Aslam

A certain pious successor of the companions was asked about two men-who among the two is better. One man searches wealth in a lawful manner, shows kindness on relatives and spends in good works. Another man gives up wealth and does not search for it. he said : By God, there is a great deal of difference between them. He who gives up wealth is better and there is between them the distance of east and west. The Prophet said : Those who will be the chiefs in Paradise among the believers are those who could not procure their night meal after their morning meal, who did not get any loan when asked for, who had no cloth except what they got to cover their shame and who could not procure even their necessary things, yet they were satisfied with their Lord at all times. They are those persons on whom Cod showered His blessing — the prophets, the truthful, the martyrs and the religious people. How good they are as companions.

After these narrations, if you want to hoard up wealth and promise that you will do it for good works, your word will not come out true. In this age, we are deprived of lawful things. How can we except to live on lawful food and lawful dress? Abu Omamah Baheli reported that Sa'alaba once asked the Prophet :
O Prophet of God, pray to God that He may grant me wealth. He said : O Salalaba, to express gratefulness for little wealth is better than enormous wealth for which gratefulness cannot be expressed. He said : O Prophet of God, pray to God that He may grant me wealth. He said : O Sa'alaba, will you not adopt an ideal ? Are you not satisfied to be like the Prophet of God ? Beware, by One in whose hand there is my life, if I wish, this mountain will be filled up with gold and silver. He said : By One who sent you as a true prophet, if you pray to God to grant me wealth, I will pay the dues of everyone, I will do this and that work. The Prophet prayed : O god, give provision to Sa'laba. he took some goats which began to increase like worms. He began to live with those goats in the suburbas of Medina He could not pray in congregation except noon and afternoon prayers. When the goats increased to a great deal, he could not pray in congregation except Jumma prayer. When the goats still increased, he gave up Jumma prayers also. One day the Prophet enquired of him when he did not find him in congregation. The people said : He is engaged in grazing goats in the outskirts of Medina. The Prophet said : O Sa'laba, alas for you. Then the following verse was revealed — Take Zakat from their properties. That will purify

206 The Book of Destructive evils Vol-III

them and pray for them. Your prayer is consolation to them. This is the first verse for the realisation of Zakat.