Hadith 111

Mishkat al-Masabih

Book 30: Fine Qualities
وَعَنْ عَلِيٍّ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: كُنْتُ إِذَا سَأَلَتْ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَعْطَانِي وَإِذَا سَكَتُّ ابْتَدَأَنِي. رَوَاهُ التِّرْمِذِيُّ وَقَالَ: هَذَا حَدِيثٌ «حَسَنٌ غَرِيبٌ»
`Ali said:

"When I asked God's messenger for anything he gave it to me, and when I said nothing, he was the first to speak*." *Or it may mean that he gave something without being asked. Tirmidhi transmitted it, saying this is a hasan gharib tradition.