37/29. Chapter:
Jami at-Tirmidhi 2463 — The Upper Hand Is Better
"Indeed This Wealth is Green and Sweet"
Hadith About the Upper Hand Being Better
Jami at-Tirmidhi : 2463
Jami at-TirmidhiHadith Number 2463
حَدَّثَنَا سُوَيْدٌ، أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ، عَنْ يُونُسَ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، عَنْ عُرْوَةَ بْنِ الزُّبَيْرِ، وَابْنِ الْمُسَيَّبِ، أَنَّ حَكِيمَ بْنَ حِزَامٍ، قَالَ سَأَلْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَأَعْطَانِي ثُمَّ سَأَلْتُهُ فَأَعْطَانِي ثُمَّ سَأَلْتُهُ فَأَعْطَانِي ثُمَّ قَالَ " يَا حَكِيمُ إِنَّ هَذَا الْمَالَ خَضِرَةٌ حُلْوَةٌ فَمَنْ أَخَذَهُ بِسَخَاوَةِ نَفْسٍ بُورِكَ لَهُ فِيهِ وَمَنْ أَخَذَهُ بِإِشْرَافِ نَفْسٍ لَمْ يُبَارَكْ لَهُ فِيهِ وَكَانَ كَالَّذِي يَأْكُلُ وَلاَ يَشْبَعُ وَالْيَدُ الْعُلْيَا خَيْرٌ مِنَ الْيَدِ السُّفْلَى " . فَقَالَ حَكِيمٌ فَقُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَالَّذِي بَعَثَكَ بِالْحَقِّ لاَ أَرْزَأُ أَحَدًا بَعْدَكَ شَيْئًا حَتَّى أُفَارِقَ الدُّنْيَا . فَكَانَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ يَدْعُو حَكِيمًا إِلَى الْعَطَاءِ فَيَأْبَى أَنْ يَقْبَلَهُ ثُمَّ إِنَّ عُمَرَ دَعَاهُ لِيُعْطِيَهُ فَأَبَى أَنْ يَقْبَلَ مِنْهُ شَيْئًا فَقَالَ عُمَرُ إِنِّي أُشْهِدُكُمْ يَا مَعْشَرَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ عَلَى حَكِيمٍ أَنِّي أَعْرِضُ عَلَيْهِ حَقَّهُ مِنْ هَذَا الْفَىْءِ فَيَأْبَى أَنْ يَأْخُذَهُ . فَلَمْ يَرْزَأْ حَكِيمٌ أَحَدًا مِنَ النَّاسِ شَيْئًا بَعْدَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم حَتَّى تُوُفِّيَ . قَالَ هَذَا حَدِيثٌ صَحِيحٌ .
Hakim bin Hizam Narrated from:
I (Once) Asked The Messenger Of Allah (S.A.W) (For Something) And He Gave It To Me. Then I Asked Him (Again) And He Gave It To Me. Then I Asked Him (Again) And He Gave It To Me. Then I Asked Him (Again), So He Gave It To Me. Then He Said: 'O Hakim! Indeed This Wealth Is Green And Sweet, So Whoever Takes It Without Asking For It, He Will Be Blessed In It. And Whoever Takes It, Insisting Upon It, He Will Not Be Blessed In It. He Is Like The One Who Eats But Does Not Get Satisfied And Contended. And The Upper Hand (Giving) Is Better Than The Lower Hand (Receiving).So Hakim Said: "I Said: 'O Messenger Of Allah! By The One Who Sent You With The Truth! I Shall Not Ask Anyone For Anything After You Until I Depart The World.'" So Abu Bakr Used To Call Hakim To Give Him Something, But He Refused To Accept It. Then 'Umar Called Him To Give To Him, But He Refused To Accept It. So 'Umar Said: "O You Muslims! I Would Like You To Bear Witness That I Presented Hakim With His Due Of These Spoils Of War But He Refused To Accept It." So Hakim Never Asked Anyone Of The People For Anything After The Messenger Of Allah, Until He Died.
Reference : Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2463In-book reference : Book 37, Hadith 49English translation : Vol. 4, Book 11, Hadith 2463
Summary of Jami at-Tirmidhi Hadith 2463
This hadith about the upper hand being better teaches contentment, dignity, and the right way to deal with wealth. Hakim bin Hizam asked the Messenger of Allah several times, and the Prophet gave him. Then the Prophet explained that wealth is green and sweet, meaning it is attractive to the soul. Whoever takes it without asking and without greed may be blessed in it. But whoever takes it with strong desire and insistence will not be blessed in it. The Prophet compared that person to someone who eats but is never satisfied. He then said that the upper hand, the giving hand, is better than the lower hand, the receiving hand. Hakim took this lesson seriously and stopped asking people for anything after that.
What we learn from this hadith
- Wealth can attract the heart because it feels sweet and pleasing.
- Taking without greed is different from taking with insistence.
- Giving is better than depending on others when one can avoid it.
- A sincere lesson can change a person's habits for life.
