O Hakīm, this money is like a sweet, fresh fruit

Arabic text

عَنْ حَكِيمِ بْنِ حِزَامٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: سَأَلْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَأَعْطَانِي، ثُمَّ سَأَلْتُهُ فَأَعْطَانِي، ثُمَّ قَالَ لِي: «يَا حَكِيمُ، إِنَّ هَذَا المَالَ خَضِرٌ حُلْوٌ، فَمَنْ أَخَذَهُ بِسَخَاوَةِ نَفْسٍ، بُورِكَ لَهُ فِيهِ، وَمَنْ أَخَذَهُ بِإِشْرَافِ نَفْسٍ لَمْ يُبَارَكْ لَهُ فِيهِ، وَكَانَ كَالَّذِي يَأْكُلُ وَلاَ يَشْبَعُ، وَاليَدُ العُلْيَا خَيْرٌ مِنَ اليَدِ السُّفْلَى»، قَالَ حَكِيمٌ: فَقُلْتُ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، وَالَّذِي بَعَثَكَ بِالحَقِّ لاَ أَرْزَأُ أَحَدًا بَعْدَكَ شَيْئًا حَتَّى أُفَارِقَ الدُّنْيَا، فَكَانَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ يَدْعُو حَكِيمًا لِيُعْطِيَهُ العَطَاءَ، فَيَأْبَى أَنْ يَقْبَلَ مِنْهُ شَيْئًا، ثُمَّ إِنَّ عُمَرَ دَعَاهُ لِيُعْطِيَهُ، فَيَأْبَى أَنْ يَقْبَلَهُ، فَقَالَ: يَا مَعْشَرَ المُسْلِمِينَ، إِنِّي أَعْرِضُ عَلَيْهِ حَقَّهُ الَّذِي قَسَمَ اللَّهُ لَهُ مِنْ هَذَا الفَيْءِ، فَيَأْبَى أَنْ يَأْخُذَهُ. فَلَمْ يَرْزَأْ حَكِيمٌ أَحَدًا مِنَ النَّاسِ بَعْدَ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ حَتَّى تُوُفِّيَ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ.

Translation

Hakīm ibn Hizām (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: I asked the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) for some money, and he gave it to me. Then I asked him again, and he gave it to me. Then I asked him again, and he gave it to me, and then he said: "O Hakīm, this money is like a sweet, fresh fruit; whoever takes it without greediness, he is blessed with it, and whoever takes it with greediness, he is not blessed with it, and he is like a person who eats but is never satiated; and the upper hand is better than the lower hand." Hakīm added: I said: O Messenger of Allah, by the One Who sent you with the truth, I shall never accept anything from anyone after you until I depart this world. Then Abu Bakr would call Hakīm in order to give him, and he would refuse to take anything. Then ‘Umar called him to give it to him, but he would refuse to accept it. Upon that, ‘Umar said: O Muslims, I offer Hakīm his share from this booty that Allah entitled him to, and he refuses to take it. So, Hakīm never took anything from anybody after the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) till he died (may Allah have mercy upon him).

Explanation

Hakīm ibn Hizām (may Allah be pleased with him) asked the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) for some of the worldly goods, and he gave them to him. Then he asked again, and the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) gave him. Then the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said to him: O Hakīm, this wealth is sweet and tempting. Whoever receives it without asking and takes it without greed or insistence, it will be blessed for him. But whoever takes it out of craving and desire, it will not be blessed for him—he will be like the one who eats but is never satisfied. And the upper hand that gives is better in the sight of Allah than the lower hand that asks. Hakīm said: I said: O Messenger of Allah, by the One Who sent you with the truth, I will never again ask anyone for anything after you until I depart this world. The successor of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), would call Hakīm to give him his share (from the treasury), but he would refuse to accept anything. Then the Commander of the Believers, ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), also called him to give him something, but he likewise refused to accept it. So ‘Umar said: O Muslims, I offer him his rightful share—that which Allah has allotted to him from the spoils of war obtained without fighting—yet he refuses to take it. Hakīm never took anyone's wealth by asking after the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) until he passed away (may Allah be pleased with him).

Benefits

• Earning and collecting wealth through lawful means does not contradict renunciation of the world, because true asceticism is generosity of the soul and detachment of the heart from wealth.
• This illustrates the great generosity of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), and he gave like one who never feared poverty.
• Offering sincere advice and striving to benefit one's brothers when providing help, for the soul is then more receptive of kind and beneficial words.
• Refraining from asking people and warning against it, especially when there is no real need.
• It indicates the condemnation of greed for wealth and excessive asking.
• If a beggar persists in asking, there is no harm in turning him away, denying his request, advising him, and instructing him to be dignified and to abandon greed for taking.
• No one is entitled to take anything from Bayt al-Māl (public treasury) except after it has been granted to him by the ruler; whereas, before the distribution of the spoils, no one has any rightful claim to that.
• Asking is permissible in cases of genuine need.
• Ibn Hajar said: This indicates that the leader should not offer advice by revealing the negative aspect of begging to the one asking before fulfilling his need, so that the advice reaches his heart effectively, and so that he does not assume that the advice was an excuse to deny him his request.
• The virtue of Hakīm (may Allah be pleased with him) and his steadfastness in upholding the covenant he made with Allah and His Messenger (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him).
• Is'hāq ibn Rāhawayh said: When Hakīm (may Allah be pleased with him) passed away, he was among the wealthiest of Quraysh.

Topics

• Virtues and Manners
• Heart-Softeners and Sermons
• Condemning Love of the World