Understanding The Prophet's Life
From Issue: 944 [Read full issue]
Miserliness and Avarice
Ahmad related from Abu Usayb, who said, "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, went out in the night and passed by me. He called me and I went to him. Then he passed by Abu Bakr and he called him and he went to him. Then he passed by Umar, and he called him and he also went out to him. He entered a garden belonging to one of the Ansar and said to the owner of the garden, 'Feed us.' The man brought some dates and set them down and the Messenger and his companions ate. Then he called for cold water and drank. He said, 'You will be asked about this on the Day of Rising.' Umar took the bunch and struck the ground with it to separate the dates for the Messenger of Allah. Then he asked, 'Messenger of Allah, will we be questioned about this on the Day of Rising?' He replied, 'Yes, except about three things: a piece of cloth used to cover the private parts, a morsel used to ward off hunger, and a room used for shelter against heat and cold.'" In another transmission we find, "The son of Adam has no right to other than these." The transmission from Uthman ibn Affan has, "A house to shelter him, a garment to cover his nakedness and a crust of bread and water." The version in al Bayhaqi has: "The son of Adam has no right to anything beyond the shelter of a house, a piece of bread and a garment with which to cover his private parts."
These transmissions apply to a limited area for a limited aim. They are to be taken like medicine to prevent us from becoming too concerned with this world or miserable about some deprivation that befalls us. And how many people have nothing but those necessities? Yet in spite of that, they continue to live! How many people in times of war and crises live with only these minimum requirements but nevertheless do not die? How many people have many times more than that amount of provision and yet are not grateful? Uthman ibn Affan was one of the people who related these ideas and yet he was a wealthy man. He took them to mean that a person should seek the Next World and rise above the base qualities of miserliness and avarice.
Compiled From:
"The Sunna of the Prophet" - Muhammad al-Ghazali