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NO BLESSING IN GREED

525

Hakim asked the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, (for something) and he gave it to him; he asked again and the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, gave it to him, then he asked once more and the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, gave him saying, "Hakim, wealth is green and sweet. Whosoever acquires it as a matter of course, it is a source of blessing for him; but there is no blessing in it for the one who seeks it through greed. Such a person is like one who eats, yet is not replete. The upper hand is better than the lower.’ Hakim said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, praise and peace be upon him, by Him who has sent you with the Truth, I shall never ask anyone else except you for anything for as long as I live.’"

(The first caliph) Abu Bakr would send for Hakim in order to give him something, but on each occasion he declined to accept. In the time of Omar's caliphate, Omar would do the same but Hakim continued to decline. Omar told the people, ‘I ask Muslims to bear witness that I offered Hakim his share of the spoils that Allah has appointed for him but he has declined to take it.’ Even up to the time of Hakim's death, he was never known to have accepted anything from anyone after the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him.”

Bukhari and Muslim with a chain up to Hakim, the son of Hizam who related this.