Chapter: On the Virtues of Poverty and the Poor

باب فی فضل الفقر وفضل الفقراء — احتیاج اور درویشوں کی فضیلت

بَابٌ فِي فَضْلِ الْفَقْرِ وَفَضْلِ الْفُقَرَاءِ — On the Virtues of the Poor

وَاصْبِرْ نَفْسَكَ مَعَ الَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ رَبَّهُمْ بِالْغَدَاةِ وَالْعَشِيِّ يُرِيدُونَ وَجْهَهُ ۖ وَلَا تَعْدُ عَيْنَاكَ عَنْهُمْ تُرِيدُ زِينَةَ الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا ۖ وَلَا تُطِعْ مَنْ أَغْفَلْنَا قَلْبَهُ عَن ذِكْرِنَا وَاتَّبَعَ هَوَاهُ وَكَانَ أَمْرُهُ فُرُطًا

"And restrain yourself with those who call upon their Lord morning and evening, desiring His face, and let not your eyes go beyond them, desiring the adornment of the worldly life; and do not obey one whose heart We have made heedless of Our remembrance and who follows his desire and whose affair is ever in neglect." (Al-Kahf, 18:28)

The author explains that Islam does not glorify material poverty as an end in itself, but it does honour those servants who are content with little and spend their time in devotion rather than accumulation. The poor who are patient have a special station before Allah on the Day of Resurrection.

عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: رُبَّ أَشْعَثَ مَدْفُوعٍ بِالْأَبْوَابِ لَوْ أَقْسَمَ عَلَى اللَّهِ لَأَبَرَّهُ

Narrated by Abu Hurayra (may Allah be pleased with him): The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: 'Many a dishevelled, dust-stained person turned away at doors — if he were to swear an oath by Allah, Allah would fulfil it for him.' (Muslim)

عَنْ أُسَامَةَ بْنِ زَيْدٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: يَدْخُلُ فُقَرَاءُ الْمُهَاجِرِينَ الْجَنَّةَ قَبْلَ أَغْنِيَائِهِمْ بِأَرْبَعِينَ خَرِيفًا

Narrated by Usama ibn Zayd (may Allah be pleased with them both): The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: 'The poor among the Muhajirin (emigrants) will enter Paradise forty years before their wealthy counterparts.' (Muslim — Mishkāt al-Maṣābīḥ)