It was also recorded by al-Bukhari (5196 and 6547), Muslim, Ibn Hibban (7413), and Ahmad (5/205 and 209).

The hadith was also narrated from Ibn Umar through a weak chain of transmission containing a rejected wording: “the wealthy and women.” I have therefore cited it in my other book (2800).

2587 — “The best charity is the loan of a milch animal: it goes out in the morning with a large bowl and returns in the evening with a large bowl.”

Al-Khattabi narrated it in Gharib al-Hadith (106/2) from al-Humaydi: Sufyan informed us; Abu al-Zinad informed us, from al-A'raj, from Abu Hurayrah, attributed to the Prophet. He said: “Al-Humaydi said: ‘Al-asa' is the large drinking-bowl.’”

Al-Khattabi said: “I have heard it only in this hadith, and al-Humaydi was an authority on the language. Ibn al-Mubarak narrated it as: ‘It goes out in the morning with a rifd and returns in the evening with a rifd.’ This supports al-Humaydi’s statement, for a rifd is a large drinking-cup. The first of the cups is the ghamar, which does not suffice to quench one’s thirst; then comes the qa'b, which is enough to quench one man’s thirst; then the qadah, which provides enough for two or three; then the ass, from which a group drinks; then the rifd, which is larger; then the sahan, which is larger still; then the tibn, which is the largest of them; and larger than it is the janbah, made from a camel’s flank.”

This is how it appears in the printed edition of al-Gharib (1/507–508). Ibn al-Athir quoted it from there up to his words, “an authority on the language,” and then said: “Abu Khaythamah also narrated it. Or if it is read as bi-isas, that would be more appropriate; on this basis, it is the plural of al-ass, with the hamzah substituted for the letter sin.”

The hadith appears in Musnad al-Humaydi (1061) with this wording, except that it reads bi-ass in both places. Its editor noted that the original manuscript reads nafs (“same”).