Verily, Allah has made me a noble slave, not an obstinate tyrant
Authentic hadithعن عبدِ اللهِ بنِ بُسْرٍ رضي الله عنه قال: كان للنبيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَصْعَةٌ يقالُ لها: الغَرَّاءُ يحملها أَرْبَعَةُ رِجَالٍ؛ فلما أَضْحَوْا وسَجَدُوا الضُّحَى أُتِيَ بتلك القَصْعَةِ -يعني وَقَدْ ثُرِدَ فيها- فالتَفُّوا عليها، فلَمَّا كَثُرُوا جَثَا رسولُ اللهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فقال أعرابيٌّ: ما هذه الجِلْسَةُ؟ فقال رسولُ اللهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم : «إِنَّ اللهَ جَعَلَنِي عَبْدًا كَرِيمًا، ولم يَجْعَلْنِي جَبَّارًا عَنِيدًا»، ثم قال رسولُ اللهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم : «كُلُوا مِنْ حَوَالَيْهَا، ودَعُوا ذِرْوَتَهَا يُبَارَكْ فِيهَا».
‘Abdullāh ibn Busr (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) had a large bowl called Al-Gharrā', which needed four men to carry it. One day, when they finished their Duha prayer, that bowl was brought full of bread sopped in broth, and they sat down around it. When their number increased, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) knelt down (sat on his knees, resting on his feet). A Bedouin said: "What sort of sitting is that!" Thereupon, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Verily, Allah has made me a noble slave, not an obstinate tyrant." Then he said: "Eat from the sides of the bowl and leave the center so that your food would be blessed."
Explanation
The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) had a big bowl to serve food in called Al-Gharrā' that four men used to carry. One day, when the Companions finished performing their Duha prayer, Al-Gharrā' was brought full of bread sopped in broth, and they sat down around it. When their number increased and the circle around the bowl became too narrow to accommodate everyone, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) sat down on his knees resting on his feet to make room for his brothers. A Bedouin said to him in amazement: "What is this way of sitting, O Messenger of Allah," because of the humility it involved. Thereupon, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Verily, Allah has made me a noble slave through prophet-hood and knowledge, and He has not made me an obstinate tyrant." The Prophet was indeed neither arrogant nor despotic. Then he said to the Companions: "Eat from the sides of the bowl and leave its center," explaining that this is a reason to attain blessing in food.
Source · Narrated by Ibn Majah - Narrated by Abu Daoud
From the Hadith Encyclopedia (hadeethenc.com).