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.

حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مَسْلَمَةَ، أَخْبَرَنَا عِيسَى بْنُ يُونُسَ، عَنِ الأَخْضَرِ بْنِ عَجْلاَنَ، عَنْ أَبِي بَكْرٍ الْحَنَفِيِّ، عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ، أَنَّ رَجُلاً، مِنَ الأَنْصَارِ أَتَى النَّبِيَّ ﷺ 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 ﷺ 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 ﷺ 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 ﷺ " 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 " .