535 – ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib ibn Rabīʿah ibn al-Ḥārith (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) declared, “Ṣadaqah (charitable alms) is not appropriate for the family of Muhammad; it is only the impurities of the people.” In another wording he said, “It is unlawful for Muhammad and for the family of Muhammad.” Recorded by Muslim (1).
Vocabulary of the ḥadith
• Family of Muhammad: the households of al-Ḥārith ibn ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib, Abū Ṭālib ibn ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib, Abū Lahab ibn ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib, and al-ʿAbbās ibn ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib—those descendants of ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib ibn Hāshim who have surviving progeny within Banū Hāshim.
• Impurities (awsākh, sing. wasakh): physical grime or dirt. The term used here is metaphorical, likening sins to the filth that clings to the body; ṣadaqah removes such sins and washes them away.
• People: although grammatically general, the intended meaning here is specific—those who pay zakāh. A general term restricted by context remains authoritative for everything outside that restriction.
Points derived from the ḥadith
- Zakāh and expiatory charities (kaffārah) are forbidden to the Prophet ﷺ and to his family, Banū Hāshim: the households of al-ʿAbbās ibn ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib, Abū Ṭālib ibn ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib, al-Ḥārith ibn ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib, and Abū Lahab ibn ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib.