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."  

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  

The Prophet ﷺ said, "The upper hand is better than the lower hand (i.e. he who gives in charity is better than him who takes it). One should start giving first to his dependents. And the best object of charity is that which is given by a wealthy person (from the money which is left after his expenses). And whoever abstains from asking others for some financial help, Allah will give him and save him from asking others, Allah will make him self-sufficient."  

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ الْيَدُ الْعُلْيَا خَيْرٌ مِنَ الْيَدِ السُّفْلَى وَابْدَأْ بِمَنْ تَعُولُ وَخَيْرُ الصَّدَقَةِ عَنْ ظَهْرِ غِنًى وَمَنْ يَسْتَعْفِفْ يُعِفَّهُ اللَّهُ وَمَنْ يَسْتَغْنِ يُغْنِهِ اللَّهُ وَعَنْ وُهَيْبٍ قَالَ أَخْبَرَنَا هِشَامٌ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ؓ بِهَذَا  

Hakim bin Hizam said, "(Once) I asked Messenger of Allah ﷺ (for something) and he gave it to me. Again I asked and he gave (it to me). Again I asked and he gave (it to me). And then he said, "O Hakim! This property is like a sweet fresh fruit; whoever takes it without greediness, he is blessed in it, and whoever takes it with greediness, he is not blessed in it, and he is like a person who eats but is never satisfied; and the upper (giving) hand is better than the lower (receiving) hand." Hakim added, "I said to Messenger of Allah ﷺ , 'By Him (Allah) Who sent you with the Truth, I shall never accept anything from anybody after you, till I leave this world.' " Then Abu Bakr (during his caliphate) called Hakim to give him his share from the war booty (like the other companions of the Prophet ﷺ ), he refused to accept anything. Then ʿUmar (during his caliphate) called him to give him his share but he refused. On that ʿUmar said, "O Muslims! I would like you to witness that I offered Hakim his share from this booty and he refused to take it." So Hakim never took anything from anybody after the Prophet ﷺ till he died.  

سَأَلْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَأَعْطَانِي ثُمَّ سَأَلْتُهُ فَأَعْطَانِي ثُمَّ سَأَلْتُهُ فَأَعْطَانِي ثُمَّ قَالَ يَا حَكِيمُ إِنَّ هَذَا الْمَالَ خَضِرَةٌ حُلْوَةٌ فَمَنْ أَخَذَهُ بِسَخَاوَةِ نَفْسٍ بُورِكَ لَهُ فِيهِ وَمَنْ أَخَذَهُ بِإِشْرَافِ نَفْسٍ لَمْ يُبَارَكْ لَهُ فِيهِ كَالَّذِي يَأْكُلُ وَلاَ يَشْبَعُ الْيَدُ الْعُلْيَا خَيْرٌ مِنَ الْيَدِ السُّفْلَى قَالَ حَكِيمٌ فَقُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَالَّذِي بَعَثَكَ بِالْحَقِّ لاَ أَرْزَأُ أَحَدًا بَعْدَكَ شَيْئًا حَتَّى أُفَارِقَ الدُّنْيَا فَكَانَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ ؓ يَدْعُو حَكِيمًا إِلَى الْعَطَاءِ فَيَأْبَى أَنْ يَقْبَلَهُ مِنْهُ ثُمَّ إِنَّ عُمَرَ ؓ دَعَاهُ لِيُعْطِيَهُ فَأَبَى أَنْ يَقْبَلَ مِنْهُ شَيْئًا فَقَالَ عُمَرُ إِنِّي أُشْهِدُكُمْ يَا مَعْشَرَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ عَلَى حَكِيمٍ أَنِّي أَعْرِضُ عَلَيْهِ حَقَّهُ مِنْ هَذَا الْفَىْءِ فَيَأْبَى أَنْ يَأْخُذَهُ فَلَمْ يَرْزَأْ حَكِيمٌ أَحَدًا مِنَ النَّاسِ بَعْدَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ حَتَّى تُوُفِّيَ  

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."  

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  

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."  

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