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
ahmad:7490 – Yazīd > Muḥammad b. Isḥāq > Saʿīd b. Yasār a freed slave of al-Ḥasan b. ʿAlī > Abū Hurayrah

[Machine] The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "By the One in whose hand is my soul, it is better for one of you to take a rope, go to the mountain, cut firewood, carry it on his back, and then sell it, rather than asking people for help. And it is better for one of you to take a handful of dirt and put it in a vessel, rather than putting in it something that Allah has forbidden."  

أحمد:٧٤٩٠ – حَدَّثَنَا يَزِيدُ أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِسْحَاقَ عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ يَسَارٍ مَوْلَى الْحَسَنِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ لَأَنْ يَأْخُذَ أَحَدُكُمْ حَبْلَهُ فَيَذْهَبَ إِلَى الْجَبَلِ فَيَحْتَطِبَ ثُمَّ يَأْتِيَ بِهِ يَحْمِلُهُ عَلَى ظَهْرِهِ فَيَبِيعَهُ فَيَأْكُلَ خَيْرٌ لَهُ مِنْ أَنْ يَسْأَلَ النَّاسَ وَلَأَنْ يَأْخُذَ تُرَابًا فَيَجْعَلَهُ فِي فِيهِ خَيْرٌ لَهُ مِنْ أَنْ يَجْعَلَ فِي فِيهِ مَا حَرَّمَ اللهُ عَلَيْهِ  

See similar narrations below:

Collected by Mālik, Nasāʾī's Kubrá, Suyūṭī
malik:58-10 – Mālik > Abū al-Zinād > al-Aʿraj > Abū Hurayrah

Yahya related to me from Malik from Abu'z-Zinad from al-Araj from Abu Hurayra that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "By Him in whose hand myself is! To take your rope and gather firewood on your back is better for you than that you come to a man to whom Allah has given some of His favour and ask him, so he gives to you or refuses."  

مالك:٥٨-١٠ – وَحَدَّثَنِي عَنْ مَالِكٍ عَنْ أَبِي الزِّنَادِ عَنِ الأَعْرَجِ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ لأَنْ يَأْخُذَ أَحَدُكُمْ حَبْلَهُ فَيَحْتَطِبَ عَلَى ظَهْرِهِ خَيْرٌ لَهُ مِنْ أَنْ يَأْتِيَ رَجُلاً أَعْطَاهُ اللَّهُ مِنْ فَضْلِهِ فَيَسْأَلَهُ أَعْطَاهُ أَوْ مَنَعَهُ  

nasai-kubra:2381 – ʿAlī b. Shuʿayb > Maʿn > Mālik > Abū al-Zinād > al-Aʿraj > Abū Hurayrah

"By the One in Whose hand is my soul, if one of you were to take a rope and gather firewood on his back that would be better for him than coming to a man to whom Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, has given of His bounty and asking him (for help). Which he may or may not give. (Using translation from Nasāʾī 2589)  

الكبرى للنسائي:٢٣٨١ – أَخْبَرَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ شُعَيْبٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا مَعْنٌ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا مَالِكٌ عَنْ أَبِي الزِّنَادِ عَنِ الْأَعْرَجِ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ قَالَ «وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ لَأَنْ يَأْخُذَ أَحَدُكُمْ حَبْلَهُ فَيَحْتَطِبَ عَلَى ظَهْرِهِ خَيْرٌ لَهُ مِنْ أَنْ يَأْتِيَ رَجُلًا أَعْطَاهُ اللهُ مِنْ فَضْلِهِ فَيَسْأَلَهُ أَعْطَاهُ أَوْ مَنَعَهُ»  

suyuti:24165a –
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السيوطي:٢٤١٦٥a –

"وَالَّذِي نَفْسي بِيَدهِ لأنْ يَأخُذَ أَحَدُكُم تُرابًا فَيَجعلَه في فِيه خَيرٌ لَه من أن يَجْعلَ في فيهِ ما حَرَّم الله عَلَيه".  

[ك] الحاكم في المستدرك في تاريخه عن أبي هريرة