English Translation

Hadrat Anas said that when a man of the Ansar came to the Noble Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and begged from him, he asked him whether he had nothing in his house. When he said he had a cloth part of which he wore and part of which he spread on the ground and a wooden bowl from which he drank water, the Beloved Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) told him to bring them to him, and when he did so he took them in his hand and asked, “Who will buy these?” When a man offered a dirham he asked twice or thrice, “Who will offer more than a dirham?” and he gave them to a man who offered two dirhams. He then took the two dirhams and giving them to the Ansari he said, “Buy food with one of them and hand it to your family, and buy an axe with the other and bring it to me.” When he brought it God’s messenger fixed a handle on it with his own hand and said, “Go, gather firewood and sell it, and don’t let me see you for a fortnight.” The man went away and gathered firewood and sold it. When he had earned ten dirhams he came to him and bought a garment with some of them and food with others. Then God’s messenger said, “This is better for you than that begging should come as a spot on your face on the day of resurrection. Begging is right for only three people:one who is in grinding poverty, one who is seriously in debt, or one who is responsible for blood-wit he finds it difficult to pay.” Abu Dawud transmitted it, and Ibn Majah transmitted up to “the day of resurrection.”