[Machine] I went to the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him. When he saw me, I heard him say, "This is the master of the virtuous people." When I reached him, I started talking to him and asked, "O Messenger of Allah, what kind of wealth is there that does not burden me with obligations from guests and a large family?" He said, "The best wealth is forty or more and woe to those who have a hundred, except those who give from their wealth for their messengers, struggle for it, support its poor, and feed the content and the hungry." I said, "O Prophet of Allah, what noble and excellent manners! O Prophet of Allah, may it not come upon the valley where I have a lot of camels." He asked, "What do you propose to do?" I said, "We will count the camels and count the people, and whoever wants can take one of the camels and go." He asked, "What will you do with those who have poor or weak camels?" I said, "I do not consider the young or the old male camels as poor or weak." He said, "Then what do you prefer, your own wealth or the wealth of your followers?" I said, "My own wealth is dearer to me than the wealth of my followers." He said, "If you have used your own wealth, spent it, or worn it, then you have done well. Otherwise, it is for your followers." I said, "By Allah, if I had stayed, I would have spent it all." Al-Hasan said, "And he did it, by Allah." When Qais was close to death, he advised his children, saying, "Beware of asking, as it is the last thing a person earns. If someone does not ask, he will leave his earnings."
قَدِمْتُ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَلَمَّا رَآنِي سَمِعْتُهُ يَقُولُ «هَذَا سَيِّدُ أَهْلِ الْوَبَرِ» فَلَمَّا نَزَلْتُ أَتَيْتُهُ فَجَعَلْتُ أُحَدِّثُهُ فَقُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ مَا الْمَالُ الَّذِي لَا يَكُونُ عَلَيَّ فِيهِ تَبِعَةٌ مِنْ ضَيْفٍ ضَافَنِي وَعِيَالٍ كَثُرُوا؟ فَقَالَ «نِعْمَ الْمَالُ الْأَرْبَعُونَ وَالْأَكْثَرُ السِّتُّونَ وَوَيْلٌ لِأَصْحَابِ الْمِئِينَ إِلَّا مَنْ أَعْطَى فِي رِسْلِهَا وَبِجِدَّتِهَا وَأَفْقَرَ ظَهْرَهَا وَأَطْعَمَ الْقَانِعَ وَالْمُعْتَرَّ» قُلْتُ يَا نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ مَا أَكْرَمَ هَذِهِ الْأَخْلَاقَ وَأَحْسَنَهَا يَا نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ لَا تَحِلَّ بِالْوَادِي الَّذِي أَنَا فِيهِ بِكَثْرَةِ إِبِلِي قَالَ فَكَيْفَ تَصْنَعُ؟ قُلْتُ تَعُدُّوا الْإِبِلَ وَتَعُدُّوا النَّاسَ فَمَنْ شَاءَ أَخَذَ بِرَأْسِ بَعِيرٍ وَذَهَبَ بِهِ فَقَالَ «فَمَا تَصْنَعُ بِأَفْقَارِ ظَهْرِهَا؟» قُلْتُ إِنِّي لَا أَفْقَرُ الصَّغِيرَ وَلَا النَّابَ الْمُدَبَّرَ قَالَ «فَمَالُكَ أَحَبُّ إِلَيْكَ أَمْ مَالُ مَوَالِيكَ» قُلْتُ مَالِي أَحَبُّ إِلَيَّ مِنْ مَالِ مَوَالِي قَالَ «فَإِنَّ لَكَ مِنْ مَالِكَ مَا أَكَلْتَ فَأَفْنَيْتَ أَوْ لَبِسْتَ فَأَبْلَيْتَ أَوْ أَعْطَيْتَ فَأَمْضَيْتَ وَإِلَّا فَلِمَوَالِيكَ» فَقُلْتُ وَاللَّهِ لَوْ بَقِيتُ لَأَفْنِيَنَّ عَدَدَهَا قَالَ الْحَسَنُ فَفَعَلَ وَاللَّهِ فَلَمَّا حَضَرَتْ قَيْسُ الْوَفَاةَ أَوْصَى بَنِيهِ قَالَ إِيَّاكُمْ وَالْمَسْأَلَةَ فَإِنَّهَا آخِرُ كَسْبِ الْمَرْءِ إِنَّ أَحَدًا لَمْ يَسْأَلْ إِلَّا تَرَكَ كَسْبَهُ