Being Independent
الاستغناء عن الناسEarning lawfully and abstaining from unnecessary asking
Qur'an
القرآن الكريموَأَن لَّيْسَ لِلْإِنسَـٰنِ إِلَّا مَا سَعَىٰ
And that there is not for man except that [good] for which he strives
Translation: Saheeh International
فَإِذَا قُضِيَتِ ٱلصَّلَوٰةُ فَٱنتَشِرُوا۟ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ وَٱبْتَغُوا۟ مِن فَضْلِ ٱللَّهِ وَٱذْكُرُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ كَثِيرًۭا لَّعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ
And when the prayer has been concluded, disperse within the land and seek from the bounty of Allah, and remember Allah often that you may succeed.
Translation: Saheeh International
هُوَ ٱلَّذِى جَعَلَ لَكُمُ ٱلْأَرْضَ ذَلُولًۭا فَٱمْشُوا۟ فِى مَنَاكِبِهَا وَكُلُوا۟ مِن رِّزْقِهِۦ ۖ وَإِلَيْهِ ٱلنُّشُورُ
It is He who made the earth tame for you - so walk among its slopes and eat of His provision - and to Him is the resurrection.
Translation: Saheeh International
Hadith
الحديث النبويعَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " كَانَ زَكَرِيَّاءُ نَجَّارًا " .
Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying:
Zakariyya (peace be upon him) was a carpenter.
عَنِ الزُّبَيْرِ بْنِ الْعَوَّامِ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " لأَنْ يَأْخُذَ أَحَدُكُمْ حَبْلَهُ فَيَأْتِيَ بِحُزْمَةِ الْحَطَبِ عَلَى ظَهْرِهِ فَيَبِيعَهَا فَيَكُفَّ اللَّهُ بِهَا وَجْهَهُ، خَيْرٌ لَهُ مِنْ أَنْ يَسْأَلَ النَّاسَ أَعْطَوْهُ أَوْ مَنَعُوهُ ".
Narrated Az-Zubair bin Al-`Awwam:
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "It is better for anyone of you to take a rope (and cut) and bring a bundle of wood (from the forest) over his back and sell it and Allah will save his face (from the Hell-Fire) because of that, rather than to ask the people who may give him or not."
عَنْ حَكِيمِ بْنِ حِزَامٍ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " الْيَدُ الْعُلْيَا خَيْرٌ مِنَ الْيَدِ السُّفْلَى، وَابْدَأْ بِمَنْ تَعُولُ، وَخَيْرُ الصَّدَقَةِ عَنْ ظَهْرِ غِنًى، وَمَنْ يَسْتَعْفِفْ يُعِفَّهُ اللَّهُ، وَمَنْ يَسْتَغْنِ يُغْنِهِ اللَّهُ " .
Narrated Hakim bin Hizam:
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "The upper hand is better than the lower hand (i.e. he who gives in charity is better than him who takes it). One should start giving first to his dependents. And the best object of charity is that which is given by a wealthy person (from the money which is left after his expenses). And whoever abstains from asking others for some financial help, Allah will give him and save him from asking others, Allah will make him self-sufficient."
عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ شَرَفُ الْمُؤْمِنِ صَلَاتُهُ بِاللَّيْلِ وَعِزُّهُ اسْتِغْنَاؤُهُ عَمَّا فِي أَيْدِي النَّاسِ
Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “The nobility of a believer is in his prayer at night, and his honor is in his independence from what belongs to people.”
عَنْ جَعْفَرٍ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مَنْ اسْتَعَفَّ أَعَفَّهُ اللهُ وَمَنْ اسْتَغْنَى أَغْنَاهُ اللهُ وَمَنْ سَأَلَ النَّاسَ وَلَهُ عِدْلُ خَمْسِ أَوَاقٍ فَقَدْ سَأَلَ إِلْحَافًا
Ja’far reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Whoever would abstain from asking people, Allah will make him abstinent. Whoever would be independent, Allah will make him independent. Whoever begs people while he owns an amount of five ounces of silver, he has asked importunately.”
عَنْ الْمِقْدَامِ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " مَا أَكَلَ أَحَدٌ طَعَامًا قَطُّ خَيْرًا مِنْ أَنْ يَأْكُلَ مِنْ عَمَلِ يَدِهِ، وَإِنَّ نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ دَاوُدَ ـ عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ ـ كَانَ يَأْكُلُ مِنْ عَمَلِ يَدِهِ ".
Narrated Al-Miqdam:
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Nobody has ever eaten a better meal than that which one has earned by working with one's own hands. The Prophet (ﷺ) of Allah, David used to eat from the earnings of his manual labor."
عَنْ عَوْفِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ الأَشْجَعِيِّ قَالَ كُنَّا عِنْدَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم تِسْعَةً أَوْ ثَمَانِيَةً أَوْ سَبْعَةً فَقَالَ " أَلاَ تُبَايِعُونَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ " وَكُنَّا حَدِيثَ عَهْدٍ بِبَيْعَةٍ فَقُلْنَا قَدْ بَايَعْنَاكَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ . ثُمَّ قَالَ " أَلاَ تُبَايِعُونَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ " . فَقُلْنَا قَدْ بَايَعْنَاكَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ . ثُمَّ قَالَ " أَلاَ تُبَايِعُونَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ " . قَالَ فَبَسَطْنَا أَيْدِيَنَا وَقُلْنَا قَدْ بَايَعْنَاكَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ فَعَلاَمَ نُبَايِعُكَ قَالَ " عَلَى أَنْ تَعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ وَلاَ تُشْرِكُوا بِهِ شَيْئًا وَالصَّلَوَاتِ الْخَمْسِ وَتُطِيعُوا - وَأَسَرَّ كَلِمَةً خَفِيَّةً - وَلاَ تَسْأَلُوا النَّاسَ شَيْئًا " . فَلَقَدْ رَأَيْتُ بَعْضَ أُولَئِكَ النَّفَرِ يَسْقُطُ سَوْطُ أَحَدِهِمْ فَمَا يَسْأَلُ أَحَدًا يُنَاوِلُهُ إِيَّاهُ .
Malik al-Ashja'i reported:
We, nine, eight or seven men, were in the company of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and he said: Why don't you pledge allegiance to the Messenger of Allah? -while we had recently pledged allegiance. So we said: Messenger of Allah, we have already pledged allegiance to you. He again said: Why don't you pledge allegiance to the Messenger of Allah? And we said: Messenger of Allah, we have already pledged allegiance to you. He again said: Why don't you pledge allegiance to the Messenger of Allah? We stretched our hands and said: Messenger of Allah. we have already pledged allegiance to you. Now tell (on what things) should we pledge allegiance to you. He said I (You must pledge allegiance) that you would worship Allah only and would not associate with Him anything, (and observe) five prayers, and obey- (and he said onething in an undertone) -that you would not beg people of anything. (And as a consequence of that) I saw that some of these people did not ask anyone to pick up the whip for them if it fell down.
عَنْ ثَوْبَانَ، قَالَ وَكَانَ ثَوْبَانُ مَوْلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " مَنْ تَكَفَّلَ لِي أَنْ لاَ يَسْأَلَ النَّاسَ شَيْئًا وَأَتَكفَّلَ لَهُ بِالْجَنَّةِ " . فَقَالَ ثَوْبَانُ أَنَا . فَكَانَ لاَ يَسْأَلُ أَحَدًا شَيْئًا .
Thawban, the client of the Messenger of Allah (May peace be upon him), reported him as saying :
If anyone guarantees me that he will not beg from people, I will guarantee him Paradise. Thawban said : I (will not beg). He never asked anyone for anything.
عَنْ عَامِرِ بْنِ سَعْدٍ قَالَ كَانَ سَعْدُ بْنُ أَبِي وَقَّاصٍ فِي إِبِلِهِ فَجَاءَهُ ابْنُهُ عُمَرُ فَلَمَّا رَآهُ سَعْدٌ قَالَ أَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ مِنْ شَرِّ هَذَا الرَّاكِبِ فَنَزَلَ فَقَالَ لَهُ أَنَزَلْتَ فِي إِبِلِكَ وَغَنَمِكَ وَتَرَكْتَ النَّاسَ يَتَنَازَعُونَ الْمُلْكَ بَيْنَهُمْ فَضَرَبَ سَعْدٌ فِي صَدْرِهِ فَقَالَ اسْكُتْ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ " إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الْعَبْدَ التَّقِيَّ الْغَنِيَّ الْخَفِيَّ " .
It is reported on the authority of Amir b. Sa'd that Sa'd b. Abi Waqqas was in the fold of his camels that his son 'Umar came to him. When Sa'd saw him he said:
I seek refuge with Allah from the mischief of this rider. And as he got down he said to him: You are busy with your camels and your sheep and you have abandoned people who are contending with one another for kingdom. Sa'd struck his chest and said: Keep quiet. I heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying: Allah loves the servant who is God-conscious and is free from want and is hidden (from the view of people).
عَنْ هَانِئِ بْنِ نِيَارٍ قَالَ سُئِلَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ عَنْ أَفْضَلِ الْكَسْبِ فَقَالَ بَيْعٌ مَبْرُورٌ وَعَمَلُ الرَّجُلِ بِيَدِهِ
Hani’ ibn Niyar reported: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, was asked, “What are the best earnings?” The Prophet said, “It is an honest sale or a man’s work with his hands.”
عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " خُفِّفَ عَلَى دَاوُدَ ـ عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ ـ الْقُرْآنُ، فَكَانَ يَأْمُرُ بِدَوَابِّهِ فَتُسْرَجُ، فَيَقْرَأُ الْقُرْآنَ قَبْلَ أَنْ تُسْرَجَ دَوَابُّهُ، وَلاَ يَأْكُلُ إِلاَّ مِنْ عَمَلِ يَدِهِ " .
Narrated Abu Huraira:
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "The reciting of the Zabur (i.e. Psalms) was made easy for David. He used to order that his riding animals be saddled, and would finish reciting the Zabur before they were saddled. And he would never eat except from the earnings of his manual work."
عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ أَنَّ رَجُلاً مِنَ الأَنْصَارِ أَتَى النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَسْأَلُهُ فَقَالَ " أَمَا فِي بَيْتِكَ شَىْءٌ " . قَالَ بَلَى حِلْسٌ نَلْبَسُ بَعْضَهُ وَنَبْسُطُ بَعْضَهُ وَقَعْبٌ نَشْرَبُ فِيهِ مِنَ الْمَاءِ . قَالَ " ائْتِنِي بِهِمَا " . فَأَتَاهُ بِهِمَا فَأَخَذَهُمَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم بِيَدِهِ وَقَالَ " مَنْ يَشْتَرِي هَذَيْنِ " . قَالَ رَجُلٌ أَنَا آخُذُهُمَا بِدِرْهَمٍ . قَالَ " مَنْ يَزِيدُ عَلَى دِرْهَمٍ " . مَرَّتَيْنِ أَوْ ثَلاَثًا قَالَ رَجُلٌ أَنَا آخُذُهُمَا بِدِرْهَمَيْنِ . فَأَعْطَاهُمَا إِيَّاهُ وَأَخَذَ الدِّرْهَمَيْنِ وَأَعْطَاهُمَا الأَنْصَارِيَّ وَقَالَ " اشْتَرِ بِأَحَدِهِمَا طَعَامًا فَانْبِذْهُ إِلَى أَهْلِكَ وَاشْتَرِ بِالآخَرِ قَدُومًا فَأْتِنِي بِهِ " . فَأَتَاهُ بِهِ فَشَدَّ فِيهِ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم عُودًا بِيَدِهِ ثُمَّ قَالَ لَهُ " اذْهَبْ فَاحْتَطِبْ وَبِعْ وَلاَ أَرَيَنَّكَ خَمْسَةَ عَشَرَ يَوْمًا " . فَذَهَبَ الرَّجُلُ يَحْتَطِبُ وَيَبِيعُ فَجَاءَ وَقَدْ أَصَابَ عَشَرَةَ دَرَاهِمَ فَاشْتَرَى بِبَعْضِهَا ثَوْبًا وَبِبَعْضِهَا طَعَامًا . فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " هَذَا خَيْرٌ لَكَ مِنْ أَنْ تَجِيءَ الْمَسْأَلَةُ نُكْتَةً فِي وَجْهِكَ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ إِنَّ الْمَسْأَلَةَ لاَ تَصْلُحُ إِلاَّ لِثَلاَثَةٍ لِذِي فَقْرٍ مُدْقِعٍ أَوْ لِذِي غُرْمٍ مُفْظِعٍ أَوْ لِذِي دَمٍ مُوجِعٍ " .
Narrated Anas ibn Malik:
A man of the Ansar came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and begged from him.
He (the Prophet) asked: Have you nothing in your house? He replied: Yes, a piece of cloth, a part of which we wear and a part of which we spread (on the ground), and a wooden bowl from which we drink water.
He said: Bring them to me. He then brought these articles to him and he (the Prophet) took them in his hands and asked: Who will buy these? A man said: I shall buy them for one dirham. He said twice or thrice: Who will offer more than one dirham? A man said: I shall buy them for two dirhams.
He gave these to him and took the two dirhams and, giving them to the Ansari, he said: Buy food with one of them and hand it to your family, and buy an axe and bring it to me. He then brought it to him. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) fixed a handle on it with his own hands and said: Go, gather firewood and sell it, and do not let me see you for a fortnight. The man went away and gathered firewood and sold it. When he had earned ten dirhams, he came to him and bought a garment with some of them and food with the others.
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) then said: This is better for you than that begging should come as a spot on your face on the Day of Judgment. Begging is right only for three people: one who is in grinding poverty, one who is seriously in debt, or one who is responsible for compensation and finds it difficult to pay.
عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي مُلَيْكَةَ قَالَ كَانَ رُبَّمَا سَقَطَ الْخِطَامُ مِنْ يَدِ أَبِي بَكْرٍ الصِّدِّيقِ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ فَيَضْرِبُ بِذِرَاعِ نَاقَتِهِ فَيُنِيخُهَا فَيَأْخُذُهُ فَقَالُوا لَهُ أَفَلا أَمَرْتَنَا نُنَاوِلْكَهُ فَقَالَ إِنَّ حِبِّي رَسُولَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَمَرَنِي أَنْ لَا أَسْأَلَ النَّاسَ شَيْئًا
Ibn Abi Mulaykah reported:
Abu Bakr the truthful, may Allah be pleased with him, might drop the rein from his hand, so he would strike the leg of his camel to make it kneel and he would pick it up. They said to him, “Why did you not order us to take care of it?” Abu Bakr said, “My beloved Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, commanded me not to ask people for anything.”
Statements of the Salaf
أقوال السلفYou know that greed is poverty and renunciation is independence. Verily, whoever renounces his desire for what people have, he will be independent of them.
Source: al-Zuhd wal-Raqāʾiq 631