Chapter IV: Poverty and Renunciation
The wealthy and rich men of Arabia once said to the Prophet :
Fix a day for us for interview with you and another day for the poor. We will not come to you on the day when they will come to you. The Prophet told them: I will not fix till you and the poor men sit together in the same assembly. At once the revelation came : Keep patience along with those who invoke their Lord morning and evening seeking His pleasure and turn not your eyes from them seeing the adornment of this world's life and don't obey those whose hearts I have kept diverted from My remembrance and tell the truth from your Lord. Let him who wishes be a believer and let him who wishes be a disbeliever. The rich men were Aqra-bin- Habes. Aina-bin-Hasan etc. The poor men were — Hazrat Bilal, Salman-b-Shuaib. Abu Zarr, Khabbab, Abu Hurairah. Once a poor blind man sought permission to see the Prophet. At that time, the Prophet was deeply engaged in conversation with the honorable chiefs of the Quraish. When the Prophet did not give him permission at that time at once the revelation came from God (80:1) — He (Prophet) frowned and turned away, because a blind man came to him. Who will inform you tha t he might grow pure — 80 : 1 ?
The Prophet said: On the Judgment day, God will gather together the poor men for taking accounts and say: By My glory and honour, I snatched away the world from you not for this
150 THE BOOK OF CONSTRUCTIVE VIRTUES Vol-IV
reason that you are small to Me but for bestowing upon you the honour and blessing that I have prepared for you. O dear servants, enter into this assembly, take out one who among this assembly gave you food or cloth by catching his hand. On that difficult day when the people will be afflicted with perspiration, he will enter that assembly and take out one who gave him food and cloth and enter paradise with him. The Prophet said : Keep company with the poor and acquire blessings from them, as there is wealth with them. The companions asked, O Messenger of God, what is their wealth ?
The Prophet said : When the Day of Judgment will come, they will be told : Take hold of the hand of those who gave you a handful of food, or a drought of water, or a piece of cloth and enter Paradise.