Aslam

to you from many distant places. You should take up decent dress and give order for delicious foods for you and for your guests. Hazrat Omar said : O Hafsa, don't you know that the family members of a man know his condition best. She said : I know it. Hazrat Omar said : I ask you again. L on' t you know how the Prophet and his family members lived during his Prophethood. 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 became 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-floded and he slept thereon. Rising from sleep he said : I could not pray Tahjjud (night) prayers as I slept on a four folded blanket. Make it two folded as on the previous occasions. I ask you again in the name of God : Don't you know that the Prophet once kept his wearing cloth for wash. Then Bilal called him for prayer, but he found no such cloth as he could wear and come out therewith for prayer. After it was heated by the sun and dried up, he wore it and came out for prayer. I ask you again in the name of God : Don't you know that a woman of Jafar tribe gave two pieces of cloth one sheet and one Tahband-for the Prophet and sent one piece in advance. He covered his waist with one end of that piece and back with the other end and prayed in that condition.

Thus Hazrat Omar began to question her. At this Hazrat Hafsa began to weep. Hazrat Omar also began to weep and raised such a loud shriek as appeared to have taken away his life.
Then Hazrat Omad said : If I do not tread the path on which my two predecessors, the Prophet and Abu Bakr, have treated, I would be destroyed and perish. By God, I would keep patience at the firm conduct o f life, so that I may get eternal rest along wi th them.

(17) The Prophet said: Some Prophets before me were tried by poverty. They had nothing but a wearing apparel. Some of them expired being bitten by lices. Even this was dearer to them than your wealth.

1 74 THE BOOK OF CONSTRUCTIVE VIRTUES Vol-IV

(18) The Prophet said : When Moses came to a well at Madain, there appeared on his stomach the signs of vegetables owing to his thinness. The Prophets chose this way of life. They were most informed of the creations of God and more experienced of the path leading to success in the next world.