Generous man closer to God

Generous man closer to God

BY MJ MOHAMMED IQBAL

THE world could not find a more austere and humble personality than Holy Prophet who led a truly simple of life not only at the time when he had no power but also when he was the great Ruler of Arabia.

When we go through the life of Holy Prophet, one can see for many days together he was without food/water and with only few dates. At Taif when he was preaching the truth the humiliation and sufferings he had received from those people were immense and he was there for 30 days without food eating the leaves of trees.

One the companions of Holy Prophet Abu Talha reported: "We all complained of hunger to the Holy Prophet and we took away stones, tied to our bellies. Then the Apostle of Allah Holy Prophet raised two stones from his belly."

Though Almighty placed all the treasures at the feet of the Prophet but Holy Prophet refused them saying "O Allah! Give me food for one day that I may be thankful to Thee and keep me hungry on the day following that I may acquire the virtue of patience." All his earthly possessions as King of Arabia were an earthen pot, a bedding of date leaves with pillows of date-refuges and narrow-built house.

The generous man is closer to God, closer to men and closer to Paradise, but the miser is distant from God, distant from men and near Hell.

Ayesha wife of Prophet [PBUH] said: I began to feel sorrow when I saw the Prophet hungry and said: "O Messenger of God, why don't you pray to God for food?" He said: "O Ayesha, by One in whose hand lies my life, had I prayed to my Lord, the mountains of the world would have followed me being filled up with gold. They would have moved to the place where I wished, but I preferred in the world hunger in place of satisfaction, poverty in place of wealth and riches of the world, and sorrows and difficulties in place of pleasures and enjoyments of the world. O Ayesha, God is not pleased with anything in case of difficulties and patience in their dear things. He will never be satisfied by not giving me these sorrows and difficulties, which he gave to the Prophets. God says: Keep patience as the resolute Prophets kept patience. By God, I shall certainly keep patience to my utmost as they kept patience. There is no might and strength except through God."

Once the Prophet's widow Lady Hafsa who was the daughter of Omar said to her father at the time of her father's ruling:" Many deputations come to you from many distant places. You should take up decent dress and give order for delicious foods for you and for your guests."

Hearing this Omar said: O Hafsa, don't you know that the family members of a man know his condition best? Hafsa replied: I know it.

Omar said: "I ask you again, Don't you know how the Prophet and his family members lived during his time? If they enjoyed breakfast, they remained hungry at night, and if they enjoyed food at night, they remained hungry at noon.

I ask you in the name of God; Don't you know that until the victory at Khaibar the Prophet and his family members could not enjoy dates.

I ask you in the name of God, don't you know how the Prophet disliked the keeping of food in his basket for his use, so much so that the colour of his face in that case changed? Then he took the food from the pot and placed it on the ground.

I ask you again in the name of God: Don't you know that the Prophet used to sleep on a double folded blanket? I prepared for him one night a bed four folded and he slept thereon. Rising from sleep, he said: I could not pray Tahajjud (night) prayers as I slept on a four folded blanket. Make it two folded as on the previous occasions.

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