Arabic (Original)
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو نُوحٍ قُرَادٌ قَالَ أَبُو عَبْد الرَّحْمَنِ سَمِعْتُ أَبِي غَيْرَ مَرَّةٍ يَقُولُ وَحِدْثنَا أَبُو نُوحٍ قُرَادٌ حَدَّثَنَا عِكْرِمَةُ بْنُ عَمَّارٍ عَنْ شَدَّادِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا أُمَامَةَ يَقُولُ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُولُ يَا ابْنَ آدَمَ إِنَّكَ إِنْ تَبْذُلْ الْخَيْرَ خَيْرٌ لَكَ وَإِنْ تُمْسِكْهُ شَرٌّ لَكَ وَلَا تُلَامُ عَلَى الْكَفَافِ وَابْدَأْ بِمَنْ تَعُولُ وَالْيَدُ الْعُلْيَا خَيْرٌ مِنْ الْيَدِ السُّفْلَى.
English Translation
Abu Nuh Qurad told us -- Abu Abd al-Rahman said: I heard my father say more than once -- and Abu Nuh Qurad told us, Ikrimah ibn Ammar told us, from Shaddad ibn Abdullah, who said: I heard Abu Umamah say: I heard the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, say: "O son of Adam, if you give of your surplus wealth it is better for you, and if you withhold it, it is worse for you; and you are not blamed for keeping only what suffices you. Begin with those you are responsible for, and the upper hand is better than the lower hand."