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.
Qurʾān Bukhārī Muslim Nasāʾī Abū Dāwūd Tirmidhī Ibn Mājah Mālik Aḥmad Dārimī Ḥākim Ibn Ḥibbān Ṭabarānī Nasāʾī's Kubrá Bayhaqī al-Luʾluʾ wa-al-Marjān Ibn Rajab's Fifty Riyāḍ al-Ṣāliḥīn Aḥmad's Zuhd Suyūṭī
nasai:5414 – al-Rabīʿ b. Sulaymān > Shuʿayb b. al-Layth from his father > Jaʿfar b. Rabīʿah > ʿAbd al-Raḥman al-Aʿraj > ʿAbdullāh b. Kaʿb b. Mālik al-Anṣārī > Kaʿb b. Mālik

He owed a debt by 'Abdullah bin Abi Hadrad Al-Aslami. He met him, and asked him to pay it off. They exchanged words until their voices became loud. The Messenger of Allah [SAW] passed by them and said: "O Ka'b!" and he gestured with his hand to say half. So he took half of what was owed and let him off the other half.  

النسائي:٥٤١٤ – أَخْبَرَنَا الرَّبِيعُ بْنُ سُلَيْمَانَ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا شُعَيْبُ بْنُ اللَّيْثِ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ جَعْفَرِ بْنِ رَبِيعَةَ عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ الأَعْرَجِ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ كَعْبِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ الأَنْصَارِيِّ عَنْ كَعْبِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ

أَنَّهُ كَانَ لَهُ عَلَى عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ أَبِي حَدْرَدٍ الأَسْلَمِيِّ يَعْنِي دَيْنًا فَلَقِيَهُ فَلَزِمَهُ فَتَكَلَّمَا حَتَّى ارْتَفَعَتِ الأَصْوَاتُ فَمَرَّ بِهِمَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقَالَ يَا كَعْبُ فَأَشَارَ بِيَدِهِ كَأَنَّهُ يَقُولُ النِّصْفَ فَأَخَذَ نِصْفًا مِمَّا عَلَيْهِ وَتَرَكَ نِصْفًا  

See similar narrations below:

Collected by Bukhārī, Muslim, Aḥmad, Ṭabarānī, Nasāʾī's Kubrá, Bayhaqī
bukhari:2424 – Yaḥyá b. Bukayr > al-Layth > Jaʿfar b. Rabīʿah > Ghayruh > al-Layth > Jaʿfar b. Rabīʿah > ʿAbd al-Raḥman b. Hurmuz > ʿAbdullāh b. Kaʿb b. Mālik al-Anṣārī > Kaʿb b. Mālik

That ʿAbdullah bin Abi Hadrad Al-Aslami owed him some debt. Kaʿb met him and caught hold of him and they started talking and their voices grew loudest. The Prophet ﷺ passed by them and addressed Kaʿb, pointing out to him to reduce the debt to one half. So, Kaʿb got one half of the debt and exempted the debtor from the other half.  

البخاري:٢٤٢٤ – حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ بُكَيْرٍ حَدَّثَنَا اللَّيْثُ حَدَّثَنَا جَعْفَرُ بْنُ رَبِيعَةَ وَقَالَ غَيْرُهُ حَدَّثَنِي اللَّيْثُ قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي جَعْفَرُ بْنُ رَبِيعَةَ عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ هُرْمُزَ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ كَعْبِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ الأَنْصَارِيِّ عَنْ كَعْبِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ ؓ

أَنَّهُ كَانَ لَهُ عَلَى عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ أَبِي حَدْرَدٍ الأَسْلَمِيِّ دَيْنٌ فَلَقِيَهُ فَلَزِمَهُ فَتَكَلَّمَا حَتَّى ارْتَفَعَتْ أَصْوَاتُهُمَا فَمَرَّ بِهِمَا النَّبِيُّ ﷺ فَقَالَ يَا كَعْبُ وَأَشَارَ بِيَدِهِ كَأَنَّهُ يَقُولُ النِّصْفَ فَأَخَذَ نِصْفَ مَا عَلَيْهِ وَتَرَكَ نِصْفًا  

bukhari:2706 – Yaḥyá b. Bukayr > al-Layth > Jaʿfar b. Rabīʿah > al-Aʿraj > ʿAbdullāh b. Kaʿb b. Mālik > Kaʿb b. Mālik

ʿAbdullah bin Abu Hadrad Al-Aslami owed Kaʿb bin Malik some money. One day the latter met the former and demanded his right, and their voices grew very loud. The Prophet ﷺ passed by them and said, "O Kaʿb," beckoning with his hand as if intending to say, "Deduct half the debts." So, Kaʿb took half what the other owed him and remitted the other half.  

البخاري:٢٧٠٦ – حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ بُكَيْرٍ حَدَّثَنَا اللَّيْثُ عَنْ جَعْفَرِ بْنِ رَبِيعَةَ عَنِ الأَعْرَجِ قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ كَعْبِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ عَنْ كَعْبِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ

أَنَّهُ كَانَ لَهُ عَلَى عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ أَبِي حَدْرَدٍ الأَسْلَمِيِّ مَالٌ فَلَقِيَهُ فَلَزِمَهُ حَتَّى ارْتَفَعَتْ أَصْوَاتُهُمَا فَمَرَّ بِهِمَا النَّبِيُّ ﷺ فَقَالَ يَا كَعْبُ فَأَشَارَ بِيَدِهِ كَأَنَّهُ يَقُولُ النِّصْفَ فَأَخَذَ نِصْفَ مَا عَلَيْهِ وَتَرَكَ نِصْفًا  

muslim:1558c – Muslim And Rawá al-Layth b. Saʿd > Jaʿfar b. Rabīʿah > ʿAbd al-Raḥman b. Hurmuz > ʿAbdullāh b. Kaʿb b. Mālik > Kaʿb b. Mālik

" He had to get the loan from Abdullah b. Hadrad al-Aslami. He met him and pressed him for payment. There was an altercation between them, until their voices became loud. There happened to pass by them Messenger of Allah ﷺ and he said: O Ka'b, and pointed out with his hand in such a way as he meant half. So he got half of what he (Ibn Abu Hadrad) owed to him and remitted the half."  

مسلم:١٥٥٨c – قَالَ مُسْلِمٌ وَرَوَى اللَّيْثُ بْنُ سَعْدٍ حَدَّثَنِي جَعْفَرُ بْنُ رَبِيعَةَ عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ هُرْمُزَ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ كَعْبِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ عَنْ كَعْبِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ

أَنَّهُ كَانَ لَهُ مَالٌ عَلَى عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ أَبِي حَدْرَدٍ الأَسْلَمِيِّ فَلَقِيَهُ فَلَزِمَهُ فَتَكَلَّمَا حَتَّى ارْتَفَعَتْ أَصْوَاتُهُمَا فَمَرَّ بِهِمَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقَالَ يَا كَعْبُ فَأَشَارَ بِيَدِهِ كَأَنَّهُ يَقُولُ النِّصْفَ فَأَخَذَ نِصْفًا مِمَّا عَلَيْهِ وَتَرَكَ نِصْفًا  

ahmad:15791 – Ḥasan > Ibn Lahīʿah > ʿAbd al-Raḥman al-Aʿraj > ʿAbdullāh b. Kaʿb > Kaʿb b. Mālik

ʿAbdullah bin Abu Hadrad Al-Aslami owed Kaʿb bin Malik some money. One day the latter met the former and demanded his right, and their voices grew very loud. The Prophet ﷺ passed by them and said, "O Kaʿb," beckoning with his hand as if intending to say, "Deduct half the debts." So, Kaʿb took half what the other owed him and remitted the other half. (Using translation from Bukhārī 2706)  

أحمد:١٥٧٩١ – حَدَّثَنَا حَسَنٌ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ لَهِيعَةَ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ الْأَعْرَجُ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ كَعْبٍ عَنْ كَعْبِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ

أَنَّهُ كَانَ لَهُ مَالٌ عَلَى عَبْدِ اللهِ أَبِي حَدْرَدٍ الْأَسْلَمِيِّ فَلَقِيَهُ فَلَزِمَهُ حَتَّى ارْتَفَعَتِ الْأَصْوَاتُ فَمَرَّ بِهِمَا رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ فَقَالَ يَا كَعْبُ فَأَشَارَ بِيَدِهِ كَأَنَّهُ يَقُولُ النِّصْفُ فَأَخَذَ نِصْفًا مِمَّا عَلَيْهِ وَتَرَكَ النِّصْفَ  

tabarani:16288 – al-Miqdām b. Dāwud > Abū al-Aswad al-Naḍr b. ʿAbd al-Jabbār > Ibn Lahīʿah > al-Aʿraj > ʿAbdullāh b. Kaʿb b. Mālik al-Anṣārī > Kaʿb

[Machine] He had some money with Abdullah bin Abi Hadrada, so he met him and stuck with him. They started talking and the voices raised. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ passed by them and said, "O Ka'b," indicating with his hand that he wanted half. So he took half of what was owed to him and left the other half.  

الطبراني:١٦٢٨٨ – حَدَّثَنَا الْمِقْدَامُ بْنُ دَاوُدَ ثنا أَبُو الْأَسْوَدِ النَّضْرُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْجَبَّارِ ثنا ابْنُ لَهِيعَةَ عَنِ الْأَعْرَجِ أَنَّ عَبْدَ اللهِ بْنَ كَعْبِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ الْأَنْصَارِيَّ أَخْبَرَهُ عَنْ كَعْبٍ

أَنَّهُ كَانَ لَهُ عَلَى عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ أَبِي حَدْرَدَ مَالٌ فَلَقِيَهُ فَلَزِمَهُ فَتَكَلَّمَا فَارْتَفَعَتِ الْأَصْوَاتُ فَمَرَّ بِهِمَا رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ فَقَالَ «يَا كَعْبُ» وَأَشَارَ بِيَدِهِ كَأَنَّهُ يُرِيدُ النِّصْفَ فَأَخَذَ نِصْفَ مَا عَلَيْهِ وَتَرَكَ نِصْفَهُ  

عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ الْأَعْرَجُ، عَنِ ابْنِ كَعْبِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ

tabarani:16289 – Muṭṭalib b. Shuʿayb al-Azdī > ʿAbdullāh b. Ṣāliḥ > al-Layth > Jaʿfar b. Rabīʿah > ʿAbd al-Raḥman b. Hurmuz > ʿAbdullāh b. Kaʿb b. Mālik > Kaʿb

[Machine] It was reported that Abdullah ibn Abi Hadrad owed him some money and he demanded it until their voices raised. Then, the Messenger of Allah, may ﷺ , passed by them and said, "O Ka'ab!" He pointed with his hand as if he wanted half, so he took half of what was owed to him and left the other half.  

الطبراني:١٦٢٨٩ – حَدَّثَنَا مُطَّلِبُ بْنُ شُعَيْبٍ الْأَزْدِيُّ ثنا عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ صَالِحٍ حَدَّثَنِي اللَّيْثُ عَنْ جَعْفَرِ بْنِ رَبِيعَةَ عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ هُرْمُزَ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ كَعْبِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ عَنْ كَعْبٍ

أَنَّهُ كَانَ لَهُ عَلَى عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ أَبِي حَدْرَدَ مَالٌ فَاقْتَضَاهُ حَتَّى ارْتَفَعَتِ الْأَصْوَاتُ فَمَرَّ بِهِمَا رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ فَقَالَ «يَا كَعْبُ» وَأَشَارَ بِيَدِهِ كَأَنَّهُ يُرِيدُ النِّصْفَ فَأَخَذَ نِصْفَ مَا عَلَيْهِ وَتَرَكَ نِصْفًا  

nasai-kubra:5933 – al-Rabīʿ b. Sulaymān > Shuʿayb b. al-Layth from his father > Jaʿfar b. Rabīʿah > ʿAbd al-Raḥman al-Aʿraj > ʿAbdullāh b. Kaʿb b. Mālik al-Anṣārī > Kaʿb b. Mālik

That ʿAbdullah bin Abi Hadrad Al-Aslami owed him some debt. Kaʿb met him and caught hold of him and they started talking and their voices grew loudest. The Prophet ﷺ passed by them and addressed Kaʿb, pointing out to him to reduce the debt to one half. So, Kaʿb got one half of the debt and exempted the debtor from the other half. (Using translation from Bukhārī 2424)  

الكبرى للنسائي:٥٩٣٣ – أَخْبَرَنَا الرَّبِيعُ بْنُ سُلَيْمَانَ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا شُعَيْبُ بْنُ اللَّيْثِ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ جَعْفَرِ بْنِ رَبِيعَةَ عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ الْأَعْرَجِ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ كَعْبِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ الْأَنْصَارِيِّ عَنْ كَعْبِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ

أَنَّهُ كَانَ لَهُ عَلَى عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ أَبِي حَدْرَدٍ الْأَسْلَمِيِّ دَيْنٌ فَلَقِيَهُ فَلَزِمَهُ فَتَكَلَّمَا حَتَّى ارْتَفَعَتِ الْأَصْوَاتُ فَمَرَّ بِهِمَا رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ فَقَالَ «يَا كَعْبُ» فَأَشَارَ بِيَدِهِ كَأَنَّهُ يَقُولُ النِّصْفُ فَأَخَذَ نِصْفًا مِمَّا عَلَيْهِ وَتَرَكَ نِصْفًا  

bayhaqi:11285 – Abū al-Ḥasan ʿAlī b. Aḥmad b. ʿAbdān > Aḥmad b. ʿUbayd al-Ṣaffār > Aḥmad b. Ibrāhīm b. Milḥān > Yaḥyá b. Bukayr > al-Layth > Jaʿfar / Ibn Rabīʿah > al-Aʿraj > ʿAbdullāh b. Kaʿb b. Mālik al-Anṣārī > Kaʿb b. Mālik

That ʿAbdullah bin Abi Hadrad Al-Aslami owed him some debt. Kaʿb met him and caught hold of him and they started talking and their voices grew loudest. The Prophet ﷺ passed by them and addressed Kaʿb, pointing out to him to reduce the debt to one half. So, Kaʿb got one half of the debt and exempted the debtor from the other half. (Using translation from Bukhārī 2424)   

البيهقي:١١٢٨٥ – أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو الْحَسَنِ عَلِيُّ بْنُ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ عَبْدَانَ أنبأ أَحْمَدُ بْنُ عُبَيْدٍ الصَّفَّارُ ثنا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنِ مِلْحَانَ ثنا يَحْيَى بْنُ بُكَيْرٍ حَدَّثَنِي اللَّيْثُ حَدَّثَنِي جَعْفَرٌ يَعْنِي ابْنَ رَبِيعَةَ عَنِ الْأَعْرَجِ قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ كَعْبِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ الْأَنْصَارِيُّ عَنْ كَعْبِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ

أَنَّهُ كَانَ لَهُ مَالٌ عَلَى عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ أَبِي حَدْرَدٍ الْأَسْلَمِيِّ فَلَقِيَهُ فَلَزِمَهُ فَتَكَلَّمَا حَتَّى ارْتَفَعَتِ الْأَصْوَاتُ فَمَرَّ بِهِمَا رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ فَقَالَ يَا كَعْبُ وَأَشَارَ بِيَدِهِ كَأَنَّهُ يَقُولُ النِّصْفَ فَأَخَذَ نِصْفَ مَا عَلَيْهِ وَتَرَكَ نِصْفًا  

رَوَاهُ الْبُخَارِيُّ فِي الصَّحِيحِ عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ بُكَيْرٍ وَأَخْرَجَهُ مُسْلِمٌ فَقَالَ قَالَ اللَّيْثُ فَذَكَرَهُ