Hadith #20

Arabic Text

English Translation

Abu Buraida (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that “Salman al-Farisi brought Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace), when he reached Medina, a table with ripe dates upon it, and he placed it in front of Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace), so he said: ‘O Salman, what is this?’ He replied: A charitable gift for you and for your Companions’ ‘Take it away,’ said the Prophet ﷺ, ‘for we will not eat a charitable gift.’ He therefore took it away. Then he came the next day with the like of it, and placed it in front of Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace), who said: ‘What is this, O Salman?’ He replied: ‘A present for you,’ so Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) said to his Companions: ‘Spread out!’ Then Salman looked at the Seal on the back of Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace), so he believed in him. He was a slave of the Jews, however, so Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) purchased his freedom at such-and-such a price of silver coin, on condition that he would plant date palms for them, and Salman would work on them until they bore edible fruit. Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) then planted the date palms, apart from one date palm that 'Umar planted. The date palms then bore their annual crop, but one date palm did not bear fruit, so Allah’s Messenger said (Allah bless him and give him peace): ‘What is the matter with this date palm?’ 'Umar said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, I planted it!’ Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) therefore uprooted it and replanted it, so it bore its annual crop."