He came to Umar during his caliphate, and Umar said to him, "Have I not been told that you take on various official duties for the people, but when you are given the wages for the work, you refuse them?"He replied, "Yes, that is so."Umar asked, "What do you intend by that?"I said, "I have horses and slaves, and I am well off. I want my wages to be charity for the Muslims."Umar said, "Do not do that, for I once wanted what you want. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to give me grants, and I would say, 'Give it to someone poorer than me,' until one time he gave me some wealth, and I said, 'Give it to someone poorer than me.'The Prophet ﷺ said, 'Take it, keep it as your own, or give it away as charity. Whatever comes to you of this wealth while you are neither longing for it nor asking for it, take it. As for what does not come to you, do not let your soul chase after it.'"
أنه قدم على عمر في خلافته، فقال له عمر: ألم أحدث أنك تلي من أعمال الناس أعمالا، فإذا أعطيت العمالة كرهتها؟ قال: بلى فقال عمر: فما تريد إلى ذلك؟ قلت: إن لي أفراسا وأعبدا وأنا بخير، وأريد أن تكون عمالتي صدقة على المسلمين، قال عمر: لا تفعل فإني كنت أردت الذي أردت، فكان رسول الله ﷺ يعطيني العطاء، فأقول: أعطه أفقر إلي مني حتى أعطاني مرة مالا، فقلت: أعطه أفقر إلي مني، فقال النبي ﷺ: خذه، فتموله وتصدق به، فما جاءك من هذا المال وأنت غير مشرف ولا سائل فخذه، وما لا فلا تتبعه نفسك.
Bukhari narrated it in the Book of Rulings (7163) from Abu Yaman, who said, Shuayb told us, from Zuhri, who said, Saaib bin Yazid, the nephew of Namir, told me that Huwaytib bin Abdul-Uzza told him that Abdullah bin Saadi told him, and he mentioned it.Muslim narrated it in the Book of Zakat (1045: 112) through the route of Layth, from Bukayr, from Busr bin Saeed, from Ibn Saadi Maliki, who said, "Umar bin Khattab appointed me over the collection of alms. When I had finished collecting it and delivered it to him, he ordered that I be given a payment for my work. I said, 'I only worked for the sake of Allah, and my reward is with Allah.' He said, 'Take what you have been given, for I worked in the time of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and he gave me a payment. I said the same thing you have said, and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to me, "If you are given something without having asked for it, then eat from it and give some in charity."'"Then he narrated it through the route of Amr bin Harith, from Bukayr bin Ashaj, from Busr bin Saeed, from Ibn Saadi, who said, "Umar bin Khattab appointed me over the collection of alms," similar to the hadith of Layth. He said, "from Ibn Saadi."Hafiz said in Fath al-Bari (13/151), "And this is the correct, well-preserved version."