Caution: Translations of Quran and Ḥadīth may lead to possible misapplications and misinterpretations. This site is intended for students of sacred knowledge that are proficient in comprehending classical Arabic and have a strong foundation in Islamic sciences. Also note that religious injunctions rely on several aspects beyond what one may glean through reading individual aḥādīth.
Qurʾān Bukhārī Muslim Nasāʾī Abū Dāwūd Tirmidhī Ibn Mājah Mālik Aḥmad Dārimī Ḥākim Ibn Ḥibbān Ṭabarānī Nasāʾī's Kubrá Bayhaqī al-Luʾluʾ wa-al-Marjān Ibn Rajab's Fifty Riyāḍ al-Ṣāliḥīn Aḥmad's Zuhd Suyūṭī
abudawud:1648 – ʿAbdullāh b. Maslamah > Mālik > Nāfiʿ > ʿAbdullāh b. ʿUmar

the upper hand is better than the lower one, the upper being the one which bestows and the lower which begs. Abu Dawud said : The version of this tradition narrated by Ayyub from Nafi is disputed. The narrator ʿAbd al-Warith said in his version : ʿThe upper hand is the one which abstains from begging;” but most of the narrators have narrated from Hammad b. Zaid from Ayyub the words “ The upper hand is the one which bestows.” A narrator from Hammad said in his version “the one which abstains from begging.”  

أبو داود:١٦٤٨ – حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مَسْلَمَةَ عَنْ مَالِكٍ عَنْ نَافِعٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عُمَرَ

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ وَهُوَ عَلَى الْمِنْبَرِ وَهُوَ يَذْكُرُ الصَّدَقَةَ وَالتَّعَفُّفَ مِنْهَا وَالْمَسْأَلَةَ الْيَدُ الْعُلْيَا خَيْرٌ مِنَ الْيَدِ السُّفْلَى وَالْيَدُ الْعُلْيَا الْمُنْفِقَةُ وَالسُّفْلَى السَّائِلَةُ  

قَالَ أَبُو دَاوُدَ اخْتُلِفَ عَلَى أَيُّوبَ عَنْ نَافِعٍ فِي هَذَا الْحَدِيثِ قَالَ عَبْدُ الْوَارِثِ الْيَدُ الْعُلْيَا الْمُتَعَفِّفَةُ وَقَالَ أَكْثَرُهُمْ عَنْ حَمَّادِ بْنِ زَيْدٍ عَنْ أَيُّوبَ الْيَدُ الْعُلْيَا الْمُنْفِقَةُ وَقَالَ وَاحِدٌ عَنْ حَمَّادٍ الْمُتَعَفِّفَةُ

See similar narrations below:

Collected by Bukhārī, Muslim, Nasāʾī, Mālik, Aḥmad, Ibn Ḥibbān, Nasāʾī's Kubrá, Bayhaqī
bukhari:1429 – Abū al-Nuʿmān > Ḥammād b. Zayd > Ayyūb > Nāfiʿ > Ibn ʿUmar

I heard Messenger of Allah ﷺ while he was on the pulpit speaking about charity, to abstain from asking others for some financial help and about begging others, saying, "The upper hand is better than the lower hand. The upper hand is that of the giver and the lower (hand) is that of the beggar."  

البخاري:١٤٢٩ – حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو النُّعْمَانِ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادُ بْنُ زَيْدٍ عَنْ أَيُّوبَ عَنْ نَافِعٍ عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ ؓ قَالَ

سَمِعْتُ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ ح وَحَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مَسْلَمَةَ عَنْ مَالِكٍ عَنْ نَافِعٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عُمَرَ ؓ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ وَهُوَ عَلَى الْمِنْبَرِ وَذَكَرَ الصَّدَقَةَ وَالتَّعَفُّفَ وَالْمَسْأَلَةَ الْيَدُ الْعُلْيَا خَيْرٌ مِنَ الْيَدِ السُّفْلَى فَالْيَدُ الْعُلْيَا هِيَ الْمُنْفِقَةُ وَالسُّفْلَى هِيَ السَّائِلَةُ  

muslim:1033 – Qutaybah b. Saʿīd > Mālik b. Anas Fīmā Quriʾ ʿAlayh > Nāfiʿ > ʿAbdullāh b. ʿUmar

The upper hand is better than the lower one, the upper being the one which bestows and the lower one which begs.  

مسلم:١٠٣٣ – حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ عَنْ مَالِكِ بْنِ أَنَسٍ فِيمَا قُرِئَ عَلَيْهِ عَنْ نَافِعٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عُمَرَ

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ وَهُوَ عَلَى الْمِنْبَرِ وَهُوَ يَذْكُرُ الصَّدَقَةَ وَالتَّعَفُّفَ عَنِ الْمَسْأَلَةِ الْيَدُ الْعُلْيَا خَيْرٌ مِنَ الْيَدِ السُّفْلَى وَالْيَدُ الْعُلْيَا الْمُنْفِقَةُ وَالسُّفْلَى السَّائِلَةُ  

nasai:2533 – Qutaybah > Mālik > Nāfiʿ > ʿAbdullāh b. ʿUmar

the Messenger of Allah said, when mentioning charity and those who refrain from asking. "The upper hand is better than the lower hand; the upper hand is that which gives and the lower hand is that which asks."  

النسائي:٢٥٣٣ – أَخْبَرَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ عَنْ مَالِكٍ عَنْ نَافِعٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عُمَرَ

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ وَهُوَ يَذْكُرُ الصَّدَقَةَ وَالتَّعَفُّفَ عَنِ الْمَسْأَلَةِ الْيَدُ الْعُلْيَا خَيْرٌ مِنَ الْيَدِ السُّفْلَى وَالْيَدُ الْعُلْيَا الْمُنْفِقَةُ وَالْيَدُ السُّفْلَى السَّائِلَةُ  

malik:58-8 – Mālik > Nāfiʿ > ʿAbdullāh b. ʿUmar

Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi from Abdullah ibn Umar that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said from the mimbar when mentioning sadaqa and refraining from asking, "The upper hand is better than the lower hand. The upper hand is the one which expends, and the lower one is the one which asks."  

مالك:٥٨-٨ – وَحَدَّثَنِي عَنْ مَالِكٍ عَنْ نَافِعٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عُمَرَ

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ وَهُوَ عَلَى الْمِنْبَرِ وَهُوَ يَذْكُرُ الصَّدَقَةَ وَالتَّعَفُّفَ عَنِ الْمَسْأَلَةِ الْيَدُ الْعُلْيَا خَيْرٌ مِنَ الْيَدِ السُّفْلَى وَالْيَدُ الْعُلْيَا هِيَ الْمُنْفِقَةُ وَالسُّفْلَى هِيَ السَّائِلَةُ  

ahmad:5344 – ʿAttāb > ʿAbdullāh > Mūsá b. ʿUqbah > Nāfiʿ > Ibn ʿUmar

[Machine] The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "The upper hand is better than the lower hand. The upper hand is the giving hand, and the lower hand is the asking hand."  

أحمد:٥٣٤٤ – حَدَّثَنَا عَتَّابٌ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللهِ أَخْبَرَنَا مُوسَى بْنُ عُقْبَةَ عَنْ نَافِعٍ عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ قَالَ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ الْيَدُ الْعُلْيَا خَيْرٌ مِنَ الْيَدِ السُّفْلَى الْيَدُ الْعُلْيَا الْمُنْفِقَةُ وَالْيَدُ السُّفْلَى السَّائِلَةُ  

ذِكْرُ الْخَبَرِ الْمُصَرِّحِ بِصِحَّةِ مَا تَأَوَّلْنَا الْخَبَرَ الَّذِي تَقَدَّمَ ذِكْرُنَا لَهُ

ibnhibban:3364 – Jaʿfar b. Aḥmad b. Ṣulayḥ al-ʿĀbid Biwāsiṭ > Aḥmad b. al-Miqdām > Fuḍayl b. Sulaymān > Mūsá b. ʿUqbah > Nāfiʿ > Ibn ʿUmar

the Messenger of Allah said, when mentioning charity and those who refrain from asking. "The upper hand is better than the lower hand; the upper hand is that which gives and the lower hand is that which asks." (Using translation from Nasāʾī 2533)   

ابن حبّان:٣٣٦٤ – أَخْبَرَنَا جَعْفَرُ بْنُ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ صُلَيْحٍ الْعَابِدُ بِوَاسِطَ حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ الْمِقْدَامِ حَدَّثَنَا فُضَيْلُ بْنُ سُلَيْمَانَ حَدَّثَنَا مُوسَى بْنُ عُقْبَةَ عَنْ نَافِعٍ عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ «الْيَدُ الْعُلْيَا خَيْرٌ مِنَ الْيَدِ السُّفْلَى وَالْيَدُ الْعُلْيَا الْمُنْفِقَةُ وَالْيَدُ السُّفْلَى السَّائِلَةُ»  

nasai-kubra:2324 – Qutaybah b. Saʿīd > Mālik > Nāfiʿ > ʿAbdullāh b. ʿUmar

The upper hand is better than the lower one, the upper being the one which bestows and the lower one which begs. (Using translation from Muslim 1033)  

الكبرى للنسائي:٢٣٢٤ – أَخْبَرَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ عَنْ مَالِكٍ عَنْ نَافِعٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ عُمَرَ

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ قَالَ وَهُوَ يَذْكُرُ الصَّدَقَةَ وَالتَّعَفُّفَ عَنِ الْمَسْأَلَةِ «الْيَدُ الْعُلْيَا خَيْرٌ مِنَ الْيَدِ السُّفْلَى وَالْيَدُ الْعُلْيَا الْمُنْفِقَةُ وَالسُّفْلَى السَّائِلَةُ»  

bayhaqi:7879 – [Chain 1] Abū ʿAbdullāh al-Ḥāfiẓ > Abū Bakr b. Isḥāq al-Faqīh > Ismāʿīl b. Isḥāq al-Qāḍī > ʿAbdullāh b. Maslamah al-Qaʿnabī > Mālik [Chain 2] Abū Zakariyyā b. Abū Isḥāq al-Muzakkī > Abū ʿAbdullāh Muḥammad b. Yaʿqūb b. Yūsuf > Muḥammad b. Shādhān > Qutaybah b. Saʿīd > Mālik > Nāfiʿ > ʿAbdullāh b. ʿUmar

The upper hand is better than the lower one, the upper being the one which bestows and the lower one which begs. (Using translation from Muslim 1033)   

البيهقي:٧٨٧٩ – أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو عَبْدِ اللهِ الْحَافِظُ أنبأ أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ إِسْحَاقَ الْفَقِيهُ ثنا إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ إِسْحَاقَ الْقَاضِي ثنا عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ مَسْلَمَةَ الْقَعْنَبِيُّ عَنْ مَالِكٍ ح وَأَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو زَكَرِيَّا بْنُ أَبِي إِسْحَاقَ الْمُزَكِّي ثنا أَبُو عَبْدِ اللهِ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَعْقُوبَ بْنِ يُوسُفَ ثنا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ شَاذَانَ ثنا قُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ عَنْ مَالِكٍ عَنْ نَافِعٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ عُمَرَ

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ قَالَ وَهُوَ عَلَى الْمِنْبَرِ وَهُوَ يَذْكُرُ الصَّدَقَةَ وَالتَّعَفُّفَ عَنِ الْمَسْأَلَةِ وَالْيَدُ الْعُلْيَا خَيْرٌ مِنَ الْيَدِ السُّفْلَى وَالْيَدُ الْعُلْيَا الْمُتَعَفِّفَةُ وَالسُّفْلَى السَّائِلَةُ  

رَوَاهُ الْبُخَارِيُّ فِي الصَّحِيحِ عَنِ الْقَعْنَبِيِّ وَرَوَاهُ مُسْلِمٌ عَنْ قُتَيْبَةَ