(188) It is related by Anas that [one of the favourite] prayers of the Apostle of God was: “O God ! Keep me alive in the state of indigence, and raise from the world in the state of indigence, and let me be in the company of those that are indigent.”
-Tirmidhi and Baihaqi
Commentary.-We have just seen that when the Lord asked the Prophet if the valley of Mecca be filled with gold for him, the Prophet replied, “No, my Lord ! What I like is that I may eat my fill on one day and go without a meal on the other.'
The Prophet had purposely chosen a life of poverty for himself, which was also the inclination of his enlightened inner self. It is indisputable that no other pattern of living could be more suited to the lofty position he occupied and the noble task he had to perform. Should the Lord grant contentment and submission to anyone, it is, generally, preferable for him, from the viewpoint of Faith and Futurity, to lead an existence of want and indigence instead of plenty and prosperity.
(189) It is related by Abu Hurairah that the Prophet [often used to pray: “O God! Bestow upon the dependants of Muhammad only as much of provision as is necessary to sustain life.”
- Bukhari and Muslim
Commentary.-In the literal sense, the word Aal [used in the above Tradition] means ‘household' which includes servants and dependants, but in the present Tradition it, apparently, denotes only the dependants. Hence, we have, here, translated it as such.
Both Quwat and Kafaf, occurring in the original Arabic text, signify that the provision should be only as much as was necessary to keep the business of living going. It should neither be so meagre as to make it difficult for the bondsman to attend to his duties due to hunger or mental distress or compel him to extend a begging hand before others nor so abundant that he may hoard and preserve it for future need.