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Measurement is only required when buying and selling

Question

"Had you not weighed it, you would be eating out of it and it would have remained intact for you." (Muslim 2281) How to understand this hadith. And from this hadith can i keep records of my personal or business expenses? Is not it considered as an ingratitude?

Answer

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention ) is His slave and Messenger.

This hadith is authentic, and Muslim included it in his Saheeh, as mentioned by the questioner, and other hadeeths have been mentioned in its meaning. But it has also been authenticated that the Prophet  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention ) said, “Measure your foodstuff and you will be blessed.” Reported by Al-Bukhari, and a chapter was derived from it: (Chapter on what is recommended in measure).

It is necessary to combine these hadiths and understand some of them in the light of each other.

There are many sayings of scholars regarding this, and the most correct saying is that the measure required is only when buying and selling, fulfilling rights, and so on, of what must be controlled. As for the blameworthy measure, it is when spending, and it leads to stinginess, miserliness, and fear of running out of sustenance, weak trust in Allah, relying on reasons and habits, relying on one's management, his surroundings, his strength, and other things that the Sharee'ah dismisses. Al-Hafidh Ibn Hajar  may  Allaah  have  mercy  upon  him said in Al-Fat'h: “The conclusion is that by measure alone one does not obtain blessing unless another matter is added to it, which is doing it in compliance with the command in what measure is prescribed...

And he said in another place: “My answer is that measurement when buying and selling is required as the rights of the two parties depend on it, and as for measure at the time of spending, it may be due to stinginess, and for reason, it is disliked.

Thus, he knows there is nothing wrong with keeping records of personal or commercial funds, and this does not contradict the Sunnah.

Allah knows best.

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