أَخْبَرَنَا کَثِيرُ بْنُ عُبَيْدٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ حَرْبٍ عَنْ الزُّبَيْدِيِّ عَنْ الزُّهْرِيِّ عَنْ السَّائِبِ بْنِ يَزِيدَ أَنَّ حُوَيْطِبَ بْنَ عَبْدِ الْعُزَّی أَخْبَرَهُ أَنَّ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ السَّعْدِيِّ أَخْبَرَهُ أَنَّهُ قَدِمَ عَلَی عُمَرَ بْنِ الْخَطَّابِ فِي خِلَافَتِهِ فَقَالَ لَهُ عُمَرُ أَلَمْ أُحَدَّثْ أَنَّکَ تَلِي مِنْ أَعْمَالِ النَّاسِ أَعْمَالًا فَإِذَا أُعْطِيتَ الْعُمَالَةَ رَدَدْتَهَا فَقُلْتُ بَلَی فَقَالَ عُمَرُ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ فَمَا تُرِيدُ إِلَی ذَلِکَ فَقُلْتُ لِي أَفْرَاسٌ وَأَعْبُدٌ وَأَنَا بِخَيْرٍ وَأُرِيدُ أَنْ يَکُونَ عَمَلِي صَدَقَةً عَلَی الْمُسْلِمِينَ فَقَالَ لَهُ عُمَرُ فَلَا تَفْعَلْ فَإِنِّي کُنْتُ أَرَدْتُ مِثْلَ الَّذِي أَرَدْتَ کَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّی اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يُعْطِينِي الْعَطَائَ فَأَقُولُ أَعْطِهِ أَفْقَرَ إِلَيْهِ مِنِّي فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّی اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ خُذْهُ فَتَمَوَّلْهُ أَوْ تَصَدَّقْ بِهِ مَا جَائَکَ مِنْ هَذَا الْمَالِ وَأَنْتَ غَيْرُ مُشْرِفٍ وَلَا سَائِلٍ فَخُذْهُ وَمَا لَا فَلَا تُتْبِعْهُ نَفْسَکَ
سنن نسائی · Hadith 2612
‘Abdullah bin As-Saadi narrated that he came to ‘Umar bin Al-Khattab during his Caliphate and ‘Umar said to him: “I heard that you do some jobs for the people but when payment is given to you, you refuse it.” I said: “(that is so).” ‘Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, said: “Why do you do that?” I said: “I have horses and slaves and am well off, and I wanted my work to be an act of charity toward the Muslims.” ‘Umar said to him: “Do not do that. I used to want the same thing as you. The Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم used to give me payment and I would say, ‘Give it to someone who is more in need of it than I am.’ But the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم said: ‘Take it and keep it or give it in charity. Whatever comes to you of this wealth when you are not hoping for it and not asking for it, take it, and whatever does not, then do not wish for it.” (Sahih)
Translated by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan · Reviewed by Islamic University of Madinah · Published March 2020