَدِ اضْطَرَّتْ أَيْدِيَهُمَا إِلَى تَرَاقِيهِمَا فَكُلَّمَا هَمَّ الْمُتَصَدِّقُ بِصَدَقَةٍ اتَّسَعَتْ عَلَيْهِ حَتَّى تُعَفِّيَ أَثَرَهُ وَكُلَّمَا هَمَّ الْبَخِيلُ بِصَدَقَةٍ تَقَبَّضَتْ كُلُّ حَلْقَةٍ إِلَى صَاحِبَتِهَا وَتَقَلَّصَتْ عَلَيْهِ وَانْضَمَّتْ يَدَاهُ إِلَى تَرَاقِيهِ» وَسَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ «فَيَجْهًدُ أَنْ يُوَسِّعَهَا فَلَا تَتَّسِعُ»