Allah Almighty says: {The example of [this] worldly life is like rain which We have sent down from the sky that the plants of the earth absorb - [those] from which men and livestock eat - until, when the earth has taken on its adornment and is beautified and its people suppose that they have capability over it, there comes to it Our command by night or by day, and We make it as stubble, as if it had not flourished the day before. Thus do We explain in detail the signs for a people who give thought.} [Yūnus: 24] He also says: {And give them the example of the life of this world; like rain which We send down from the sky, and the vegetation of the earth mingles with it and [then] it becomes dry remnants, scattered by the winds. And Allah is Most Capable over all things. Wealth and children are adornment of the worldly life. But the lasting good deeds are better to your Lord in reward and better for [one’s] hope.} [Al-Kahf: 45-46] And He says: {Know that the life of this world is but amusement and diversion and adornment and boasting among yourselves and competition in increase of wealth and children - like the example of a rain whose [resulting] plant growth pleases the tillers; then it dries and you see it turned yellow; then it becomes [scattered] debris. And in the Hereafter is severe punishment and forgiveness from Allah and approval. And what is the worldly life except the enjoyment of delusion.} [Al-Hadīd: 20] He also says: {Beautified for people is the love of what they desire - of women and sons, heaped-up sums of gold and silver, fine branded horses, and cattle and tilled land. That is the enjoyment of worldly life, but Allah has with Him the best return.} [Āl ‘Imrān: 14] And He says: {O mankind, indeed the promise of Allah is true, so let not the worldly life delude you and be not deceived about Allah by the Deceiver [i.e. Satan].} [Fātir: 5] He also says: {Competition in [worldly] increase diverts you, until you visit the graveyards. No! You are going to know. Then, no! You are going to know. No! If only you knew with knowledge of certainty. You will surely see the Hellfire. Then you will surely see it with the eye of certainty. Then you will surely be asked that Day about pleasure.} [At-Takāthur: 1-8] And He says: {And this worldly life is not but diversion and amusement. And indeed, the home of the Hereafter is the [eternal] life, if only they knew.} [Al-‘Ankabūt: 64] There are many other well-known verses in this respect.
1) The life of this world, with all its pleasures, is nothing but temporary enjoyment. So, a wise person would treat it as an abode of passing, not of permanent stay.
2) Allah is merciful to His servants, as He warned them of getting deceived by this world and opened for them the doors of the Hereafter.
they are too many to be counted. So, we only mention some of them.
457/1 - ‘Amr ibn ‘Awf al-Ansāri (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) sent Abu ‘Ubaydah ibn al-Jarrāh to Bahrain to collect its tribute. So, he returned from Bahrain with wealth. The Ansār got news of it and joined the Prophet in the Fajr prayer. When the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) concluded the prayer, they stood in his way. When he saw them, he smiled and said: “I think you have heard about the arrival of Abu ‘Ubaydah with something from Bahrain.” They said: “Yes, O Messenger of Allah.” He said: “Rejoice and hope for that which will please you. By Allah, it is not poverty that I fear for you, but I fear that this world will be opened up with its wealth for you as it was opened to those before you; and that you would vie with one another over it as they did and eventually it ruins you as it ruined them.” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri and Muslim]
Its tribute: a tax paid by its residents, who were mostly Magians. A tribute is money paid by non-Muslims in subjugation to Muslims in return for staying as non-Muslims and receiving protection for their families, property, and religion.
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1) Poverty may be better for people, as wealth often makes them transgress the bounds.
2) The Prophet’s perfect approach in dealing with human souls in a way that reforms them. He knew what the Ansār wanted, and so he gave them hope and put their hearts at ease.
458/2 - Abu Sa‘īd al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) sat on the pulpit and we sat around him. He said: “Verily, among the things I fear for you after me are the splendor and pleasures of this worldly life when they become plentifully available to you.” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri and Muslim]
1) Attachment to worldly life that makes a person forget about the Hereafter is the thing that the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) feared most for his Ummah.
2) The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) was compassionate toward his Ummah and keen on their salvation. He feared they might get attached to the transient pleasures and forget the permanent ones. Callers to Allah Almighty should adopt this same approach.
3) The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) informed us about the condition of his Ummah and that worldly life will be opened for them along with its ornaments and temptations.
459/3 - He also reported that the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “The life of this world is sweet and green, and Allah makes you generations succeeding one another so that He may try you with respect to your actions. So beware of (the temptations of) this world and beware of (the temptations of) women.” [Narrated by Muslim]
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1) People can enjoy the permissible worldly pleasures, for life is sweet and green.
2) A person’s duty in this life is to worship Allah and establish servitude to Him: {I have not created jinn and men except to worship Me.}
460/4 - Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “O Allah, there is no true life except the life of the Hereafter.” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri and Muslim]
1) The truly blissful life a person seeks to attain and feels joyful when he gets is the life of the Hereafter. As for worldly life, it is mixed with different kinds of trials and troubles.
2) A believer is urged to care about the reward and blessings from Allah Almighty, which are permanent.
461/5 - He also reported that the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “A dead person is followed (to the grave) by three: his family, his wealth, and his deeds. Then two of them return - his family and his wealth - and only his deeds remain with him.” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri and Muslim]
1) What truly benefits a deceased person is his good deeds. So, blissful are those who are taken to their graves with abundant righteous deeds.
2) A person’s family and property are but temporary deposits with him, and he will eventually go to his Lord and leave them behind.
462/6 - He also reported that the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “The most privileged of people in this world, from among the dwellers of Hellfire, will be brought on the Day of Judgment and dipped once in Hellfire and then he will be asked: ‘O son of Adam, have you ever experienced any bliss?’ He will say: ‘No my Lord, by Allah, I have not.’ Then, the most miserable of people in this world, from among the dwellers of Paradise, will be dipped once in Paradise and then he will be asked: ‘O son of Adam, have you ever experienced any misery?’ He will say: ‘No, by Allah, I have never been in misery nor have I experienced any hardship.’” [Narrated by Muslim]
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1) The bliss and torment in the life of this world are nothing compared to the bliss in Paradise and the torment in the Hellfire. This fact prompts us to be patient and hopeful.
2) When Allah Almighty bestows favors upon evil people in the worldly life, this does not mean that He loves them. Rather, He only gives them their share in this life so that they will have nothing but punishment in the Hereafter when they meet Him.
463/7 - Al-Mustawrid ibn Shaddād (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “This world in comparison with the Hereafter is like the amount of water one of you gets when he dips his finger in the sea. Let him look what his finger returns with.” [Narrated by Muslim]
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1) The worldly life is lowly and transient. A wise person would make it a means by which he can win in the Hereafter.
2) It is permissible to set examples to clarify meanings.
464/8 - Jābir (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) was passing through the market with his Companions on his both sides, when he saw a dead lamb with very short – or cut – ears. He held its ear and said: “Which one of you would like to have this for a dirham?” They replied: “We do not like to have it for anything, and what shall we do with it?” Then he asked: “Would you like to have it for nothing?” They replied: “Had it been alive, it would have been defective because of its short – or cut – ears, and this is more so as it is dead.” He said: “By Allah, the world is less worthy to Allah than this is to you.” [Narrated by Muslim]
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1) The worldly life and all that it contains is more lowly and worthless in the sight of Allah than the carcass of a defective animal. How could it deceive people then!
2) The scholars should remind people of the worthlessness of this world, urge them to live in it in an ascetic way, and warn them of attachment to it. There is nothing wrong with enjoying the permissible pleasures in this life, provided that one does not forget the Hereafter.
465/9 - Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: While I was walking with the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) in the Harra of Madīnah, (Mount) Uhud came in sight. Thereupon, the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “O Abu Dharr!” I said: “At your service, O Messenger of Allah!” He said: “I would not be pleased to have the like of Uhud in gold and three days pass while even one dinar thereof remains with me, except what I keep to repay debts. Otherwise, I would distribute it among Allah’s slaves like this, and like this, and like this,” pointing to his right, his left, and behind his back. He then walked and said: “The rich ones will be the ones with the least good deeds on the Day of Judgment except those who spend their wealth like this, and like this, and like this,” pointing to his right, his left, and behind his back, “but these are only few.” Then he said to me: “Stay in your place. Do not leave it until I come back to you.” Then he proceeded in the darkness of night until he went out of sight. I then heard a voice and I was afraid that someone might have attacked the Prophet. So I wanted to go to him, but I remembered what he had said: “Do not leave until I come back to you.” Therefore, I stayed at my place until he came back to me. I said: “I heard a voice and I was afraid of it,” and I mentioned that to him. He said: “You heard it?” I replied: “Yes.” He said: “That was Jibrīl, who came to me and said: 'If anyone of your Ummah dies without associating anything with Allah, he will enter Paradise.” I said: “Even if he commits fornication and theft?” He said: “Even if he commits fornication and theft.” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri and Muslim; this is the wording narrated by Al-Bukhāri]
466/10 - Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “If I had gold equal to (Mount) Uhud, it would please me that I should have nothing left of it with me after the passage of three nights, except what I might retain to repay a debt.” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri and Muslim]
Harra: a land covered in black stones.
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1) They point out the merit of Tawhīd and that it expiates sins, and that whoever fulfills Tawhīd will enter Paradise, without punishment or reckoning.
2) The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) was the most ascetic of all people with regard to the worldly life, along with having perfect richness and contentment in his heart.
3) Wealthy people mostly transgress and act arrogantly. {No! [But] indeed, man transgresses, because he sees himself self-sufficient.}
4) Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) was most polite towards the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him). He respected his command and did not disobey it, even for some likely need or benefit. Indeed, all goodness lies in following the infallible Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him).
5) Wealth is the best help whereby a righteous person can do a lot of good. A fortunate person is the one endowed with wealth and knowledge, for he will spend the money on the charitable causes he knows about.
467/11 - He also reported that the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Look at those who are below you, and do not look at those who are above you, for that is more likely to hold you back from belittling the blessings that Allah has bestowed upon you.” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri and Muslim; this is the wording of Muslim]
In the version by Al-Bukhāri: “When one of you looks at those who are superior to him in property and appearance, he should look at those who are inferior to him.”
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1) It urges us to give thanks to Allah Almighty for His blessings, even if we are less fortunate than others in this regard.
2) The Shariah came to refine people’s souls and manners and reform their conditions.
468/12 - He also reported that the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Wretched is the slave of the dinar (gold coin) and dirham (silver coin) and of fancy clothes of velvet and striped silk. If he is given, he is satisfied; but if he is not given, he is unsatisfied.” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri]
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1) A human being is inevitably a slave. He is either a slave to Allah or a slave to his lusts.
2) Dispraised is the one who gets distracted by wealth from Allah Almighty, feeling joyful when he is given of it and sad when deprived.
469/13 - Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: “I have seen seventy of the people of the Suffah, and none of them had a shirt on them. They had either a lower garment (waist sheet) or a sheet which they tied around their necks. Some reached halfway down the shins and some reached the ankles; and the one wearing it would hold it with his hand to avoid exposing his private parts.” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri]
The people of the Suffah: They are the guests of Islam from among the poor Companions. They used to take shelter in an area at the back of the Prophet’s mosque known as Suffah.
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1) The leading figures of this Ummah would mostly have little worldly possessions, and they include the people of the Suffah from among the Prophet’s Companions.
2) Poverty does not prevent a person from being diligent in doing good. In fact, at the hands of those ascetic Companions, countries and people’s hearts were opened to Islam. So, do not be sad, O poor and patient Muslim!
470/14 - He also reported that the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “This world is a prison for the believer and a paradise for the disbeliever.” [Narrated by Muslim]
1) This world is so insignificant in the sight of Allah Almighty that it was likened to a prison for the believer.
2) If a person finds nothing but pure bliss in this world and suffers no affliction, he should check his heart and deeds, for the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) described the condition of a believer in this worldly life as that of a prisoner.
471/15 - Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) held me by the shoulders and said: “Be in this world as if you are a stranger or a wayfarer.”
Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) used to say: “In the evening do not expect [to live until] the morning, and in the morning do not expect [to live until] the evening. Take advantage of your health before times of sickness, and take advantage of your life before your death.” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri]
They commented on this statement, saying: It means: Do not be attracted to this life or regard it as an abode of long stay. Do not hold the thought that you will live for long or have a keen interest in it except as a stranger who only cares for certain things in other than his home. And do not get preoccupied with things that should not concern a stranger who wants to return to his family.
1) The Prophet holding Ibn ‘Umar by the shoulders is a sign of his love for him.
2) It is recommended that a teacher holds his student by the shoulders as he teaches him and preaches to him. This inspires friendliness and draws his attention.
3) The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) was keen to deliver everything good to his Ummah.
4) A person in this world is like a traveler. The worldly life is not an abode of permanent stay, rather a transit passage.
5) The believer is a stranger in this world because Paradise is his original home. {And We said: “O Adam, dwell, you and your wife, in Paradise.”} But his enemy, Satan, drove him out of it and took him captive. So, he is now living in captivity, with constant longing for his home.
472/16 - Sahl ibn Sa‘d al-Sā‘idi (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: A man came to the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) and said: “O Messenger of Allah, direct me to a deed which, if I do it, [will cause] Allah to love me and the people to love me.” He said: “Be indifferent to the worldly life, Allah will love you; and be indifferent to what people have, people will love you.” [Narrated by Ibn Mājah and others, with sound Isnāds]
1) The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) were keen to ask about what would benefit them and draw them close to Allah Almighty.
2) If a person renounces worldly life and aspires to what Allah has, his Lord will love him.
3) It encourages us not to covet people’s possessions. That is why all messengers would not ask their peoples for wages.
473/17 - Al-Nu‘mān ibn Bashīr (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) reported that ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb (may Allah be pleased with him) mentioned what the people had gained of worldly pleasures and said: “I saw how the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) would pass a whole day writhing (from hunger), not even finding bad dates to fill his stomach with.” [Narrated by Muslim]
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1) A person’s condition in this world is not a true measure of his status in the sight of Allah. A case in point is the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him), the noblest of all people, who would go to sleep while suffering hunger.
2) The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) led an ascetic life and endured hunger, preferring the Hereafter over the life of this world.
474/18 - ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) reported: “The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) died when my house was void of any edible thing except for a small quantity of barley I had on a shelf and from which I kept eating for a long time. Then when I measured what was left of it, it was soon finished.” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri and Muslim]
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1) It shows the Prophet’s asceticism and describes the life that his household lived.
2) If Allah Almighty endows someone with sustenance or some exceptional thing, it is incumbent on him to thank his Lord.
475/19 - ‘Amr ibn al-Hārith, the brother of Juwayriyyah bint al-Hārith, the Mother of the Believers, (may Allah be pleased with both of them) reported: “When the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) died, he left neither a dinar nor a dirham nor a male slave nor a female slave, nor anything else except his white riding mule, his weapon, and a piece of land which he had given in charity to wayfarers.” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri]
1) The Prophets did not leave wealth as inheritance. Whatever they left was deemed charity.
2) Whoever loves to meet Allah Almighty should carry less of the worldly possessions, except what benefits him in the Hereafter.
476/20 - Khabbāb ibn al-Aratt (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: “We immigrated along with the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) seeking the face of Allah. So our reward is with Allah. Among us were those who died and did not consume any of the reward (in this life), like Mus‘ab ibn ‘Umayr who died without leaving anything behind but a colored sheet of wool (that we used as his shroud). When we covered his head with it, his feet would become exposed; and when we covered his feet, his head would become exposed. So the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) commanded us to cover his head and place Idhkhir on his feet. Others among us lived to see the fruits of their reward and harvest them.” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri and Muslim]
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Idhkhir: a pleasant-scented plant.
1) It describes how the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) patiently endured hardships for the sake of supporting this religion. They immigrated to another place seeking reward from Allah Almighty. So it behooves the believers to follow their example.
2) Allah Almighty gives worldly opulence to those He loves and those He does not love; but He only gives the religion and the good reward in the Hereafter to those He loves.
477/21 - Sahl ibn Sa‘d al-Sā‘idi (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Were the worldly life worth the wing of a mosquito in the sight of Allah, He would not give a disbeliever a drink of its water.” [Narrated by Al-Tirmidhi; he classified it as Hasan Sahīh (sound and authentic)]
1) The worldly life is so insignificant in the sight of Allah Almighty, even less in worth than the wing of a mosquito.
2) The true worth of the worldly life lies in making it a path to the Hereafter, not in making it an abode that you furnish as if you will remain in it forever while deserting the Hereafter as if you are heedless of it.
478/22 - Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: I heard the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) say: “Verily, this world is cursed, and everything in it is cursed, except the remembrance of Allah and all that is relevant to it, a scholar, and a seeker of knowledge.” [Narrated by Al-Tirmidhi; and he classified it as Hasan (sound)]
Cursed: lowly, hateful.
1) All what exists in this world is deemed play and diversion, except remembrance of Allah and what is related to it. The wise person is he who knows the true worth of this life and its deception.
2) It points out the great status of knowledge and its people. They are the honored ones in this transient life.
3) In pursuit of knowledge, people are of two types: a scholar and a student. Both are following the path of salvation. So, be one of these two types in order to win and be saved.
479/23 - ‘Abdullāh ibn Mas‘ūd (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Do not crave for property lest you should become consumed with desire for worldly life.” [Narrated by Al-Tirmidhi; and he classified it as Hasan (sound)]
Property: real estate.
1) We are prohibited from seeking more and more worldly possessions, which would attract us to them and make us heedless of the Hereafter.
2) The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) was keen to guide his Ummah to the paths of goodness and keep them away from the paths of evil.
480/24 - ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Amr ibn al-‘Ās (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) passed by us while we were repairing a hut we owned. He said: “What is this?” We replied: “It has become weak, so we are repairing it.” He said: “I only foresee that the matter (meaning death) is sooner than that.” [Abu Dāwūd and Al-Tirmidhi, with an authentic Isnād (that meets the conditions of Al-Bukhāri and Muslim] [Al-Tirmidhi classified this Hadīth as Hasan Sahīh (sound and authentic)]
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1) Repair of our houses, in case they become shaky or vulnerable to collapsing, does not fall under the dispraised attachment to worldly life.
2) We should always put death before our eyes and remember that it may be the nearest thing to us.
3) This Prophetic directive is meant to curb the attachment of hearts to the worldly life, not to totally abandon it. {But seek, through what Allah has given you, the home of the Hereafter; but do not forget your share of the world.}
481/25 - Ka‘b ibn ‘Iyād (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: I heard the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) say: “Indeed there is a source of temptation for every Ummah, and the source of temptation for my Ummah is wealth.” [Narrated by Al-Tirmidhi; he classified it as Hasan Sahīh (sound and authentic)]
1) Putting people to test through temptations is the norm of Allah in every nation. “Blissful is he who is spared temptation and he who is tested and shows patience.”
2) Keenness on amassing wealth ruins relationships, as it results in stinginess, which in turn leads to severance of kinship ties. {So would you perhaps, if you turned away, cause corruption on earth and sever your kinship ties?}
3) A person should renounce worldly vanities and desire the Hereafter. Let the worldly possessions be in one’s hands, not in the heart.
4) A wise person would treat wealth like a bathroom, which is indispensable but not desirable.
482/26 - ‘Uthmān ibn ‘Affān (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “The son of Adam has no right to anything but these things: a house in which he lives, a garment which covers his ‘Awrah (private parts), bread, and water.” [Al-Tirmidhi; he classified it as authentic] [1]
Al-Tirmidhi said: I heard Abu Dāwūd Sulaymān ibn Sālim al-Balkhi say: I heard Al-Nadr ibn Shumayl say: Jilf is bread without any accompanying food. Others said it refers to thick bread. Al-Harawi said it is the container of bread. And Allah knows best.
This Hadīth comes from Jewish sources. About Hurayth ibn al-Sā’ib, one of the narrators of this Hadīth, Imām Ahmad (may Allah have mercy upon him) said: “He narrated a Munkar (odd) Hadīth allegedly from the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him), and this is not from the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him),” meaning this Hadīth. Al-Dāraqutni was asked about this Hadīth and he said:
“Hurayth was mistaken in it. The correct chain is from Al-Hasan ibn Himrān from one of the People of the Scripture.”
483/27 - ‘Abdullāh ibn al-Shikhkhīr (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: I came to the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) while he was reciting: {Competition in [worldly] increase diverts you.} He said: “The son of Adam says: ‘My wealth, my wealth.’ O son of Adam, is there anything of your wealth that belongs to you except what you ate and consumed, or what you wore and wore out or what you gave as charity and sent it forward?” [Narrated by Muslim]
1) The Shariah adopts a balanced approach in dealing with all matters. It endears the Hereafter to people, as it is the permanent abode, and encourages them to take their share in this life without competing in hoarding worldly possessions.
2) Useful wealth is what is used as a means to the Hereafter, like food, clothes, house, or charity.
484/28 - ‘Abdullāh ibn Mughaffal (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: A man said to the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him): “O Messenger of Allah, by Allah, I love you.” He said: “Think about what you are saying.” The man repeated thrice: “By Allah, I love you.” He said: “If you love me, you should be ready for acute poverty, because poverty comes to those who love me, faster than a torrent flowing towards its destination.” [Narrated by Al-Tirmidhi; and he classified it as Hasan (sound)]
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1) There is no link between loving the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) and being wealthy. Indeed, the sign of love for him is to follow him closely and adhere to his Sunnah. Greater following denotes greater love.
2) The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) is authentically reported to have said: “How excellent is the good wealth for the good person.” So, he praised the lawfully earned money if it is spent in a proper manner.
3) Whoever is keen to follow the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) will be required to have little of worldly possessions. True love for the Hereafter and indulgence in worldly pleasures cannot exist together in a believer’s heart.
Some may take this Hadīth to mean that "poverty is inseparable from the people of piety", whereas there is actually no correlation between them. Wealth and opulence may even be combined with piety and love for the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him). Rather, the Hadīth refers to patience over afflictions in general, which are destined to befall the believer to raise his rank and expiate his sins.
This meaning is further confirmed by another version of this Hadīth cited in Sahīh Ibn Hibbān, in which ‘Abdullāh ibn Mughaffal (may Allah be pleased with him) said: A man came to the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) and said: “O Messenger of Allah, by Allah, I love you.” The Prophet said: “Afflictions come to those who love me faster than a torrent runs to its destination.”
485/29 - Ka‘b ibn Mālik (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Two hungry wolves sent in the midst of a flock of sheep are no more destructive to them than a man’s greed for wealth and fame is to his religion.” [Narrated by Al-Tirmidhi; he classified it as Hasan Sahīh (sound and authentic)]
1) Keenness to amass wealth by any means ruins one’s religion, since when opulence is not accompanied by piety, it causes a person to transgress.
2) Human souls are greedy. So, a person should teach himself to be contented.
486/30 - ‘Abdullāh ibn Mas‘ūd (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) was sleeping upon a mat, and then he got up, and the mat had left marks on his side. We said: “O Messenger of Allah, we could get a bed for you.” He said: “What do I have to do with the world! I am not in the world but as a rider seeking shade under a tree, then he leaves it and continues his journey.”
[Narrated by Al-Tirmidhi; he classified it as Hasan Sahīh (sound and authentic)]
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1) It shows the Prophet’s asceticism and little worldly possessions. {There has certainly been for you in the Messenger of Allah an excellent example}.
2) It likens worldly life to the rest a traveler takes underneath a tree - how brief it is!
487/31 - Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “The poor will enter Paradise 500 years before the rich.” [Al-Tirmidhi; he classified it as Sahīh (authentic)]
1) The poor will be quicker in entering Paradise, as patient poor people have nothing to distract them from the Hereafter.
2) Wealth usually hinders one from good deeds. So, a poor person should be patient and grateful to his Lord, and let him rejoice at this Prophetic glad tiding.
488/32 - Ibn ‘Abbās and ‘Imrān ibn Husayn (may Allah be pleased with both of them) reported that the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “I looked into Paradise and found that the majority of its people are the poor, and I looked into the Fire and found that the majority of its people are women.” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri and Muslim] This is the version reported by Ibn ‘Abbās.
It is also narrated by Al-Bukhāri via ‘Imrān ibn Husayn.
489/33 - Usāmah ibn Zayd (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) reported that the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “I stood at the gate of Paradise and saw that the majority of the people who entered it were the poor, while the wealthy were stopped at the gate (for the reckoning). But the people of the Fire were ordered to be taken to the Fire.” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri and Muslim]
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1) The poor make up the majority of the dwellers of Paradise. It should be known, however, that poverty is not the reason for their entry into Paradise, but their good deeds and patience in the face of afflictions.
2) Women are urged to do good deeds to protect themselves from Hellfire.
3) Paradise and Hell are two created entities that do exist.
490/34 - Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “The truest word uttered by a poet is this verse of Labīd: ‘Behold! Apart from Allah everything is vain.’” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri and Muslim]
Labīd ibn Rabī‘ah was one of the greatest Arab poets before Islam. He was alive at the time of Islam and he came to the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) and embraced Islam, after which he abandoned poetry.
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1) The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) would cite good poetry, occasionally citing half a verse.
2) Apart from Allah Almighty, everything is vain and useless. So, anything done for Allah’s sake will remain and endure; otherwise, it is doomed to failure.
3) The truth should be accepted from the one who says it, regardless of who he is.