حَدَّثَنَا سُوَيْدُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ حَدَّثَنَا يَزِيدُ بْنُ زُرَيْعٍ عَنْ يُونُسَ عَنْ الْحَسَنِ عَنْ مَعْقِلِ بْنِ يَسَارٍ قَالَ بَيْنَمَا هُوَ يَتَغَدَّی إِذْ سَقَطَتْ مِنْهُ لُقْمَةٌ فَتَنَاوَلَهَا فَأَمَاطَ مَا کَانَ فِيهَا مِنْ أَذًی فَأَکَلَهَا فَتَغَامَزَ بِهِ الدَّهَاقِينُ فَقِيلَ أَصْلَحَ اللَّهُ الْأَمِيرَ إِنَّ هَؤُلَائِ الدَّهَاقِينَ يَتَغَامَزُونَ مِنْ أَخْذِکَ اللُّقْمَةَ وَبَيْنَ يَدَيْکَ هَذَا الطَّعَامُ قَالَ إِنِّي لَمْ أَکُنْ لِأَدَعَ مَا سَمِعْتُ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّی اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ لِهَذِهِ الْأَعَاجِمِ إِنَّا کُنَّا نَأْمُرُ أَحَدُنَا إِذَا سَقَطَتْ لُقْمَتُهُ أَنْ يَأْخُذَهَا فَيُمِيطَ مَا کَانَ فِيهَا مِنْ أَذًی وَيَأْکُلَهَا وَلَا يَدَعَهَا لِلشَّيْطَانِ
ابن ماجہ · Hadith 3278
It was narrated from Hasan about Ma'qil bin Yasar: "While (he) was eating lunch, a morsel of food fell on the floor. He picked it up, removed whatever dirt had gotten onto it, and ate it. The villagers and farmers winked at one another (finding it odd) and it was said: 'May Allah help the chief! These villagers and farmers are winking at one another because you picked up a morsel (from the ground) when you have this food in front of you.' He said: 'I am not going to give up something I heard from the Messenger of Allah for these non-Arabs. We were told, if one of us dropped a morsel of food, to pick it up, remove whatever dirt was on it, and eat it, and not to leave it for Satan."
Translated by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan · Reviewed by Islamic University of Madinah · Published March 2020