Chapter IV: Poverty and Renunciation
Prophet said : Generosity grows out of sure faith and a man of sure faith shallnot enter Hell. Miserliness grows out of doubt. He who has got doubt in faith shall not enter Paradise. (13) He also said : 'The generous man is near God, near men and near Paradise, but the miser is distant from God. distant from men and near Hell.' Miserliness is a result of attachment to the world.
Generosity is the result of renunciation of the world. It is impossible to praise the result without praising what produces the result. (14) The Prophet said : God gives wisdom to the mind of one who has renounced the world, guides his tongue with- wisdom, informs him of the causes and cures of the diseases of the world and then takes him to the abode of peace with ease from this world. (15) Once the Prophet was passing by a pound of camels with his companions. Some of the camels were pregnant and some milk-giving. Camels are a great wealth to the Arabs, as they can be used as conveyances and benefits are derived from their meat, hairs, milk and hides. The Prophet turned his face from those camels and closed his eyes. The companions asked : O Messenger of God, camel is a precious thing to us. Why don't you look to them. The Prophet said : God prohibited me to look towards wealth. Then he recited this verse : We have given abundance to many of them. This is the adornment of this world's life. Don't stretch your eyes towards that.
Hazrat Ayesha 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 there 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 the resolute Prophets than their patience in sorrows and 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. (16) Once the Prophet's widow who was the daughter of Hazrat Omar and named Hazrat Hafsa said to her father : Many deputations come
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