Arabic (Original)
حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ قَالَ أَبُو عَبْد الرَّحْمَنِ وَكَتَبَ بِهِ إِلَىَّ قُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ كَتَبْتُ إِلَيْكَ بِخَطِّي وَخَتَمْتُ الْكِتَابَ بِخَاتَمِي وَنَقْشُهُ اللَّهُ وَلِيُّ سَعِيدٍ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ وَهُوَ خَاتَمُ أَبِي حَدَّثَنَا لَيْثُ بْنُ سَعْدٍ عَنْ جَعْفَرِ بْنِ رَبِيعَةَ عَنْ بَكْرِ بْنِ سَوَادَةَ عَنْ مُسْلِمِ بْنِ مَخْشِيٍّ عَنِ ابْنِ الْفِرَاسِيِّ أَنَّ الْفِرَاسِيَّ قَالَ لِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَسْأَلُ قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ لَا وَإِنْ كُنْتَ سَائِلًا لَا بُدَّ فَاسْأَلْ الصَّالِحِينَ.
English Translation
Qutaybah ibn Sa'id told us - Abu Abd al-Rahman said: Qutaybah ibn Sa'id wrote to me, saying: I have written to you in my own hand, and sealed the letter with my seal, whose inscription is 'Allah is the Guardian of Sa'id' - may Allah have mercy on him - and it is my father's seal - Layth ibn Sa'd told us, from Ja'far ibn Rabi'ah, from Bakr ibn Sawadah, from Muslim ibn Makhshi, from Ibn al-Firasi, that al-Firasi said to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, "Shall I ask (beg)?" The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, "No. But if you must beg, then ask the righteous."