said:
“O Messenger of Allah, Abū Sufyān is a miserly man who does not provide me and my children with enough to meet our reasonable needs.”
The Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—replied:
“Take what is reasonably sufficient for you and your children.”
It was recorded in both Sahih collections from a hadith narrated by Aisha (1). He did not disapprove of what she had said, for it falls under the same category as the complaint of someone who has been wronged.
As for sincere counsel, an example is what the Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—said to Fātima bint Qays when she consulted him concerning her suitors. She said:
“Abū Jahm and Muāwiya have proposed marriage to me.”
He replied:
“As for Muāwiya, he is a pauper with no wealth. As for Abū Jahm, he never takes his staff off his shoulder.”
In another wording: “He beats women.”
He then said, “Marry Usāma.” (2)
Thus, when she consulted him with a view to marriage (3), he told her what she needed to know. The same applies when someone consults a man concerning a person with whom (4) he is considering doing business. Giving sincere counsel is enjoined even if he has not
(1) The hadith narrated from ʿĀ’isha—may Allah be pleased with her—is found in al-Bukhārī, 3/79, Book of Sales, chapter “Those Who Govern the Cities According to Their Recognized Customs.” The hadith is also narrated with the same meaning in many other places in al-Bukhārī, in Dr. Mustafa al-Bughā’s edition, nos. 2328, 3613, 5044, 5049, 5055, 6265, 6742, and 6758. Muslim narrated the hadith with different wordings from ʿĀ’isha in his Sahīh, 3/1338–1339, Book of Judicial Decisions, chapter “The Case of Hind.” The hadith is also found in Sunan al-Nasā’ī, Sunan Ibn Mājah, and Sunan al-Dārimī.
(2) The hadith narrated from Fātima bint Qays—may Allah be pleased with her—is found in Muslim, 2/1114, Book of Divorce, chapter “A Woman Divorced Three Times Is Not Entitled to Maintenance”; Sunan Abī Dāwūd, 2/383, Book of Divorce, chapter “Maintenance for a Woman Irrevocably Divorced”; Sunan al-Tirmidhī, 2/301–302, Book of Marriage, chapter “The Prohibition Against a Man Proposing to a Woman Who Has Already Received a Proposal from His Brother”; and al-Musnad, al-Halabī ed., 6/411–412. The hadith is also found in Sunan al-Nasā’ī and al-Muwatta’.
(3) ح, ر, and ب read: “whom she should marry.”
(4) ن, م, و, and ي read: “from among those.”