Sunan an-Nasa'i

Sunan an-Nasa'i 2606

Arabic hadith text

أَخْبَرَنَا كَثِيرُ بْنُ عُبَيْدٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ حَرْبٍ، عَنِ الزُّبَيْدِيِّ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، عَنِ السَّائِبِ بْنِ يَزِيدَ، أَنَّ حُوَيْطِبَ بْنَ عَبْدِ الْعُزَّى، أَخْبَرَهُ أَنَّ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ السَّعْدِيِّ أَخْبَرَهُ أَنَّهُ، قَدِمَ عَلَى عُمَرَ بْنِ الْخَطَّابِ فِي خِلاَفَتِهِ فَقَالَ لَهُ عُمَرُ أَلَمْ أُحَدَّثْ أَنَّكَ تَلِي مِنْ أَعْمَالِ النَّاسِ أَعْمَالاً فَإِذَا أُعْطِيتَ الْعُمَالَةَ رَدَدْتَهَا فَقُلْتُ بَلَى ‏.‏ فَقَالَ عُمَرُ رضى الله عنه فَمَا تُرِيدُ إِلَى ذَلِكَ فَقُلْتُ لِي أَفْرَاسٌ وَأَعْبُدٌ وَأَنَا بِخَيْرٍ وَأُرِيدُ أَنْ يَكُونَ عَمَلِي صَدَقَةً عَلَى الْمُسْلِمِينَ ‏.‏ فَقَالَ لَهُ عُمَرُ فَلاَ تَفْعَلْ فَإِنِّي كُنْتُ أَرَدْتُ مِثْلَ الَّذِي أَرَدْتَ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يُعْطِينِي الْعَطَاءَ فَأَقُولُ أَعْطِهِ أَفْقَرَ إِلَيْهِ مِنِّي ‏.‏ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ "‏ خُذْهُ فَتَمَوَّلْهُ أَوْ تَصَدَّقْ بِهِ مَا جَاءَكَ مِنْ هَذَا الْمَالِ وَأَنْتَ غَيْرُ مُشْرِفٍ وَلاَ سَائِلٍ فَخُذْهُ وَمَا لاَ فَلاَ تُتْبِعْهُ نَفْسَكَ ‏"‏ ‏.‏

Translation

Kathir ibn Ubayd reported: Muhammad ibn Harb narrated to us, from al-Zubaydi, from al-Zuhri, from al-Saib ibn Yazid, that Huwaytib ibn Abd al-Uzza informed him that Abd Allah ibn al-Sadi informed him that he came to Umar ibn al-Khattab during his caliphate. Umar said to him: Have I not been told that you manage some public offices, and when you are given a payment for the work, you return it? He said: Yes. Umar said: What do you want from that? He said: I have horses and enslaved servants, and I am well-off. I want my work to be charity for the Muslims. Umar said to him: Do not do that, for I wanted what you wanted. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to give me a payment, and I would say: Give it to someone more in need of it than me. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: Take it, make it your own, or give it in charity. Whatever of this wealth comes to you while you are neither coveting it nor asking for it, take it. Whatever does not come to you, do not pursue it.

Translation notes
  • This version states Umar direct advice not to refuse the payment and includes an instruction to take what is offered without seeking or coveting it.