أَخْبَرَنَا سَعِيدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ أَبُو عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ الْمَخْزُومِيُّ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ عَنْ الزُّهْرِيِّ عَنْ السَّائِبِ بْنِ يَزِيدَ عَنْ حُوَيْطِبِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْعُزَّی قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ السَّعْدِيِّ أَنَّهُ قَدِمَ عَلَی عُمَرَ بْنِ الْخَطَّابِ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ مِنْ الشَّامِ فَقَالَ أَلَمْ أُخْبَرْ أَنَّکَ تَعْمَلُ عَلَی عَمَلٍ مِنْ أَعْمَالِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ فَتُعْطَی عَلَيْهِ عُمَالَةً فَلَا تَقْبَلُهَا قَالَ أَجَلْ إِنَّ لِي أَفْرَاسًا وَأَعْبُدًا وَأَنَا بِخَيْرٍ وَأُرِيدُ أَنْ يَکُونَ عَمَلِي صَدَقَةً عَلَی الْمُسْلِمِينَ فَقَالَ عُمَرُ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ إِنِّي أَرَدْتُ الَّذِي أَرَدْتَ وَکَانَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّی اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يُعْطِينِي الْمَالَ فَأَقُولُ أَعْطِهِ مَنْ هُوَ أَفْقَرُ إِلَيْهِ مِنِّي وَإِنَّهُ أَعْطَانِي مَرَّةً مَالًا فَقُلْتُ لَهُ أَعْطِهِ مَنْ هُوَ أَحْوَجُ إِلَيْهِ مِنِّي فَقَالَ مَا آتَاکَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ مِنْ هَذَا الْمَالِ مِنْ غَيْرِ مَسْأَلَةٍ وَلَا إِشْرَافٍ فَخُذْهُ فَتَمَوَّلْهُ أَوْ تَصَدَّقْ بِهِ وَمَا لَا فَلَا تُتْبِعْهُ نَفْسَکَ
سنن نسائی · Hadith 2611
‘Abdullah bin As-Saadi narrated that he came to ‘Umar bin Al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, from Ash-Sham, and he said: “I heard that you have been doing some work for the Muslims, and you are given payment for that, but you do not accept it.” I said: “Yes (that is so); I have horses and slaves and am well off, and I wanted my work to be an act of charity toward the Muslims.” ‘Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, said: “I wanted the same thing as you. The Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم used to give me money, and I would say: ‘Give it to someone who is more in need of it than I am.’ Once he gave me money and I said: ‘Give it to someone who us more in need of it than I am,’ and he said: ‘Whatever Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, gives you of this wealth without you asking for it or hoping for it, take it and keep it, or give it in charity, and whatever He does not give you then do not hope for it or wish for It.” (Sahih)
Translated by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan · Reviewed by Islamic University of Madinah · Published March 2020