The upper hand is better than the lower one, the upper being the one which bestows and the lower one which begs. (Using translation from Muslim 1033)  

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ قَالَ وَهُوَ يَذْكُرُ الصَّدَقَةَ وَالتَّعَفُّفَ عَنِ الْمَسْأَلَةِ «الْيَدُ الْعُلْيَا خَيْرٌ مِنَ الْيَدِ السُّفْلَى وَالْيَدُ الْعُلْيَا الْمُنْفِقَةُ وَالسُّفْلَى السَّائِلَةُ»