The Book of Miscellany

كتاب المقدمات

Chapter 55: Excellence of Simple Living and being Content with Little

Anas (May Allah be pleased with him) reported

Abu Talhah (May Allah be pleased with him) said to (to his wife) Umm Sulaim(May Allah be pleased with her), "I noticed some weakness in the voice of Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and I feel it was due to hunger. Have you got any food?" She said, "Yes." So she brought out barley loaves, took off her head covering, in a part of which she wrapped these loaves and then put them beneath my mantle and covered me with a part of it. She then sent me to Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). I set forth and found Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) sitting in the mosque in the company of some people. I stood near them whereupon Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) asked, "Has Abu Talhah sent you?" I said, "Yes." Thereupon he said to those who were with him to get up (and follow him). He went forth and so did I, ahead of them until I came to Abu Talhah and informed him. Abu Talhah said, "O Umm Sulaim, here comes Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) along with the people and we do not have enough (food) to feed them." She said, "Allah and His Messenger know better." Abu Talhah went out (to receive him) until he met Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), and he came forward along with him until they both (Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and Abu Talhah (May Allah be pleased with him) came in. Then Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "O Umm Sulaim, bring forth what you have with you." So she brought the bread. Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) commanded that the bread be broken into small pieces and after Umm Sulaim (May Allah be pleased with her) had squeezed clarified butter out of a butter container and made it just like soup. Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) recited over it what Allah wished him to recite. He then said, "Allow ten guests to come in." They ate until they had their fill. They then went out. He (Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)) again said, "Allow ten (more to come in)", and he (the host) ushered them in. They ate to their fill. Then they went out. He (ﷺ) again said, "Allow ten (more)," until all the people ate to their fill. They were seventy or eighty persons.[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].Another narration is: Anas said: When all had eaten, the remaining food was collected. It was as much as there was in the beginning.Yet another narration is: Anas said: The groups of ten people ate by turn. After eighty persons had eaten, Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and the family of that house ate, and there was still a quantity left over.Another narration is: Anas (May Allah be pleased with him) said: I visited Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) one day, and found him sitting in the company of his Companions, with a belt tied over his waist. I asked, "Why has Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) tied the belt on his waist?" I was told, "Due to hunger." I went to Abu Talhah (May Allah be pleased with him) the husband of Umm Sulaim (May Allah be pleased with her) and said, "O father, I have seen Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) with a belt tied over his waist. I asked one of his Companions about the reason of it and he said that it was on account of severe hunger." Abu Talhah (May Allah be pleased with him) went to my mother and asked, "Have you got anything?" She said, "Yes. I have a piece of bread and some dry dates. Were Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) to come alone, we could feed him his fill, but if he comes along with others, there would not be enough food." Anas then narrated the Hadith in full.

Chapter 56: Contentment and Self-esteem and avoidance of unnecessary begging of People

Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Richness is not the abundance of wealth, rather it is self-sufficiency."[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

'Abdullah bin 'Amr bin Al-as (May Allah be pleased with them) reported

the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Successful is the one who has entered the fold of Islam and is provided with sustenance which is sufficient for his needs, and Allah makes him content with what He has bestowed upon him.".[Muslim].

Hakim bin Hizam (May Allah be pleased with him) reported

I begged Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and he gave me; I begged him again and he gave me. I begged him again and he gave me and said, "O Hakim, wealth is pleasant and sweet. He who acquires it with self-contentment, it becomes a source of blessing for him; but it is not blessed for him who seeks it out of greed. He is like one who goes on eating but his hunger is not satisfied. The upper hand is better than the lower one." I said to him, "O Messenger of Allah, by Him Who sent you with the Truth I will not, after you, ask anyone for anything till I leave this world." So Abu Bakr (May Allah be pleased with him) would summon Hakim (May Allah be pleased with him) to give his rations, but he would refuse. Then 'Umar (May Allah be pleased with him) would call him but he would decline to accept anything. So 'Umar (May Allah be pleased with him) said addressing Muslims: "O Muslims, I ask you to bear testimony that I offer Hakim his share of the booty that Allah has assigned for him but he refuses my offer." Thus Hakim did not accept anything from anyone after the death of Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), till he died.[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Abu Burdah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported

Abu Musa Al- Ash'ari (May Allah be pleased with him) said: "Six of us accompanied Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) in an expedition. We had one camel with us; we rode it in turn. Our feet got injured and my nails also fell out. We wrapped up our feet in rags; and because of this the campaign came to be known as Dhat-ur-Riqa' (the Campaign of Rags)." Abu Burdah (May Allah be pleased with him) says: Abu Musa reported this Hadith but regretted having done so. He said, "Would that I had not mentioned it!" He said so because he disliked to disclose anything concerning his deeds.[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

'Amr bin Taghlib (May Allah be pleased with him) reported

Some booty or prisoners of war were brought to Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and he distributed them, giving some men and neglecting others. Then, he was informed that those whom he had not given a thing were displeased. On this the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) praised Allah and glorified Him and said, "It is a fact that I give to one and overlook another. The one I ignore is dearer to me than the one I give. I give to those in whose hearts I perceive anxiety; others I leave with the richness and contentment that Allah has put in their hearts. One of them is 'Amr bin Taghlib." Upon this 'Amr bin Taghlib said, "By Allah I shall not accept a herd of red camels in exchange for what the Prophet said (about me)."[Al-Bukhari].

Hakim bin Hizam (May Allah be pleased with him) reported

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "The upper hand is better than the lower one; and begin (charity) with those who are under your care; and the best charity is (the one which is given) out of surplus; and he who wishes to abstain from begging will be protected by Allah; and he who seeks self- sufficiency will be made self-sufficient by Allah."[Al- Bukhari].

Abu Sufyan (May Allah be pleased with him) reported

Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Do not be importunate in begging. By Allah! If one of you asks me for something and I give it to him unwillingly, there is no blessing in what I give him."[Muslim].

'Auf bin Malik Al-Ashja'i (May Allah be pleased with him) reported

Seven, eight or nine people, including myself, were with Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) on an occasion when he (ﷺ) remarked, "Would you pledge allegiance to Messenger of Allah?" As we had taken oath of allegiance shortly before, we said, "We have already done so, O Messenger of Allah." He again asked, "Would you not pledge allegiance to Messenger of Allah?" So we stretched out our hands and said, "We have already made our pledge with you, O Messenger of Allah, on what should we make a pledge with you?" He said, "To worship Allah and not to associate anything with Him, to perform the five (daily) Salat and to obey." Then he added in a low tone, "And not to ask people for anything." Thereafter, I noticed that some of these people who were present did not ask anyone to pick up even the whip for them if it fell from their hands. [Muslim].

Ibn 'Umar (May Allah be pleased with them) reported

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "If one of you would keep begging (of people) until he meets Allah (on the Day of Resurrection) his face will be without a shred of flesh."[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Ibn 'Umar (May Allah be pleased with them) reported

While Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was on his pulpit (in the mosque) delivering a Khutbah (religious talk) about Sadaqah (charity) and begging, he said, "The upper hand is better than the lower hand, the upper hand is the one which gives and the lower hand is the begging one."[Al- Bukhari and Muslim].

Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported

Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "He who begs to increase his riches is in fact asking only for a live coal. It is up to him to decrease it or increase it."[Muslim].

Samurah bin Jundub (May Allah be pleased with him) reported

Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Begging is a cut that a person inflicts upon his face; except for asking a ruler, or under the stress of circumstances from which there is no escape."[At- Tirmidhi, who classified it as Hadith Hasan Sahih].

Ibn Mas'ud (May Allah be pleased with him) reported

Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "He who suffers poverty and seeks relief from people, he will not be relieved; but he who seeks relief from Allah Alone, he will be relieved sooner or later."[Abu Dawud and At-Tirmidhi, who classified it as Hadith Hasan].

Thauban (May Allah be pleased with him) reported

Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "He who guarantees me that he will not beg anything from anyone, I will guarantee him (to enter) Jannah." I said, "I give you the guarantee." Then Thauban (May Allah be pleased with him) never begged anything from anyone.[Abu Dawud].

Qabisah bin Al-Mukhariq (May Allah be pleased with him) reported

I stood as surety for a debt and came to Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) to seek his help in discharging it. Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Wait till we receive charity and I shall give you out of it." He (ﷺ) added, "O Qabisah, begging is not lawful except for three people. One who has incurred debt (for assuming guarantee), for him begging is permissible till the guarantee is discharged and he should then refrain; a person whose property has been destroyed by a calamity is allowed to beg till he attains self-sufficiency; a person who meets with dire necessity (due to hunger) provided that three men of understanding from his people affirm the genuineness (of his poverty), for him begging is lawful till he attains means of his subsistence. Other than these, O Qabisah, anything received through begging is unlawful, its recipient devours it unlawfully."[Muslim].

Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported

Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "A needy person is not the one who goes from door to door, begging and is turned away with a morsel or two or with a date or two. But a needy person is the one who does not have enough to live upon, and neither from his appearance it occurs that he is needy and should be given alms, nor does he himself beg anything from others."[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Chapter 57: Permissibility of Assistance without Greed

538. Salim, son of Abdullah bin 'Umar, from his father Abdullah; from 'Umar (May Allah be pleased with them) reported

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Chapter 58: Encouraging Livelihood by (working with) Hands and Abstaining from Begging

Zubair bin 'Awwam (May Allah be pleased with him) reported

Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "It is far better for you to take your rope, go to the mountain, (cut some firewood) carry it on your back, and sell it and thereby save your face than begging from people whether they give you or refuse."[Al-Bukhari].

Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported

Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "It is better for anyone of you to carry a bundle of wood on his back and sell it than to beg of someone whether he gives him or refuses."[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].