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.
malik:58-10Mālik > 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:٥٨-١٠وَحَدَّثَنِي 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  


See similar narrations below:

Collected by Bukhārī, Nasāʾī, Ibn Mājah, Aḥmad, Nasāʾī's Kubrá, Bayhaqī, Suyūṭī
bukhari:1470ʿAbdullāh b. Yūsuf > Mālik > Abū al-Zinād > al-Aʿraj > Abū Hurayrah

Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "By Him in Whose Hand my life is, it is better for anyone of you to take a rope and cut the wood (from the forest) and carry it over his back and sell it (as a means of earning his living) rather than to ask a person for something and that person may give him or not."  

البخاري:١٤٧٠حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ يُوسُفَ أَخْبَرَنَا مَالِكٌ 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 فَيَسْأَلَهُ أَعْطَاهُ أَوْ مَنَعَهُ  

bukhari:1471Mūsá > Wuhayb > Hishām from his father > al-Zubayr b. al-ʿAwwām

The Prophet ﷺ said, "It is better for anyone of you to take a rope (and cut) and bring a bundle of wood (from the forest) over his back and sell it and Allah will save his face (from the Hell-Fire) because of that, rather than to ask the people who may give him or not."  

البخاري:١٤٧١حَدَّثَنَا مُوسَى حَدَّثَنَا وُهَيْبٌ حَدَّثَنَا هِشَامٌ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ الزُّبَيْرِ بْنِ الْعَوَّامِ ؓ

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ لأَنْ يَأْخُذَ أَحَدُكُمْ حَبْلَهُ فَيَأْتِيَ بِحُزْمَةِ الْحَطَبِ عَلَى ظَهْرِهِ فَيَبِيعَهَا فَيَكُفَّ اللَّهُ بِهَا وَجْهَهُ خَيْرٌ لَهُ مِنْ أَنْ يَسْأَلَ النَّاسَ أَعْطَوْهُ أَوْ مَنَعُوهُ  

nasai:2589ʿAlī 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.  

النسائي:٢٥٨٩أَخْبَرَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ شُعَيْبٍ قَالَ أَنْبَأَنَا مَعْنٌ قَالَ أَنْبَأَنَا مَالِكٌ 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 ﷻ مِنْ فَضْلِهِ فَيَسْأَلَهُ أَعْطَاهُ أَوْ مَنَعَهُ  

ibnmajah:1836ʿAlī b. Muḥammad And ʿAmrū b. ʿAbdullāh al-Awdī > Wakīʿ > Hishām b. ʿUrwah from his father from his grandfather

his grandfather said: “The Messenger of Allah said: 'If one of you were to take his rope (or ropes) and go to the mountains, and bring a bundle of firewood on his back to sell, and thus become independent of means, that would be better for him than begging from people who may either give him something or not give him anything.'”  

ابن ماجة:١٨٣٦حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَمْرُو بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ الأَوْدِيُّ قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا وَكِيعٌ عَنْ هِشَامِ بْنِ عُرْوَةَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ جَدِّهِ قَالَ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ لأَنْ يَأْخُذَ أَحَدُكُمْ أَحْبُلَهُ فَيَأْتِيَ الْجَبَلَ فَيَجِيءَ بِحُزْمَةِ حَطَبٍ عَلَى ظَهْرِهِ فَيَبِيعَهَا فَيَسْتَغْنِيَ بِثَمَنِهَا خَيْرٌ لَهُ مِنْ أَنْ يَسْأَلَ النَّاسَ أَعْطَوْهُ أَوْ مَنَعُوهُ  

ahmad:1429Wakīʿ And Ibn Numayr > Hishām b. ʿUrwah from his father from his grandfather > Ibn Numayr > al-Zubayr

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “For one of you to take a rope and go to the mountains, then bring a bundle of firewood on his back and sell it, and make himself independent of means thereby, is better for him than to ask of people, whether they give him something or not.”  

أحمد:١٤٢٩حَدَّثَنَا وَكِيعٌ وَابْنُ نُمَيْرٍ قَالا حَدَّثَنَا هِشَامُ بْنُ عُرْوَةَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ جَدِّهِ قَالَ ابْنُ نُمَيْرٍ عَنِ الزُّبَيْرِ قَالَ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ لأنْيَأْخُذَ أَحَدُكُمْ أَحْبُلَهُ فَيَأْتِيَ الْجَبَلَ فَيَجِيءَ بِحُزْمَةٍ مِنْ حَطَبٍ عَلَى ظَهْرِهِ فَيَبِيعَهَا فَيَسْتَغْنِيَ بِثَمَنِهَا خَيْرٌ لَهُ مِنْ أَنْ يَسْأَلَ النَّاسَ أَعْطَوْهُ أَوْ مَنَعُوهُ  

ahmad:7317Sufyān > Abū al-Zinād > al-Aʿraj > Abū Hurayrah

[Machine] "By Allah, it is better for one of you to take a rope and cut wood with it, then carry it on his back and give it in charity or eat from it, than for him to come to a man who has been given abundance by Allah, and ask him for something, and he either gives it to him or withholds it from him. This is because the upper hand is better than the lower hand."  

أحمد:٧٣١٧حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ عَنْ أَبِي الزِّنَادِ عَنِ الْأَعْرَجِ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ وَاللهِ لَأَنْ يَأْخُذَ أَحَدُكُمْ حَبْلًا فَيَحْتَطِبَ فَيَحْمِلَهُ عَلَى ظَهْرِهِ فَيَأْكُلَ أَوْ يَتَصَدَّقَ خَيْرٌ لَهُ مِنْ أَنْ يَأْتِيَ رَجُلًا أَغْنَاهُ اللهُ مِنْ فَضْلِهِ فَيَسْأَلَهُ أَعْطَاهُ أَوْ مَنَعَهُ ذَلِكَ بِأَنَّ الْيَدَ الْعُلْيَا خَيْرٌ مِنَ الْيَدِ السُّفْلَى  

ahmad:7490Yazīd > 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:٧٤٩٠حَدَّثَنَا 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  

nasai-kubra:2381ʿAlī 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:٢٣٨١أَخْبَرَنَا 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»  

bayhaqi:11852Abū al-Ḥasan Muḥammad b. al-Ḥusayn b. Dāwud al-ʿAlawī ؒ Imlāʾ > ʿAbdullāh b. Muḥammad b. al-Ḥasan b. al-Sharqī > ʿAbdullāh b. Hāshim > Wakīʿ b. al-Jarrāḥ > Hishām b. ʿUrwah from his father from his grandfather > Rasūl

[Machine] The Messenger of Allah, ﷺ , said, "It is better for one of you to take his rope and go to the mountain to gather a bundle of firewood on his back and sell it, so he may support himself with its price, than to ask people to give him or refuse him."  

البيهقي:١١٨٥٢أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو الْحَسَنِ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ دَاوُدَ الْعَلَوِيُّ رَحِمَهُ اللهُ إِمْلَاءً أنبأ عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ الشَّرْقِيِّ ثنا عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ هَاشِمٍ ثنا وَكِيعُ بْنُ الْجَرَّاحِ عَنْ هِشَامِ بْنِ عُرْوَةَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ جَدِّهِ قَالَ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ لَأَنْ يَأْخُذَ أَحَدُكُمْ حَبْلَهُ فَيَأْتِيَ الْجَبَلَ فَيَجِيءَ بِحُزْمَةٍ مِنْ حَطَبٍ عَلَى ظَهْرِهِ فَيَبِيعَهَا فَيَسْتَغْنِيَ بِثَمَنِهَا خَيْرٌ لَهُ مِنْ أَنْ يَسْأَلَ النَّاسَ أَعْطَوْهُ أَوْ مَنَعُوهُ  

رَوَاهُ الْبُخَارِيُّ فِي الصَّحِيحِ عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ مُوسَى عَنْ وَكِيعٍ وَفِي حَدِيثِ عَلِيٍّ ؓ وَاعَدْتُ رَجُلًا أَنْ يَرْتَحِلَ مَعِي فَنَأْتِيَ بِإِذْخِرٍ أَبِيعُهُ مِنَ الصَّوَّاغِينَ فَأَسْتَعِينُ بِهِ فِي وَلِيمَةِ عُرْسِي
bayhaqi:7864Abū Muḥammad ʿAbdullāh b. Yūsuf al-Aṣbahānī from Aṣlih > Abū Saʿīd b. al-Aʿrābī > al-Ḥasan b. Muḥammad al-Zaʿfarānī > Wakīʿ b. al-Jarrāḥ > Hishām b. ʿUrwah from his father from his grandfather

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “For one of you to take a rope and go to the mountains, then bring a bundle of firewood on his back and sell it, and make himself independent of means thereby, is better for him than to ask of people, whether they give him something or not.” (Using translation from Aḥmad 1429)   

البيهقي:٧٨٦٤أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو مُحَمَّدٍ عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ يُوسُفَ الْأَصْبَهَانِيُّ مِنْ أَصْلِهِ أنبأ أَبُو سَعِيدِ بْنُ الْأَعْرَابِيِّ ثنا الْحَسَنُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ الزَّعْفَرَانِيُّ ثنا وَكِيعُ بْنُ الْجَرَّاحِ عَنْ هِشَامِ بْنِ عُرْوَةَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ جَدِّهِ قَالَ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ لَأَنْ يَأْخُذَ أَحَدُكُمْ حَبْلًا فَيَأْتِيَ الْجَبَلَ فَيَجِيءُ بِحُزْمَةٍ مِنْ حَطَبٍ عَلَى ظَهْرِهِ فَيَبِيعَهَا فَيَسْتَغْنِيَ بِهَا خَيْرٌ لَهُ مِنْ أَنْ يَسْأَلَ النَّاسَ أَعْطَوْهُ أَوْ مَنَعُوهُ  

رَوَاهُ الْبُخَارِيُّ فِي الصَّحِيحِ عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ مُوسَى عَنْ وَكِيعٍ
suyuti:24136a
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السيوطي:٢٤١٣٦a

"وَالَّذِي نَفْسي بِيَدِهِ لأنْ يَأخُذَ أَحدُكم حَبْلَهُ فَيَحْتَطِب على ظهرهِ خيرٌ له من أن يأتى رجلًا فَيَسألَه أعطاه أو مَنَعه".  

مالك، [خ] البخاري [م] مسلم عن أبي هريرة