The Book of Zakah

"‏ مَا يَزَالُ الرَّجُلُ يَسْأَلُ حَتَّى يَأْتِيَ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ لَيْسَ فِي وَجْهِهِ مُزْعَةٌ مِنْ لَحْمٍ ‏"

"The Messenger of Allah said: ' A man will keep on asking until on the Day of Resurrection he will come without even a shared of skin on his face. "'

"‏ لَوْ تَعْلَمُونَ مَا فِي الْمَسْأَلَةِ مَا مَشَى أَحَدٌ إِلَى أَحَدٍ يَسْأَلُهُ شَيْئًا ‏"

a man came to the prophet and asked him and he gave him, and when he placed his foot on the threshold the Messenger of Allah said: "If you knew how bad begging is, no one would go to anyone else and ask him for anything."

"‏ لاَ وَإِنْ كُنْتَ سَائِلاً لاَ بُدَّ فَاسْأَلِ الصَّالِحِينَ ‏"

"Shall I ask people (for help), O Messenger of Allah?" He said: "No, but if you have no alternative but to ask, then ask the righteous."

"‏ مَا يَكُونُ عِنْدِي مِنْ خَيْرٍ فَلَنْ أَدَّخِرَهُ عَنْكُمْ وَمَنْ يَسْتَعْفِفْ يُعِفَّهُ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ وَمَنْ يَصْبِرْ يُصَبِّرْهُ اللَّهُ وَمَا أُعْطِيَ أَحَدٌ عَطَاءً هُوَ خَيْرٌ وَأَوْسَعُ مِنَ الصَّبْرِ ‏"

some of the Ansar asked the Messenger of Allah (for help) and he gave them (something). Then they asked him and he gave them, then when he had ran out he said: "Whatever I have of good, I will never keep it from you, but whoever wants to refrain from asking, Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, will help him to do so, and whoever wants to be patient, Allah will help him to be patient. None is ever given anything better and more far-reaching than patience."

"‏ وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ لأَنْ يَأْخُذَ أَحَدُكُمْ حَبْلَهُ فَيَحْتَطِبَ عَلَى ظَهْرِهِ خَيْرٌ لَهُ مِنْ أَنْ يَأْتِيَ رَجُلاً أَعْطَاهُ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ مِنْ فَضْلِهِ فَيَسْأَلَهُ أَعْطَاهُ أَوْ مَنَعَهُ ‏"

"By the One in Whose hand is my soul, if one of you were to take a rope and gather firewood on his back that would be better for him than coming to a man to whom Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, has given of His bounty and asking him (for help). Which he may or may not give.

"‏ مَنْ يَضْمَنْ لِي وَاحِدَةً وَلَهُ الْجَنَّةُ ‏"

"The Messenger of Allah said: 'Whoever can promise me one thing. Paradise will be his." (One of the narrators) Yahya said: "Here a statement which means: That he will not ask the people for anything."

"‏ لاَ تَصْلُحُ الْمَسْأَلَةُ إِلاَّ لِثَلاَثَةٍ رَجُلٍ أَصَابَتْ مَالَهُ جَائِحَةٌ فَيَسْأَلُ حَتَّى يُصِيبَ سِدَادًا مِنْ عَيْشٍ ثُمَّ يُمْسِكَ وَرَجُلٍ تَحَمَّلَ حَمَالَةً فَيَسْأَلُ حَتَّى يُؤَدِّيَ إِلَيْهِمْ حَمَالَتَهُمْ ثُمَّ يُمْسِكَ عَنِ الْمَسْأَلَةِ وَرَجُلٍ يَحْلِفُ ثَلاَثَةُ نَفَرٍ مِنْ قَوْمِهِ مِنْ ذَوِي الْحِجَا بِاللَّهِ لَقَدْ حَلَّتِ الْمَسْأَلَةُ لِفُلاَنٍ فَيَسْأَلُ حَتَّى يُصِيبَ قِوَامًا مِنْ مَعِيشَةٍ ثُمَّ يُمْسِكَ عَنِ الْمَسْأَلَةِ فَمَا سِوَى ذَلِكَ سُحْتٌ ‏"

"I heard the Messenger of Allah says: 'It is not right to ask (for help) except in three cases: A man whose wealth has been destroyed by some calamity, so he asks until he gets enough to keep him going, then he refrains from asking: a man who undertakes a financial responsibility, and asks for help until he pays off whatever needs to be paid; and a man concerning whom three wise men from his own people swear by Allah that it is permissible for so-an-so to ask for help, so he asks until he has enough to be independent of means, then he refrains from asking. Apart from that. (asking) is unlawful."'

أَخْبَرَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ سُلَيْمَانَ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ آدَمَ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ الثَّوْرِيُّ، عَنْ حَكِيمِ بْنِ جُبَيْرٍ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ يَزِيدَ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ مَسْعُودٍ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏"‏ مَنْ سَأَلَ وَلَهُ مَا يُغْنِيهِ جَاءَتْ خُمُوشًا أَوْ كُدُوحًا فِي وَجْهِهِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قِيلَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَمَاذَا يُغْنِيهِ أَوْ مَاذَا أَغْنَاهُ قَالَ ‏"‏ خَمْسُونَ دِرْهَمًا أَوْ حِسَابُهَا مِنَ الذَّهَبِ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ يَحْيَى قَالَ سُفْيَانُ وَسَمِعْتُ زُبَيْدًا يُحَدِّثُ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ يَزِيدَ ‏.‏

"The Messenger of Allah said: 'Whoever asks when he has enough to make him independent of means will have lacerations on his face on the Day of Resurrection.' It was said: 'O Messenger of Allah, what would make him independent of means?' He said: 'Fifty Dirhams or its equivalent of gold."'

"‏ لاَ تُلْحِفُوا فِي الْمَسْأَلَةِ وَلاَ يَسْأَلْنِي أَحَدٌ مِنْكُمْ شَيْئًا وَأَنَا لَهُ كَارِهٌ فَيُبَارَكُ لَهُ فِيمَا أَعْطَيْتُهُ ‏"

"Do not be demanding when asking. If one of you asks me for anything and I give it reluctantly, there will be no blessing in it."

"‏ مَنْ سَأَلَ وَلَهُ أَرْبَعُونَ دِرْهَمًا فَهُوَ الْمُلْحِفُ ‏"

"The Messenger of Allah said: 'Whoever asks when he has forty Dirhams I being too demanding when asking."'