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.
ahmad:17149ʿAbd al-Raḥman b. Mahdī > Muʿāwiyah b. Ṣāliḥ > Saʿīd b. Hāniʾ > al-ʿIrbāḍ b. Sāriyah

[Machine] "I sold a camel to the Prophet ﷺ , and then I went to him to collect the payment. I said, 'O Messenger of Allah, pay me for the camel.' He replied, 'Yes, I will pay you, but only with a young camel.' So, he paid me with a young camel, and I was pleased with his settlement. Then, an Arab came to him and said, 'O Messenger of Allah, pay me for my camel.' The Messenger of Allah ﷺ gave him a fully grown camel that was in excellent condition. The man said, 'O Messenger of Allah, this camel is better than mine.' The Messenger of Allah ﷺ replied, 'Indeed, the best among people are those who fulfill their obligations.'"  

أحمد:١٧١٤٩حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ مَهْدِيٍّ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا مُعَاوِيَةُ بْنُ صَالِحٍ عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ هَانِئٍ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ الْعِرْبَاضَ بْنَ سَارِيَةَ قَالَ

بِعْتُ مِنَ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ بَكْرًا فَأَتَيْتُهُ أَتَقَاضَاهُ فَقُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ اقْضِنِي ثَمَنَ بَكْرِي فَقَالَ أَجَلْ لَا أَقْضِيكَهَا إِلَّا لُجَيْنِيَّةً قَالَ فَقَضَانِي فَأَحْسَنَ قَضَائِي قَالَ وَجَاءَهُ أَعْرَابِيٌّ فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ اقْضِنِي بَكْرِي فَأَعْطَاهُ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ يَوْمَئِذٍ جَمَلًا قَدْ أَسَنَّ فَقَالَ يَارَسُولَ اللهِ هَذَا خَيْرٌ مِنْ بَكْرِي قَالَ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ إِنَّ خَيْرَ الْقَوْمِ خَيْرُهُمْ قَضَاءً  


See similar narrations below:

Collected by Nasāʾī, Ḥākim, Ṭabarānī, Nasāʾī's Kubrá, Bayhaqī
nasai:4619Isḥāq b. Ibrāhīm > ʿAbd al-Raḥman b. Mahdī > Muʿāwiyah b. Ṣāliḥ > Saʿīd b. Hāniʾ > ʿIrbāḍ b. Sāriyah

"I lent a young camel to the Messenger of Allah, and I came to ask him to repay me. He said: 'Yes, I will only repay you with a superior she-camel.' so he repaid me and repaid me well. Then a Bedouin came to him to ask to repay him a camel of a certain age, and the Messenger of Allah said: 'Give him a camel of certain age.' On that day they gave him a mature camel and he said: 'This is better than my camel.' He (The Prophet) Said:' The best of you is the one who is best in repaying.'''  

النسائي:٤٦١٩أَخْبَرَنَا إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ قَالَ أَنْبَأَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ مَهْدِيٍّ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا مُعَاوِيَةُ بْنُ صَالِحٍ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ سَعِيدَ بْنَ هَانِئٍ يَقُولُ

سَمِعْتُ عِرْبَاضَ بْنَ سَارِيَةَ يَقُولُ بِعْتُ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ بَكْرًا فَأَتَيْتُهُ أَتَقَاضَاهُ فَقَالَ أَجَلْ لاَ أَقْضِيكَهَا إِلاَّ نَجِيبَةً فَقَضَانِي فَأَحْسَنَ قَضَائِي وَجَاءَهُ أَعْرَابِيٌّ يَتَقَاضَاهُ سِنَّهُ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَعْطُوهُ سِنًّا فَأَعْطَوْهُ يَوْمَئِذٍ جَمَلاً فَقَالَ هَذَا خَيْرٌ مِنْ سِنِّي فَقَالَ خَيْرُكُمْ خَيْرُكُمْ قَضَاءً  

hakim:2229Abū al-ʿAbbās Muḥammad b. Yaʿqūb > Muḥammad b. ʿAbdullāh b. ʿAbd al-Ḥakam > ʿAbdullāh b. Wahb > Muʿāwiyah b. Ṣāliḥ > Saʿīd b. Hāniʾ > al-ʿIrbāḍ b. Sāriyah al-Sulamī > Biʿt

[Machine] I sold a camel to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ once. I went to collect the payment, and I said, "O Messenger of Allah, please pay the price for my camel." He replied, "I will not pay you until I receive the camel." So, he then received the camel from me. He admired my camel and said, "This is better than the one I had." Later, an Arab man came and asked the Messenger of Allah, "Please pay me for my camel." The Messenger of Allah paid him without any delay. I said, "O Messenger of Allah, my camel was better than his." He replied, "It is for you, as the best among people in terms of character is the best in their transactions."  

الحاكم:٢٢٢٩حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو الْعَبَّاسِ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَعْقُوبَ أَنْبَأَ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْحَكَمِ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ وَهْبٍ أَخْبَرَنِي مُعَاوِيَةُ بْنُ صَالِحٍ عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ هَانِئٍ عَنِ الْعِرْبَاضِ بْنِ سَارِيَةَ السُّلَمِيِّ قَالَ

بِعْتُ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ بَكْرًا فَجِئْتُ أَتَقَاضَاهُ فَقُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ اقْضِ ثَمَنَ بَكْرِي قَالَ نَعَمْ لَا أَقْضِيكَهُ إِلَّا لِحِينِهِ ثُمَّ قَضَانِي فَأَحْسَنَ قَضَائِي ثُمَّ جَاءَهُ أَعْرَابِيٌّ فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ اقْضِ بَكْرِي فَقَضَاهُ بِغَيْرِ أَمَدٍ فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ هَذَا أَفْضَلُ مِنْ بَكْرِي فَقَالَ «هُوَ لَكَ إِنَّ خَيْرَ الْقَوْمِ خَيْرُهُمْ قَضَاءً»  

هَذَا حَدِيثٌ صَحِيحُ الْإِسْنَادِ وَلَمْ يُخَرِّجَاهُ بِهَذِهِ السِّيَاقَةِ صحيح
tabarani:15787[Chain 1] Abū Yazīd al-Qarāṭīsī > Asad b. Mūsá [Chain 2] Bakr b. Sahl > ʿAbdullāh b. Ṣāliḥ > Muʿāwiyah b. Ṣāliḥ > Saʿīd b. Hānī > ʿIrbāḍ b. Sāriyah al-Sulamī

[Machine] "I sent the Messenger of Allah ﷺ a young camel, and I came to collect its compensation. I said, 'Compensate me from my camel.' He said, 'Certainly, I will compensate you.' So he compensated me and fulfilled my request perfectly. Then, an Arab man came and said, 'Compensate me.' So the Messenger of Allah ﷺ compensated him with an old, well-fed camel. The man said, 'This is better than my camel, O Messenger of Allah.' The Prophet ﷺ said, 'The best of people are those with the best compensation.'"  

الطبراني:١٥٧٨٧حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو يَزِيدَ الْقَرَاطِيسِيُّ ثنا أَسَدُ بْنُ مُوسَى ح وَحَدَّثَنَا بَكْرُ بْنُ سَهْلٍ ثنا عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ صَالِحٍ قَالَا ثنا مُعَاوِيَةُ بْنُ صَالِحٍ عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ هَانِي أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ عِرْبَاضَ بْنَ سَارِيَةَ السُّلَمِيَّ قَالَ

بِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ بِكْرًا فَجِئْتُ أَتَقَاضَاهُ فَقُلْتُ اقْضِنِي مِنْ بِكْرِي فَقَالَ «أَجَلْ لَأَقْضِيَنَّكَ» فَقَضَانِي فَأَحْسَنَ قَضَائِي ثُمَّ جَاءَ أَعْرَابِيٌّ فَقَالَ اقْضِنِي فَقَضَاهُ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ بَعِيرًا مُسِنًّا قَدْ أَسَنَّ فَقَالَ هَذَا خَيْرٌ مِنْ بَكْرِي يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ «خَيْرُ الْقَوْمِ خَيْرُهُمْ قَضَاءً»  

nasai-kubra:6169Isḥāq b. Ibrāhīm > ʿAbd al-Raḥman b. Mahdī > Muʿāwiyah b. Ṣāliḥ > Saʿīd b. Hāniʾ > ʿIrbāḍ b. Sāriyah

"I lent a young camel to the Messenger of Allah, and I came to ask him to repay me. He said: 'Yes, I will only repay you with a superior she-camel.' so he repaid me and repaid me well. Then a Bedouin came to him to ask to repay him a camel of a certain age, and the Messenger of Allah said: 'Give him a camel of certain age.' On that day they gave him a mature camel and he said: 'This is better than my camel.' He (The Prophet) Said:' The best of you is the one who is best in repaying.''' (Using translation from Nasāʾī 4619)  

الكبرى للنسائي:٦١٦٩أَخْبَرَنَا إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ قَالَ أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ مَهْدِيٍّ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا مُعَاوِيَةُ بْنُ صَالِحٍ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ سَعِيدَ بْنَ هَانِئٍ يَقُولُ

سَمِعْتُ عِرْبَاضَ بْنَ سَارِيَةَ يَقُولُ بِعْتُ مِنَ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ بَكْرًا فَأَتَيْتُهُ أَتَقَاضَاهُ فَقَالَ «أَجَلْ لَا أَقْضِينَّكَهَا إِلَّا لُجَيْنِيَّةً» فَقَضَانِي فَأَحْسَنَ قَضَائِي وَجَاءَهُ أَعْرَابِيٌّ يَتَقَاضَاهُ سِنَّهُ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ «أَعْطُوهُ سِنًّا» فَأَعْطُوهُ يَوْمَئِذٍ جَمَلًا فَقَالَ هَذَا خَيْرٌ مِنْ سِنِّي فَقَالَ «خَيْرُكُمْ خَيْرُكُمْ قَضَاءً»  

bayhaqi:10941Abū ʿAbdullāh al-Ḥāfiẓ > Abū al-ʿAbbās Muḥammad b. Yaʿqūb > Muḥammad b. ʿAbdullāh b. ʿAbd al-Ḥakam > ʿAbdullāh b. Wahb > Muʿāwiyah b. Ṣāliḥ > Saʿīd b. Hāniʾ > al-ʿIrbāḍ b. Sāriyah al-Sulamī

[Machine] I sent a camel as a gift to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ , then I came to collect its payment. I said, "O Messenger of Allah, give me the price for my camel." He said, "Yes, I will only pay you what I have available." Then he paid me and he paid me in the best way possible. Then an Arab came and said, "O Messenger of Allah, give me my camel." So he paid him with an old, weak camel. The Arab said, "O Messenger of Allah, this is better than my camel." He said, "It is yours, for indeed the best of people are those who are the best in fulfilling their obligations."  

البيهقي:١٠٩٤١أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو عَبْدِ اللهِ الْحَافِظُ ثنا أَبُو الْعَبَّاسِ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَعْقُوبَ أنا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْحَكَمِ أنا عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ وَهْبٍ أَخْبَرَنِي مُعَاوِيَةُ بْنُ صَالِحٍ عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ هَانِئٍ عَنِ الْعِرْبَاضِ بْنِ سَارِيَةَ السُّلَمِيِّ قَالَ

بِعْتُ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ بَكْرًا فَجِئْتُ أَتَقَاضَاهُ فَقُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ اقْضِنِي ثَمَنَ بَكْرِي قَالَ نَعَمْ لَا أَقْضِيكَهَا إِلَّا بُخْتِيَّةً ثُمَّ قَضَانِي فَأَحْسَنَ قَضَائِي ثُمَّ جَاءَ أَعْرَابِيٌّ فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ اقْضِنِي بَكْرِي فَقَضَاهُ بَعِيرًا مُسِنًّا فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ هَذَا أَفْضَلُ مِنْ بَكْرِي فَقَالَ هُوَ لَكَ إِنَّ خَيْرَ الْقَوْمِ خَيْرُهُمْ قَضَاءً