وَعَنْ حَكِيمِ بْنِ حِزَامٍ
قَالَ: سَأَلَتْ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَأَعْطَانِي ثُمَّ سَأَلْتُهُ فَأَعْطَانِي ثُمَّ قَالَ لِي: «يَا حَكِيمُ إِنَّ هَذَا الْمَالَ خَضِرٌ حُلْوٌ فَمَنْ أَخَذَهُ بِسَخَاوَةِ نَفْسٍ بُورِكَ لَهُ فِيهِ وَمَنْ أَخَذَهُ بِإِشْرَافِ نَفْسٍ لَمْ يُبَارَكْ لَهُ فِيهِ.
وَكَانَ كَالَّذِي يَأْكُلُ وَلَا يَشْبَعُ وَالْيَدُ الْعُلْيَا خَيْرٌ مِنَ الْيَدِ السُّفْلَى». قَالَ حَكِيمٌ: فَقُلْتُ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَالَّذِي بَعَثَكَ بِالْحَقِّ لَا أَرْزَأُ أَحَدًا بَعْدَكَ شَيْئًا حَتَّى أُفَارِقَ الدُّنْيَا
Hakim ibn Hizam said he begged from God’s messenger and he gave him something, later he begged again and when he had given him something he said, “Hakim, this property is green and sweet, and he who receives it with a liberal mind will be blessed in it, but he who receives it with an avaricious mind will not be blessed in it, being like one who eats without being satisfied.
And the upper hand is better than the lower one.” * Hakim told that he replied, “Messenger of God, by Him who sent you with the truth, I shall not accept anyone’s bounty after this till I leave the world.” (Bukhari and Muslim.) * The upper hand is that of the giver and the lower hand is that of the receiver. The sentence is equivalent to saying that it is better to give than to receive.