The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "No doubt, one had better take a rope (and cut) and tie a bundle of wood and sell it whereby Allah will keep his face away (from Hell-fire) rather than ask others who may give him or not."
Exposition of the Hadith
This noble tradition from Sahih al-Bukhari (2373) emphasizes the virtue of self-reliance and lawful earning through manual labor. The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) employs a powerful metaphor - gathering firewood with a rope - to illustrate that even the most humble occupation is superior to begging when one has the capacity to work.
Scholarly Commentary
Imam al-Qurtubi explains that this hadith establishes the principle of preserving one's dignity (ʿizzah) through lawful earnings. The rope symbolizes the means to secure sustenance, while the firewood represents the most basic form of trade - demonstrating that no honest work is beneath a believer's dignity.
Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani in Fath al-Bari comments that the phrase "Allah will keep his face away from Hell-fire" indicates the tremendous spiritual reward for those who avoid begging despite hardship. This protection stems from fulfilling the divine command to seek sustenance through permissible means.
Legal Rulings Derived
Scholars derive from this hadith that begging is prohibited (haram) for those capable of working. The Hanafi school particularly emphasizes that seeking government employment or relying on family is preferable to begging when one can sustain oneself through labor.
The Maliki jurists note that the permissibility of begging is restricted to three conditions: extreme poverty that prevents basic survival, overwhelming debt that cannot be repaid through work, or blood-money (diyah) requirements that exceed one's means.
Spiritual Dimensions
Al-Ghazali observes in Ihya Ulum al-Din that this teaching cultivizes tawakkul (trust in Allah) through asbab (worldly means). The believer works with their hands while their heart remains attached to the Provider of sustenance.
Sufyan al-Thawri remarks that the hadith teaches humility - for the one who gathers wood acknowledges their need before Allah alone, while the beggar exposes their need before creation.