Majma al-Zawaid — Hadith 4670

Abu al-Salil narrates: A man came to our gathering in al-Baqi' and stopped by us. He said: My father, or perhaps my paternal uncle, narrated to me that he saw the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in al-Baqi' while he was saying: Whoever gives something in charity, I will bear witness for him because of it on the Day of Resurrection. That man says: I untied my turban; I had undone only one or two of its folds, intending to give it in charity, but then there came into my mind what comes into the minds of the children of Adam, so I tied my turban back on. Then a man came; I had not seen in al-Baqi' a man darker or browner in complexion than him. He came leading his she-camel; I had not seen in al-Baqi' a she-camel more beautiful than it. He said: O Messenger of Allah! Shall I give it in charity? The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Yes. He said: Take this she-camel. Then a man found fault with him and said: This man is giving this she-camel in charity; by Allah, the she-camel is better than he is. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) heard this and said: You have lied; rather, he is better than both you and it. He said this three times. Then he said: Woe to those who own hundreds of camels. He said this three times. The people said: O Messenger of Allah! But whose case is different? The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Except the case of the one who does like this and like this. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) joined both his palms and gestured like this to his right and to his left (that is, he spends in the path of Allah). Then he said: "The one who strives and the one who practises abstinence have succeeded." He said this three times. Abstinence means abstinence in the affairs of worldly living, and striving means exerting oneself in worship.
Ahmad recorded it. Its chain contains a narrator whose name is not mentioned.