Al-Mundhirī kept silent about the report in his Mukhtaṣar; I later found it in al-Mustadrak, where both al-Ḥākim and al-Dhahabī declared it authentic.
These two ḥadiths show the permissibility of hanging a qinw (a cluster of dates)―pronounced with a kasra on the qāf and a sukūn on the nūn―that is, a whole stalk (ʿidhq), the same object also called an arjūn. The same ruling applies to a bunch of grapes and the like. Al-Ḥāfiẓ’s discussion of this has already been quoted in the previous section, and in al-ʿUmda he states:
“ Ibn al-Qāsim said: Mālik was asked about hanging bunches of dates in the mosque and similar matters, and he replied, ‘There is no harm in that.’ He was also asked about the water that is placed in the mosque for drinking: ‘Do you think people may drink from it?’ He said, ‘Yes. It has been set out for the thirsty, not specifically for the poor, so I see no reason to forbid its use. This has always been the practice of the people.’ ”
32 – A needy person’s asking and giving charity to him, based on the ḥadith:
“Who among you has fed a poor person today?”
Abū Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) replied, “I entered the mosque and there was a beggar asking. I found a piece of bread with ʿAbd al-Raḥmān, so I took it from him and handed it to the man.”
This ḥadith was recorded by Abū Dāwūd—with the additional wording cited above—and by al-Ḥākim through the chain of Mubārak ibn Faḍālah, from Thābit al-Banānī, from ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Abī Laylā, from ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Abī Bakr, as a marfūʿ report. Al-Ḥākim said, “Authentic according to the criteria of Muslim,” and al-Dhahabī agreed. Both of them erred, however, for this Mubārak is not among Muslim’s transmitters at all. He is truthful (ṣadūq), but