Mishkat al-Masabih 1851

Anas ibn Malik said: A man of the Ansar came to the Prophet ﷺ asking for help. He said, ‘Is there anything in your house?’ The man replied, ‘Yes: a coarse cloth, part of which we wear and part of which we spread out, and a bowl from which we drink water.’ He said, ‘Bring them to me.’ The man brought them, and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ took them in his hand and said, ‘Who will buy these two?’ A man said, ‘I will take them for one dirham.’ He said, ‘Who will offer more than one dirham?’ He repeated it two or three times. Another man said, ‘I will take them for two dirhams.’ He gave them to him, took the two dirhams, and gave them to the Ansari. He said, ‘Buy food with one of them and give it to your family. With the other, buy an axe and bring it to me.’ The man brought it, and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ fixed a handle to it with his own hand. Then he said to him, ‘Go, gather firewood and sell it, and do not let me see you for fifteen days.’ The man went and gathered and sold firewood. He returned having earned ten dirhams, and bought a garment with some of them and food with some. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: ‘This is better for you than having begging appear as a mark on your face on the Day of Resurrection. Asking is appropriate only for three: one in grinding poverty; one in overwhelming debt; or one burdened with a blood claim that pains him.’ Abu Dawud transmitted it. Ibn Majah transmitted it up to the words ‘on the Day of Resurrection.’