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THE
GENEROSITY OF GOD’S MESSENGER
God’s
Messenger is, in the whole of creation, the most polished
mirror, in which God Almighty’s Names and Attributes are
reflected to the highest degree. Being a perfect manifestation
of God’s Names and Attributes and an embodiment of the Qur’an
and Islam, he is the greatest and most decisive and
comprehensive proof of God’s Existence and Unity and the truth
of Islam and the Qur’an. One who saw him remembered God
automatically. Each virtue he had was the reflection of a Name
or Attribute of God, and is a proof of his Prophethood. Like his
mildness and forbearance, his generosity is also another
dimension of his excellent, matchless personality and a
reflection and proof of his Prophethood.
The
people of Arabia were renowned for their generosity even in the
pre-Islamic period of Ignorance. When we look at their poetry
belonging to that time, we see that they were proud of their
generosity. However, their generosity was not for the sake of
God or for an altruistic motive; rather, it was the cause of
self-pride. But the generosity of God’s Messenger, upon him be
peace and blessings, was for another motive - purely for God’s
sake. He never mentioned, and did not like to have mentioned,
his generosity, and when a poet praised him for his generosity,
he attributed whatever good he had or did, to God’s enabling
him to have or do it. He never attributed his virtues and good
deeds to himself.
God’s
Messenger, upon him be peace and blessings, liked to distribute
whatever he had. He engaged in trade until his Prophethood and
had considerable wealth. After Prophethood he and his wealthy
wife Khadija spent everything they had in the way of God. When
Khadija, may God be pleased with her, died, they had no money to
buy a shroud, and God’s Messenger had to borrow money in order
to bury the first person to embrace Islam and its first
supporter.1
If God’s
Messenger had so desired, he could have been the richest man in
Makka, but he rejected such offers without hesitation. In
addition, God ordained in the Qur’an that one-fifth of war
spoils should be at the free disposal of God’s Messenger, upon
him be peace and blessings. However, he never thought of
spending it on himself or his family. He lived a life of
austerity as did his family who had to manage on scanty
provision. In distribution of war spoils, he always preferred
the others over his family members. His share in the spoils of
the Battle of Hunayn consisted of 40,000 sheep, 24,000 camels
and 16 tons of silver. Safwan ibn Umayya, from whom God’s
Messenger had borrowed some weapons before the battle, gazed
upon the spoils with greed and bewilderment. Aware of Safwan’s
desire, the Messenger gave him as many camels as he wanted.
Astounded with the generosity of God’s Messenger, Safwan ran
to his people and announced; ‘O my people! Accept Islam
without hesitation. For Muhammad gives in such a way that only a
man who is never afraid of poverty and has a perfect reliance on
God can give.’ The generosity of God’s Messenger sufficed
for the guidance of Safwan and his people, who had been among
the most bitter enemies of Islam until just before that day.2
God’s
Messenger, upon him be peace and blessings, regarded himself a
traveler in the world. Once he said: What connection do I
have with the world! I am like a traveler who is shaded under a
tree and then continues on his way.3
According
to God’s Messenger, the world is like a tree under which
people are shaded. No one can live forever in the world, so
people must make in the world the necessary preparation for the
second part of the journey which will end either in Paradise or
in Hell. The mission of God’s Messenger was to guide people to
truth, so he would spend whatever he had, his life and his
possessions, to this end. As mentioned before, once ‘Umar saw
him lying on a rough mat and wept. When the Messenger asked him
why he was weeping, ‘Umar replied:
O
Messenger of God! While kings sleep in soft feather beds,
you are lying on a rough mat. You are the Messenger of God
and therefore deserve more than any other people an easy
life. Do you not agree that the luxuries of the world
should be theirs but those of the Hereafter ours? God’s
Messenger answered.4
Islam
does not approve of monastic life. It came to secure justice and
the well-being of mankind, but warns people against
over-indulgence. It is for this reason that many Muslims have
chosen an ascetic life. Although the Muslims generally became
rich after the death of God’s Messenger, upon him be peace and
blessings, some like the Caliphs Abu Bakr, ‘Umar and ‘Ali
preferred an austere life. This was partly because they felt the
need to live as the poorest of their people live and partly
because they strictly followed the Prophet’s example. Once,
during his Caliphate, Abu Bakr was offered a glass of cold water
to break his fast with during Ramadan. He took the glass to his
lips and suddenly began to weep. When asked the reason, he
answered: ‘One day, God’s Messenger drunk such a glass of
cold water offered to him and wept, saying: God says: ‘On that
day, you will be questioned concerning every bounty.’ We will
also be questioned concerning this water. I remembered that and
wept.’5
In the
early days of his Caliphate, Abu Bakr made his living by milking
the sheep of a woman. Sometime later he was assigned a small
salary. While on his death-bed, he gave a pitcher to those
around him to be submitted to the new Caliph after his death.
‘Umar succeeded him and, when he broke the pitcher, some coins
came out, together with a letter, which read:
‘I
lived according to the living standards of the poorest of
Madina, and put in this pitcher the amount left of my
salary. Therefore, these coins belong to the Public
Treasury and must be returned there.’ On reading the
letter, ‘Umar wept and remarked: ‘You have left an
unbearable burden upon those who succeed you, O Abu Bakr!’6
God’s
Messenger was, in the words of Anas, ‘the comeliest and most
generous of people’.7 Jabir ibn Samura reports:
We
were once sitting in the mosque. The full moon was shining
above us. God’s Messenger entered. I looked first at the
moon and then at the face of God’s Messenger, upon him
be peace and blessings. I swear by God that the Messenger’s
face was brighter than the moon.8
He
refused no one and, as Farazdak said, did not say ‘No’
except in reciting the declaration of belief in the sitting
position of prayer. Had it not been for the recitation of this
confession, he would never have said ‘No’.
Once, a
Bedouin came to God’s Messenger and asked him for something.
The Messenger gave him what he asked for. The Bedouin continued
to ask and the Messenger gave him until he had nothing left to
give. When the Bedouin asked again, he promised to give it later
when he had it. Angered by the rudeness of the Bedouin, ‘Umar
said to God’s Messenger: ‘You were asked and you gave; again
you were asked and you gave; you were asked once more and you
promised!’ ‘Umar meant that the Messenger should not make
things so difficult for himself.
God’s
Messenger, upon him be peace and blessings, did not approve of
what ‘Umar said. ‘Abdullah ibn Hudafa al-Sahmi stood up and
said: ‘O God’s Messenger, give and do not be afraid that the
Owner of the Seat of Honor will make you poor!’ Pleased with
the words of Ibn Hudafa al-Sahmi, the Messenger declared: I was
commanded to do so!9
He never
refused a request, for it was he who said:
The
generous are near to God, near to Paradise, near to
people, but distant from the Fire. The miserly are distant
from God, distant from Paradise, distant from people, but
near to the Fire.10
Again, he
said:
O
people! Surely God has chosen for you Islam as religion,
so better your practice of Islam through generosity and
good manners.11
The
mercifulness of God’s Messenger rose up as moisture into the
sky, and then ‘rained’ as generosity to make hardened hearts
propitious for the growing of ‘good trees whose roots are firm
and whose branches are in the heavens, and which yield their
fruits every season by the leave of their Lord’.
1. I.
Kathir, al-Bidaya, 3.158-9.
2. I. Hisham, 4.135; I. Hajar, al-Isaba, 2.187; Muslim,
“Fada’il,” 57.
3. Bukhari, “Riqaq,” 3.
4. Bukhari, “Tafsir,” 2; Muslim, “Talaq,” 31.
5. Muslim, “Ashriba,” 140; Abu Nu‘aym, “Hilya,” 1.30.
6. Tabari, “Tarikh,” 4.252.
7. Muslim, “Fada’il,” 48; Bukhari, “Manaqib,” 23.
8. Suyuti, al-Khasa’is, 1.123; Hindi, Kanz al-‘Ummal,
7.168.
9. I. Kathir, 6.63.
10. Tirmidhi, “Birr,” 40.
11. Hindi, 6.571.
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