Arabic (Original)
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَزِيدَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو سَلَمَةَ صَاحِبُ الطَّعَامِ قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي جَابِرُ بْنُ يَزِيدَ وَلَيْسَ بِجَابِرٍ الْجُعْفِيِّ عَنِ الرَّبِيعِ بْنِ أَنَسٍ عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ قَالَ بَعَثَنِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِلَى حَلِيقٍ النَّصْرَانِيِّ لِيَبْعَثَ إِلَيْهِ بِأَثْوَابٍ إِلَى الْمَيْسَرَةِ فَأَتَيْتُهُ فَقُلْتُ بَعَثَنِي إِلَيْكَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ لِتَبْعَثَ إِلَيْهِ بِأَثْوَابٍ إِلَى الْمَيْسَرَةِ فَقَالَ وَمَا الْمَيْسَرَةُ وَمَتَى الْمَيْسَرَةُ وَاللَّهِ مَا لِمُحَمَّدٍ سَائِقَةٌ وَلَا رَاعِيَةٌ فَرَجَعْتُ فَأَتَيْتُ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَلَمَّا رَآنِي قَالَ كَذَبَ عَدُوُّ اللَّهِ أَنَا خَيْرُ مَنْ يُبَايَعُ لَأَنْ يَلْبَسَ أَحَدُكُمْ ثَوْبًا مِنْ رِقَاعٍ شَتَّى خَيْرٌ لَهُ مِنْ أَنْ يَأْخُذَ بِأَمَانَتِهِ أَوْ فِي أَمَانَتِهِ مَا لَيْسَ عِنْدَهُ قَالَ أَبُو عَبْد الرَّحْمَنِ وَجَدْتُ هَذَا الْحَدِيثَ فِي كِتَابِ أَبِي بِخَطِّ يَدِهِ.
English Translation
Muhammad ibn Yazid narrated to us, Abu Salamah, the food-keeper, narrated to us, who said: Jabir ibn Yazid informed me—and he is not Jabir al-Ju'fi—from al-Rabi' ibn Anas, from Anas ibn Malik, who said: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, sent me to Haliq the Christian, so that he would send him garments on credit until he had the means. I came to him and said, "The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, has sent me to you so that you send him garments on credit until he has the means." He said, "What is 'means'? And when will 'means' come? By Allah, Muhammad has neither a driving herd nor a grazing herd." So I returned and came to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and when he saw me he said, "The enemy of Allah has lied. I am the best of those with whom one may deal—for one of you to wear a garment made of assorted patches is better for him than that he should take, in his trust, what he does not have." Abu 'Abd al-Rahman said: I found this hadith in my father's book in his own handwriting.