1308 – Abu Saʿid al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Two traits do not coexist in a believer: miserliness and bad character.” It was recorded by al-Tirmidhi, and its chain is weak (1).

Hadith grading:
This report is ḥasan when taken with its corroborating chains.

Al-ʿIraqi states in his verification of the traditions cited in Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn: “Al-Tirmidhi transmitted it from Abu Saʿid and labelled it ‘singular.’ I add that there are other narrations on the topic that mutually reinforce one another, including:
1 – Al-Bayhaqi’s marfūʿ report worded: ‘Which deeds are best?’ He replied, ‘Patience, open-handedness, and good character.’ Al-ʿIraqi judged its chain sound, and al-Suyuti likewise declared it sound in al-Jāmiʿ al-Ṣaghīr.
2 – Al-Daylami’s marfūʿ report from ʿAbd Allah ibn ʿAmr: ‘There are two traits Allah loves and two He detests. The two He loves are good character and generosity.’

Vocabulary of the hadith:
• “Two traits” (khaṣlatān): the dual of khaṣlah, meaning a quality or disposition in a person, whether virtuous or blameworthy.
• “Miserliness” (bukhl): in juristic usage, withholding that which is obligatory.
• “Bad character” (sūʾ al-khuluq): khuluq denotes a deeply rooted disposition of the soul from which actions arise effortlessly and without deliberation; when those actions are reprehensible, the person is said to possess bad character.