What is the meaning of the narration: (The upper hand is better than the lower hand)?
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The questioner : He says, what is the meaning? What is the meaning of the narration: Sahih al-Bukhari 5355?
The Shaykh : Yes. This is an authentic hadith. The upper hand is the one that gives, and the lower hand is the one that takes. It means that the giver is higher in status than the taker, because the taker sees himself as lower than the giver, and the giver sees himself as higher than the taker. For this reason, you will find that the taker is more submissive to the giver than the giver is to the taker. So, the upper hand is the one that gives, and the lower hand is the one that takes. This is an exhortation from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) for a person to be unattached to what people have, not to look forward to it, and not to look at it. And when he is free of need for it, he should not take it.
But if it is a gift, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to accept gifts and give thanks for them. In fact, when 'Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) was given compensation for his work—meaning, for collecting the zakah and taking it from those who owed it—and he said, "O Messenger of Allah! Give it in charity to someone more in need than me?" He said:Sahih Muslim 1045a. Yes.
a giving hand is better than a taking one
اليد العليا خير من اليد السفلىThe Shaykh : Yes. This is an authentic hadith. The upper hand is the one that gives, and the lower hand is the one that takes. It means that the giver is higher in status than the taker, because the taker sees himself as lower than the giver, and the giver sees himself as higher than the taker. For this reason, you will find that the taker is more submissive to the giver than the giver is to the taker. So, the upper hand is the one that gives, and the lower hand is the one that takes. This is an exhortation from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) for a person to be unattached to what people have, not to look forward to it, and not to look at it. And when he is free of need for it, he should not take it.
But if it is a gift, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to accept gifts and give thanks for them. In fact, when 'Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) was given compensation for his work—meaning, for collecting the zakah and taking it from those who owed it—and he said, "O Messenger of Allah! Give it in charity to someone more in need than me?" He said: