81/11. Chapter:
Sahih Bukhari 6441 — Wealth Without Greed
"Wealth is green sweet."
وَقَالَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى: {زُيِّنَ لِلنَّاسِ حُبُّ الشَّهَوَاتِ مِنَ النِّسَاءِ وَالْبَنِينَ وَالْقَنَاطِيرِ الْمُقَنْطَرَةِ مِنَ الذَّهَبِ وَالْفِضَّةِ وَالْخَيْلِ الْمُسَوَّمَةِ وَالأَنْعَامِ وَالْحَرْثِ ذَلِكَ مَتَاعُ الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا}. قَالَ عُمَرُ اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّا لاَ نَسْتَطِيعُ إِلاَّ أَنْ نَفْرَحَ بِمَا زَيَّنْتَهُ لَنَا، اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ أَنْ أُنْفِقَهُ فِي حَقِّهِ.
Hadith About Wealth Without Greed and the Giving Hand
Sahih Bukhari : 6441
Sahih BukhariHadith Number 6441
حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ الزُّهْرِيَّ، يَقُولُ أَخْبَرَنِي عُرْوَةُ، وَسَعِيدُ بْنُ الْمُسَيَّبِ، عَنْ حَكِيمِ بْنِ حِزَامٍ، قَالَ سَأَلْتُ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَأَعْطَانِي، ثُمَّ سَأَلْتُهُ فَأَعْطَانِي، ثُمَّ سَأَلْتُهُ فَأَعْطَانِي، ثُمَّ قَالَ " هَذَا الْمَالُ ـ وَرُبَّمَا قَالَ سُفْيَانُ قَالَ لِي يَا حَكِيمُ ـ إِنَّ هَذَا الْمَالَ خَضِرَةٌ حُلْوَةٌ، فَمَنْ أَخَذَهُ بِطِيبِ نَفْسٍ بُورِكَ لَهُ فِيهِ، وَمَنْ أَخَذَهُ بِإِشْرَافِ نَفْسٍ لَمْ يُبَارَكْ لَهُ فِيهِ، وَكَانَ كَالَّذِي يَأْكُلُ وَلاَ يَشْبَعُ، وَالْيَدُ الْعُلْيَا خَيْرٌ مِنَ الْيَدِ السُّفْلَى ".
Hakim bin Hizam Narrated from:
I asked the Prophet (for some money) and he gave me, and then again I asked him and he gave me, and then again I asked him and he gave me and he then said, "This wealth is (like) green and sweet (fruit), and whoever takes it without greed, Allah will bless it for him, but whoever takes it with greed, Allah will not bless it for him, and he will be like the one who eats but is never satisfied. And the upper (giving) hand is better than the lower (taking) hand."
Reference : Sahih al-Bukhari 6441In-book reference : Book 81, Hadith 30USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 8, Book 76, Hadith 448
Summary of Sahih Bukhari Hadith 6441
This hadith about wealth without greed is a direct lesson from the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم to Hakim bin Hizam. Hakim asked for money several times, and the Prophet gave him. Then he taught him that wealth is green and sweet, meaning it is attractive. Whoever takes it without greed receives blessing in it. Whoever takes it with greed will not be blessed in it and becomes like one who eats but is never satisfied. The hadith ends with a strong principle: the upper hand is better than the lower hand. The main message is not to reject all wealth, but to take it with a clean heart and prefer giving over taking.
What we learn from this hadith
- Wealth is attractive and can test the heart.
- Taking wealth without greed is linked to blessing.
- Greedy taking removes blessing from wealth.
- Giving is better than depending on taking.
