I was sitting in the company of the poor members of the emigrants. Some of them were sitting together because of lack of clothing while a reader was reciting to us. All of a sudden the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) came along and stood beside us. When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) stood, the reader stopped and greeted him.
He asked: What were you doing? We said: Messenger of Allah! We had a reader who was reciting to us and we were listening to the Book of Allah, the Exalted.
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) then said: Praise be to Allah Who has put among my people those with whom I have been ordered to stay. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) then sat among us so as to be like one of us, and when he had made a sign with his hand they sat in a circle with their faces turned towards him.
The narrator said: I think that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) did not recognize any of them except me.
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) then said: Rejoice, you group of poor emigrants, in the announcement that you will have perfect light on the Day of Resurrection. You will enter Paradise half a day before the rich, and that is five hundred years.
Hadith Commentary: The Virtue of the Poor Believers
This blessed narration from Sunan Abi Dawud 3666 in the Book of Knowledge (Kitab Al-Ilm) demonstrates profound spiritual wisdom regarding the status of the materially poor who are rich in faith and knowledge.
The Prophet's Humility and Companionship
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) approached the poor emigrants without ceremony, sat among them as an equal, and created a circle of learning. This exemplifies the Islamic teaching that knowledge gatherings should be accessible to all, regardless of worldly status.
His statement "Praise be to Allah Who has put among my people those with whom I have been ordered to stay" indicates that Allah specifically chose these humble companions for the Prophet's company, elevating their spiritual status above their material condition.
The Superiority of the Knowledge-Seeking Poor
The extraordinary glad tidings - entering Paradise five hundred years before the wealthy - refers to the "half day" mentioned in the Quran (22:47, 32:5) where a day with Allah equals a thousand years. This precedence is granted due to their early completion of accountability, having fewer worldly possessions to account for.
Their gathering for Quranic recitation despite poverty demonstrates their sincere love for divine knowledge, which Allah rewards with this magnificent honor. The "perfect light" signifies the complete illumination they will receive on Judgment Day when others struggle with darkness.
Lessons for the Seeker of Knowledge
This hadith teaches that poverty coupled with sincere knowledge-seeking is nobler than wealth with heedlessness. It encourages maintaining study circles regardless of material circumstances and emphasizes that true honor lies in piety and knowledge, not worldly status.
The Prophet's recognition of only one companion among them shows that what matters is not personal recognition but the spiritual state of the heart and its attachment to divine knowledge.