Hadith 1087
1087 - حَدَّثَنَا الْحُمَيْدِيُّ قَالَ: ثنا سُفْيَانُ، قَالَ: ثنا إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ أَبِي خَالِدٍ، قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ قَيْسًا، يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ، يَقُولُ: صَحِبْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّي اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ثَلَاثَ سِنِينَ لَمْ أَكُنْ فِي شَيْءٍ أَحْرَصَ مِنِّي أَنْ أَحْفَظَ شَيْئًا فِي تِلْكَ السِّنِينَ، سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّي اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، يَقُولُ: «لَأْنَ يَأْخُذَ أَحَدُكُمْ حَبْلَهُ، فَيَحْتَطِبَ بِهِ، ثُمَّ يَجِيءَ بِهِ عَلَي ظَهْرِهِ، فَيَبِيعَهُ فَيَأْكُلَهُ أَوْ يَتَصَدَّقَ بِهِ، خَيْرٌ لَهُ مِنْ أَنْ يَأْتِيَ رَجُلًا قَدْ أَغْنَاهُ اللَّهُ مِنْ فَضْلِهِ فَيْسَأَلَهُ، أَعْطَاهُ أَوْ مَنَعَهُ ذَلِكَ، فَإِنَّ الْيَدَ الْعُلْيَا خَيْرٌ مِنَ الْيَدِ السُّفْلَي»
Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: I served the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) for three years. During these three years, I was not as eager in any matter as I was in my desire to memorize the ahadith. I heard the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) say: "It is better for a person to take his rope, gather firewood, carry it on his back, sell it, and then eat from it or give it in charity, than for him to go to someone whom Allah has enriched by His grace and ask him for something—whether that person gives him something or not. Indeed, the upper hand is better than the lower hand." (That is, the giving hand is better than the receiving hand.)
