CHAPTER ON ZAKAT · 27 – THE UGLINESS OF BEGGING
Avf ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
We were seven or eight or nine companions of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), and he said, “Do you not swear allegiance to me?” Although we had recently sworn an oath. We said, "We have obeyed you." The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) repeated this three times. So we extended our hands and swore the oath. A spokesman said, “O Messenger of Allah! We have sworn allegiance to you, but on what basis do we swear?”
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "Upon worshipping Allah without associating anything with Him, performing five prayers, listening and obeying, and not asking anyone from people in secret while lowering your voice."
The narrator says: By the One in Whose hand is my soul! A man from that group would drop his whip, and he would not want anyone to pick it up for him.
Sa’ban (may Allah be pleased with him) related:
Sa’ban was a freed slave of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings upon him). He said:
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings upon him) said, “Whoever promises me that he will not ask anything from people, I promise him Paradise.” Sa’ban (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "I give this pledge," and indeed he did not ask anyone for anything.