Silsilat al-Ahadith al-Sahihah - Nasir al-Din al-Albani - (7/1058)

He said: “Which of Your servants is the mightiest?” He said: “The one who forgives when he has the power to do otherwise.”
He said: “Which of Your servants is the richest?” He said: “The one who is content with what he is given.”
He said: “Which of Your servants is the poorest?” He said: “The one whose means are diminished.” (1)

The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

“Wealth does not consist in outward display; rather, true wealth is the wealth of the soul. When Allah intends good for a servant, He places his wealth within himself and his piety in his heart; and when Allah intends evil for a servant, He places his poverty before his eyes.”

It was narrated by Ibn Ḥibbān in his Ṣaḥīḥ (50/86—Mawārid), al-Kharāʾiṭī in Makārim al-Akhlāq (1/274/369), al-Daylamī (1/1/92 and 2/102/2), and Ibn ʿAsākir in al-Tārīkh (17/367–368), through the route of ʿAmr ibn al-Ḥārith and others: Abū al-Samḥ related to him from Ibn Ḥujayrah, from Abū Hurayrah, from the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, who said: ... and he then cited it.

I say: This is a good chain of transmission, its narrators being trustworthy, apart from Abū al-Samḥ—whose name, or perhaps sobriquet, was Darrāj—concerning whom there is disagreement. Ibn Maʿīn and others declared him trustworthy, whereas Aḥmad and others deemed him weak. Some scholars made a distinction in his case. Al-Dhahabī said in al-Kāshif:

“Abū Dāwūd and others said: His hadith is sound, except for what he narrated from Abū al-Haytham.”

(1) The base text reads: “mabghud” (“disliked”). This reading is attested in Tarikh Ibn Kathir (1:291) and al-Ihsan. He explained it as referring to “one whose circumstances are diminished, who regards what he has been given as too little and seeks additional bounty.” It apparently means that he is poor in spirit, as supported by the Prophet’s statement that follows. In al-Tarikh and al-Daylami, it appears as “Saqar,” with either qaf or fa; the same is found in the photographic copy of al-Jami al-Kabir in my possession.

٥- قال: فأيُّ عبادك أعزُّ؟ قال: الذي إذا قدر غفر. ٦- قال: فأيُّ عبادك أغنى؟ قال: الذي يرضَى بما يُؤتى. ٧- قال: فأيُّ عبادك أفقر؟ قال: صاحبٌ منقوصٌ (١) . قال رسول الله ﷺ: ليس الغنى عن ظهر؛ إنّما الغنى غنى النفس، وإذا أراد الله بعبد خيْراً؛ جعل غناه في نفسه، وتقاه في قلبه، وإذا أراد الله بعبد شرّاً جعل فقره بين عينيه) أخرجه ابن حبان في "صحيحه " (٥٠/٨٦- موارد) ، والخرائطي في "مكارم الأخلاق " (١/٢٧٤/٣٦٩) والديلمي (١/١/٩٢ و ٢/١٠٢/٢) ، وابن عساكر في "التاريخ " (١٧/٣٦٧- ٣٦٨) من طريق عمرو بن الحارث وغيره أن أبا السمح حدثه عن ابن حجيرة عن أبي هريرة عن رسول الله ﷺ قال: ... فذكره. قلت: وهذا إسناد حسن رجاله ثقات؛ غير أبي السمح- واسمه أو لقبه: دراج-؛ فهو مختلف فيه، وثقه ابن معين وغيره، وضعفه أحمد وغيره، وفصل فيه بعضهم، فقال الذهبي في "الكاشف ": " وقال أبو داود وغيره: حديثه مستقيم؛ إلا ما كان عن أبي الهيثم ".

(١) الأصل: "مبغوض "! والمثبت من "تاريخ ابن كثير" (١/ ٢٩١) ، و"الإحسان ". وفسره بقوله: "يريد به منقوص حالته، يستقل ما أوتي، ويطلب الفضل ". وكأنه يعني: أنه فقير النفس، ويؤيده قوله ﷺ الآتي عقبه. ووقع في "التاريخ " و"الديلمي ": "سقر" بالقاف أو بالفاء، وكذا في مصورة "الجامع الكبير" التي عندي!