Mishkat al-Masabih
Mishkat al-Masabih 1846
عَنْ سَمُرَةَ بْنِ جُنْدُبٍ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «الْمَسَائِلُ كُدُوحٌ يَكْدَحُ بِهَا الرَّجُلُ وَجْهَهُ فَمَنْ شَاءَ أَبْقَى عَلَى وَجْهِهِ وَمَنْ شَاءَ تَرَكَهُ إِلَّا أَنْ يَسْأَلَ الرَّجُلُ ذَا سُلْطَانٍ أَوْ فِي أَمْرٍ لَا يَجِدُ مِنْهُ بُدًّا» . رَوَاهُ أَبُو دَاوُدَ وَالتِّرْمِذِيّ وَالنَّسَائِيّ
Samura ibn Jundub reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: ‘Begging consists of lacerations with which a man wounds his face. Whoever wishes may preserve his face, and whoever wishes may leave it exposed—except when a person asks someone with authority or is in a matter from which he has no escape.’ Abu Dawud, al-Tirmidhi, and al-Nasa’i transmitted it.
Translation notes
The Arabic image is of begging as cuts or wounds inflicted on one’s face; the exceptions are asking a person in authority or asking in a matter from which one has no alternative.