Arabic (Original)
حَدَّثَنَا إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ يُوسُفَ عَنْ سُفْيَانَ عَنْ ابْنِ عَجْلَانَ عَنِ الْقَعْقَاعِ بْنِ حَكِيمٍ قَالَ كَتَبَ عَبْدُ الْعَزِيزِ بْنُ مَرْوَانَ إِلَى ابْنِ عُمَرَ أَنْ ارْفَعْ إِلَيَّ حَاجَتَكَ قَالَ فَكَتَبَ إِلَيْهِ ابْنُ عُمَرَ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ كَانَ يَقُولُ إِنَّ الْيَدَ الْعُلْيَا خَيْرٌ مِنْ الْيَدِ السُّفْلَى وَابْدَأْ بِمَنْ تَعُولُ وَلَسْتُ أَسْأَلُكَ شَيْئًا وَلَا أَرُدُّ رِزْقًا رَزَقَنِيهِ اللَّهُ مِنْكَ.
English Translation
Ishaq ibn Yusuf told us, from Sufyan, from Ibn Ajlan, from al-Qa'qa' ibn Hakim, who said: Abd al-Aziz ibn Marwan wrote to Ibn Umar: "Present your need to me." So Ibn Umar wrote back to him: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, used to say: "The upper hand is better than the lower hand, and begin with those you are responsible for." I do not ask you for anything, nor do I refuse provision that Allah has provided me from you.