Al-Adab Al-Mufrad
Al-Adab Al-Mufrad 779
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو نُعَيْمٍ قَالَ: حَدَّثَنِي الأَعْمَشُ، عَنْ أَبِي إِسْحَاقَ، عَنْ أَبِي الأَحْوَصِ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللهِ قَالَ: إِذَا طَلَبَ أَحَدُكُمُ الْحَاجَةَ فَلْيَطْلُبْهَا طَلَبًا يَسِيرًا، فَإِنَّمَا لَهُ مَا قُدِّرَ لَهُ، وَلاَ يَأْتِي أَحَدُكُمْ صَاحِبَهُ فَيَمْدَحَهُ، فَيَقْطَعَ ظَهْرَهُ.
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
‘Abdullah said: When one of you seeks something he needs, let him seek it gently, for he will receive only what has been allotted to him. None of you should go to his companion and praise him in a way that breaks his back.
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
فَلْيَطْلُبْهَا طَلَبًا يَسِيرًا
The Arabic advises seeking the need in a gentle or modest manner; it does not say that the thing requested should be small.
Please check what “small” modifies against the Arabic.