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:6402Ḥammād b. Masʿadah > Ibn ʿAjlān And Ṣafwān > Ibn ʿAjlān al-Maʿná > al-Qaʿqāʿ b. Ḥakīm > ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz b. Marwān Katab > ʿAbdullāh b. ʿUmar > Ārfaʿ Ilay Ḥājatak > Fakatab Ilayh ʿAbdullāh Innī

[Machine] I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say, "Begin with those whom you provide for, and the upper hand is better than the lower hand. Indeed, I consider the upper hand to be the giving hand and the lower hand to be the begging hand. And I am not asking anything from you, nor am I requesting any provision from you. Rather, it is Allah who provides sustenance for me and you."  

أحمد:٦٤٠٢حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادُ بْنُ مَسْعَدَةَ عَنِ ابْنِ عَجْلَانَ وَصَفْوَانُ قَالَ أَخْبَرَنَا ابْنُ عَجْلَانَ الْمَعْنَى عَنِ الْقَعْقَاعِ بْنِ حَكِيمٍ أَنَّ عَبْدَ الْعَزِيزِ بْنَ مَرْوَانَ كَتَبَ إِلَى عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ عُمَرَ أَنِ ارْفَعْ إِلَيَّ حَاجَتَكَ قَالَ فَكَتَبَ إِلَيْهِ عَبْدُ اللهِ إِنِّي

سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ ابْدَأْ بِمَنْ تَعُولُ وَالْيَدُ الْعُلْيَا خَيْرٌ مِنَ الْيَدِ السُّفْلَى وَإِنِّي لَأَحْسِبُ الْيَدَ الْعُلْيَا الْمُعْطِيَةَ وَالسُّفْلَى السَّائِلَةَ وَإِنِّي غَيْرُ سَائِلِكَ شَيْئًا وَلَا رَادٍّ رِزْقًا سَاقَهُ اللهُ إِلَيَّ مِنْكَ  


See similar narrations below:

Collected by Aḥmad
ahmad:4474Isḥāq b. Yūsuf > Sufyān > Ibn ʿAjlān > al-Qaʿqāʿ b. Ḥakīm > Katab ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz b. Marwān > Ibn ʿUmar > Ārfaʿ Ilay Ḥājatak > Fakatab Ilayh Ibn ʿUmar

[Machine] "The Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم used to say, 'Indeed, the upper hand is better than the lower hand, and begin with those whom you provide for. I do not ask you for anything, and I do not refuse any provision that Allah bestows upon me from you.'"  

أحمد:٤٤٧٤حَدَّثَنَا إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ يُوسُفَ عَنْ سُفْيَانَ عَنْ ابْنِ عَجْلَانَ عَنِ الْقَعْقَاعِ بْنِ حَكِيمٍ قَالَ كَتَبَ عَبْدُ الْعَزِيزِ بْنُ مَرْوَانَ إِلَى ابْنِ عُمَرَ أَنِ ارْفَعْ إِلَيَّ حَاجَتَكَ قَالَ فَكَتَبَ إِلَيْهِ ابْنُ عُمَرَ

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ كَانَ يَقُولُ إِنَّ الْيَدَ الْعُلْيَا خَيْرٌ مِنَ الْيَدِ السُّفْلَى وَابْدَأْ بِمَنْ تَعُولُ وَلَسْتُ أَسْأَلُكَ شَيْئًا وَلَا أَرُدُّ رِزْقًا رَزَقَنِيهِ اللهُ مِنْكَ