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."  

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  

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."  

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  

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."  

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  

[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."  

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  

"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)  

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»  

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