The Messenger of Allah ﷺ gave a gift to a group of men while I was sitting among them. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ passed over one man and gave him nothing, though he was the one I liked best among them. So I went up to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and spoke to him privately.I said, "Messenger of Allah, what is the matter with you regarding so-and-so? By Allah, I consider him a believer."He replied, "Or a Muslim?"I remained silent for a moment, but then what I knew of the man overcame me, so I said, "Messenger of Allah, what is the matter with you regarding so-and-so? By Allah, I consider him a believer."He replied, "Or a Muslim?"I remained silent for a moment, but then what I knew of the man overcame me, so I said, "Messenger of Allah, what is the matter with you regarding so-and-so? By Allah, I consider him a believer."He replied, "Or a Muslim? I sometimes give to a man while another, whom I love more than him, gets nothing, out of fear that he might be cast face down into the Fire."
أعطى رسول الله ﷺ رهطا، وأنا جالس فيهم قال: فترك رسول الله ﷺ منهم رجلا لم يعطه، وهو أعجبهم إلى، فقمت إلى رسول الله ﷺ، فساررته، فقلت: يا رسول الله مالك عن فلان؟ والله! إني لأراه مؤمنا. قال: أو مسلما؟ فسكت قليلا، ثم غلبني ما أعلم منه، فقلت: يا رسول الله! ما لك عن فلان، فوالله إني لأراه مؤمنا. قال: أو مسلما؟ فسكت قليلا، ثم غلبني ما أعلم منه، فقلت: يا رسول الله! ما لك عن فلان؟ فوالله! إني لأراه مؤمنا. قال: أو مسلما؟ قال: إني لأعطي الرجل، وغيره أحب إلى منه، خشية أن يكب في النار على وجهه.
Bukhari narrated it in the Book of Zakat (1478), and Muslim in the Book of Zakat (150:131), both through the route of Yaqub bin Ibrahim bin Saad, who said, my father narrated to us, from Salih, from Ibn Shihab, Amir bin Saad informed me, from his father Saad, who mentioned it. The wording given is that of Muslim.