The one who takes back the gift he has given to someone is like one who eats his vomit

Islam > Hadiths > Jurisprudence and juristic principles > Jurisprudence and Juristic Principles

Hadith narrated by Narrated by Bukhari & Muslim

Authenticity grade : Authentic hadith

Updated on 24 September 2026 at 12:34 AM

📖 1 min read

Hadith text: The one who takes back the gift he has given to someone…

عن عبد الله بن عباس رضي الله عنهما مرفوعاً: "العائد في هِبَتِهِ، كالعائد في قَيْئِهِ".
وفي لفظ: "فإن الذى يعود في صدقته: كالكلب يَقِئ ُثم يعود في قيئه".

‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The one who takes back the gift he has given to someone is like one who eats his vomit."
In another wording: "The one who takes back the charity that he gave is like a dog that vomits then eats its vomit."

Explanation of the hadith: The one who takes back the gift he has given to someone…

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) drew an analogy to show how repulsive and disgusting it is that a person takes back the gift he has already given to someone. The one who does so is like a dog that vomits then it comes back to its vomit and eats it. This is an indication of the hideousness of such behavior and the meanness of the person who does it.

Categories : Gift

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