الْيَدُ الْعُلْيَا خَيْرٌ مِنَ الْيَدِ السُّفْلَى وَالْيَدُ الْعُلْيَا الْمُنْفِقَةُ وَالسُّفْلَى السَّائِلَةُ
The upper hand is better than the lower one, the upper being the one which bestows and the lower one which begs.
Sahih Muslim 1033 · Source checked
English translation on Sunnah.com
Source
Sahih Muslim 1033
Book 12, Hadith 122
English translation on Sunnah.com
The linked entry does not identify an individual translator. Credit is given to the displayed Sunnah.com translation; no individual attribution is inferred.
Source text checked 2026-09-17. Included in a Sahih collection; no separate grading claim added.
What It Means: Reading in Context
Abdullah ibn Umar reports this saying from the Prophet’s address about charity and refraining from asking. The explanation of the upper and lower hands is part of the reported saying and is retained. The passage encourages giving; it should not be turned into contempt for people in need. This entry comes from Sahih Muslim 1033. The quoted wording is the English translation of the reported saying. Follow the source link to read the narrator, full wording and in-book reference together. A hadith number identifies the source used here; numbering systems can differ between editions. Being able to inspect a source is important when a short statement is shared outside its original setting. The accompanying reflection is an editorial prompt for everyday conduct. It is not part of the hadith and does not replace explanation from qualified scholarship. Avoid extending a short reminder into a religious ruling that the entry itself does not establish.
REFLECTION · EDITORIAL
When you are able to give, do so with respect for the recipient. If you need help yourself, seek it honestly and remember that circumstances can change.
This reflection is not Qur’an, hadith or an authoritative tafsir.