Riyāḍ uṣ-Ṣāliḥīn · Chapter 57 of 372
Contentment and Self-esteem and avoidance of unnecessary begging of People
The Book of Miscellany – Chapter 57 : Ahadith 522 – 537
Imam Abu Zakariyya Yahya ibn Sharaf an-Nawawi (d. 676 AH)
🎧 Listen to all hadiths in Arabic Ch 57 H 522 – 537
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Allah, the Exalted says:
وَمَا مِن دَآبَّةٖ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ إِلَّا عَلَى ٱللَّهِ رِزۡقُهَا
“And no moving (living) creature is there on earth but its provision is due from Allah.”
[Hūd 11:6]
وَمَا تُنفِقُواْ مِنۡ خَيۡرٖ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ بِهِۦ عَلِيمٌ
“(Charity is) for Fuqara (the poor), who in Allah’s Cause are restricted (from travel), and cannot move about in the land (for trade or work). The one who knows them not, thinks that they are rich because of their modesty. You may know them by their mark, they do not beg of people at all.”
[Al-Baqarah 2:273]
وَٱلَّذِينَ إِذَآ أَنفَقُواْ لَمۡ يُسۡرِفُواْ وَلَمۡ يَقۡتُرُواْ وَكَانَ بَيۡنَ ذَٰلِكَ قَوَامٗا
“And those, who, when they spend, are neither extravagant nor niggardly, but hold a medium (way) between those (extremes).”
[Al-Furqān 25:67]
وَمَا خَلَقۡتُ ٱلۡجِنَّ وَٱلۡإِنسَ إِلَّا لِيَعۡبُدُونِ ﴿٥٦﴾ مَآ أُرِيدُ مِنۡهُم مِّن رِّزۡقٖ وَمَآ أُرِيدُ أَن يُطۡعِمُونِ ﴿٥٧﴾
“And I (Allah) created not the jinn and mankind except that they should worship Me (Alone). I seek not any provision from them (i.e., provision for themselves or for My creatures) nor do I ask that they should feed Me (i.e., feed themselves or My creatures).”
[Adh-Dhāriyāt 51:56–57]
522 Abu Hurairah (radiyallahu anhu) reported: The Prophet ﷺ said, “Richness is not the abundance of wealth, rather it is self-sufficiency.”[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
523 `Abdullah bin `Amr bin Al-as (radiyallahu anhuma) reported: the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “Successful is the one who has entered the fold of Islam and is provided with sustenance which is sufficient for his needs, and Allah makes him content with what He has bestowed upon him.”.[Muslim].
524 Hakim bin Hizam (radiyallahu anhu) reported: I begged Messenger of Allah ﷺ and he gave me; I begged him again and he gave me. I begged him again and he gave me and said, “O Hakim, wealth is pleasant and sweet. He who acquires it with self-contentment, it becomes a source of blessing for him; but it is not blessed for him who seeks it out of greed. He is like one who goes on eating but his hunger is not satisfied. The upper hand is better than the lower one.” I said to him, “O Messenger of Allah, by Him Who sent you with the Truth I will not, after you, ask anyone for anything till I leave this world.” So Abu Bakr (radiyallahu anhu) would summon Hakim (radiyallahu anhu) to give his rations, but he would refuse. Then ‘Umar (radiyallahu anhu) would call him but he would decline to accept anything. So ‘Umar (radiyallahu anhu) said addressing Muslims: “O Muslims, I ask you to bear testimony that I offer Hakim his share of the booty that Allah has assigned for him but he refuses my offer.” Thus Hakim did not accept anything from anyone after the death of Messenger of Allah ﷺ, till he died.[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
525 Abu Burdah (radiyallahu anhu) reported: Abu Musa Al-Ash`ari (radiyallahu anhu) said: “Six of us accompanied Messenger of Allah ﷺ in an expedition. We had one camel with us; we rode it in turn. Our feet got injured and my nails also fell out. We wrapped up our feet in rags; and because of this the campaign came to be known as Dhat-ur-Riqa` (the Campaign of Rags).” Abu Burdah (radiyallahu anhu) says: Abu Musa reported this Hadith but regretted having done so. He said, “Would that I had not mentioned it!” He said so because he disliked to disclose anything concerning his deeds.[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
526 `Amr bin Taghlib (radiyallahu anhu) reported: Some booty or prisoners of war were brought to Messenger of Allah ﷺ and he distributed them, giving some men and neglecting others. Then, he was informed that those whom he had not given a thing were displeased. On this the Messenger of Allah ﷺ praised Allah and glorified Him and said, “It is a fact that I give to one and overlook another. The one I ignore is dearer to me than the one I give. I give to those in whose hearts I perceive anxiety; others I leave with the richness and contentment that Allah has put in their hearts. One of them is `Amr bin Taghlib.” Upon this `Amr bin Taghlib said, “By Allah I shall not accept a herd of red camels in exchange for what the Prophet said (about me).”[Al-Bukhari].
527 Hakim bin Hizam (radiyallahu anhu) reported: The Prophet ﷺ said, “The upper hand is better than the lower one; and begin (charity) with those who are under your care; and the best charity is (the one which is given) out of surplus; and he who wishes to abstain from begging will be protected by Allah; and he who seeks self-sufficiency will be made self-sufficient by Allah.” [Al-Bukhari].
528 Abu Sufyan (radiyallahu anhu) reported: Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “Do not be importunate in begging. By Allah! If one of you asks me for something and I give it to him unwillingly, there is no blessing in what I give him.”[Muslim].
529 `Auf bin Malik Al-Ashja`i (radiyallahu anhu) reported: Seven, eight or nine people, including myself, were with Messenger of Allah ﷺ on an occasion when he ﷺ remarked, “Would you pledge allegiance to Messenger of Allah?” As we had taken oath of allegiance shortly before, we said, “We have already done so, O Messenger of Allah.” He again asked, “Would you not pledge allegiance to Messenger of Allah?” So we stretched out our hands and said, “We have already made our pledge with you, O Messenger of Allah, on what should we make a pledge with you?” He said, “To worship Allah and not to associate anything with Him, to perform the five (daily) Salat and to obey.” Then he added in a low tone, “And not to ask people for anything.” Thereafter, I noticed that some of these people who were present did not ask anyone to pick up even the whip for them if it fell from their hands.[Muslim].
530 Ibn `Umar (radiyallahu anhuma) reported: The Prophet ﷺ said, “If one of you would keep begging (of people) until he meets Allah (on the Day of Resurrection) his face will be without a shred of flesh.”[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
531 Ibn `Umar (radiyallahu anhuma) reported: While Messenger of Allah ﷺ was on his pulpit (in the mosque) delivering a Khutbah (religious talk) about Sadaqah (charity) and begging, he said, “The upper hand is better than the lower hand, the upper hand is the one which gives and the lower hand is the begging one.”[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
532 Abu Hurairah (radiyallahu anhu) reported: Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “He who begs to increase his riches is in fact asking only for a live coal. It is up to him to decrease it or increase it.”[Muslim].
533 Samurah bin Jundub (radiyallahu anhu) reported: Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “Begging is a cut that a person inflicts upon his face; except for asking a ruler, or under the stress of circumstances from which there is no escape.”[At-Tirmidhi].
534 Ibn Mas`ud (radiyallahu anhu) reported: Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “He who suffers poverty and seeks relief from people, he will not be relieved; but he who seeks relief from Allah Alone, he will be relieved sooner or later.”[Abu Dawud and At-Tirmidhi].
535 Thauban (radiyallahu anhu) reported: Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “He who guarantees me that he will not beg anything from anyone, I will guarantee him (to enter) Jannah.” I said, “I give you the guarantee.” Then Thauban (radiyallahu anhu) never begged anything from anyone.[Abu Dawud].
536 Qabisah bin Al-Mukhariq (radiyallahu anhu) reported: I stood as surety for a debt and came to Messenger of Allah ﷺ to seek his help in discharging it. Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “Wait till we receive charity and I shall give you out of it.’‘ He ﷺ added, “O Qabisah, begging is not lawful except for three people. One who has incurred debt (for assuming guarantee), for him begging is permissible till the guarantee is discharged and he should then refrain; a person whose property has been destroyed by a calamity is allowed to beg till he attains self-sufficiency; a person who meets with dire necessity (due to hunger) provided that three men of understanding from his people affirm the genuineness (of his poverty), for him begging is lawful till he attains means of his subsistence. Other than these, O Qabisah, anything received through begging is unlawful, its recipient devours it unlawfully.”[Muslim].
537 Abu Hurairah (radiyallahu anhu) reported: Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “A needy person is not the one who goes from door to door, begging and is turned away with a morsel or two or with a date or two. But a needy person is the one who does not have enough to live upon, and neither from his appearance it occurs that he is needy and should be given alms, nor does he himself beg anything from others.”[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].