وَعَن مولى لعُثْمَان رَضِي الله عَنهُ
قَالَ: أُهْدِيَ لِأُمِّ سَلَمَةَ بُضْعَةٌ مِنْ لَحْمٍ وَكَانَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يُعْجِبُهُ اللَّحْمُ فَقَالَتْ لِلْخَادِمِ: ضَعِيهِ فِي الْبَيْتِ لَعَلَّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَأْكُلُهُ فَوَضَعَتْهُ فِي كَوَّةِ الْبَيْتِ. وَجَاءَ سَائِلٌ فَقَامَ عَلَى الْبَابِ فَقَالَ: تَصَدَّقُوا بَارَكَ اللَّهُ فِيكُمْ.
فَقَالُوا: بَارَكَ اللَّهُ فِيكَ. فَذَهَبَ السَّائِلُ فَدَخَلَ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَقَالَ: «يَا أَمَّ سَلَمَةَ هَلْ عِنْدَكُمْ شَيْءٌ أَطْعَمُهُ؟».
فَقَالَتْ: نَعَمْ. قَالَتْ لِلْخَادِمِ: اذْهَبِي فَأَتَى رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ بِذَلِكِ اللَّحْمِ. فَذَهَبَتْ فَلَمْ تَجِدْ فِي الْكَوَّةِ إِلَّا قِطْعَةَ مَرْوَةٍ فَقَالَ النَّبِي صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «فَإِن ذَلِك اللَّحْمَ عَادَ مَرْوَةً لِمَا لَمْ تُعْطُوهُ السَّائِلَ»
A client of Uthman said that Umm Salamah was presented with a piece of meat, and because the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) liked meat she told the servant to put it in the house as the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) might perhaps eat it. She put it in the window ledge in the house.
A beggar came and stood at the door and said, “Give alms, may God bless you,” and when they replied, “God bless you,”* the beggar went away. Then the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) entered and asked Umm Salamah whether she had anything for him to eat.
She replied that she had, and told the servant to go and bring God’s messenger that meat, but when she went she found only a piece of flint in the window ledge. The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) then said, “That meat changed into flint because you did not give it to the beggar.” Baihaqi transmitted it in Dalail an-nubuwa. * A pious remark used to indicate that there is no intention of giving anything. The most common phrase in such circumstances is Allah karim (God is generous).