Chapter IV: Poverty and Renunciation
has constructed this dome ? The people named the owner of this house to him. When the owner came, the Prophet did not look at him. When he asked his companion about the displeasure of the Prophet towards him, they gave him that information.
Afterwards, the owner of the dome demolished the dome. One day the Prophet passed by that way and didnot find the dome and he was informed that the owner of the house had demolished it. At this the Prophet prayed for him.
The saint Hasan Basari said : The Prophet did not place one brick upon another for habitation and one piece of wood upon another. The Prophet said : When God wishes evil for a servant, He destroys his wealth in water and earth. Abdullah-bin-Amr said : We were once engaged in repairing a worn out house. At that time the Messenger of God was passing by that way and asked us : What are you doing ? We said : This house is about to fall down and so we are repairing it. He said : Death is faster than this.
The Prophet Noah was constructing a house of reeds. He was told : It would have been better if you have prepared a house of bricks. He said : For one who is subject to death, this house of reed is sufficient. The Prophet said : He who makes his house high without necessity, will be asked to bear its burden. The Prophet said ; A man will get rewards for what he spends but he will not get any reward for what he spends in water and earth.
God says : This is the abode of the Hereafter. I have prepared it for those who do not want in the world to be high or create ' disturbances. This means search for powers and construction of lofty places. The Prophet said : Every building will be an instrument of punishment on the Resurrection Day for its owner, but it will not be an instrument of punishment if it gives protection from heat and cold. When a man complained of the inspacious house of the Prophet, he told him : Increase its spaciousness in sky or Paradise.
At the time of going to Syria, Hazrat Omar saw a lofty building and after reciting Takbir he said : I did not think before that any man of this people will construct a building like that of Haman, minister of Pharaoh. Paraoh said : O Haman, burn bricks for me. It is said that Pharaoh was the first man who constructed a building made of bricks and Haman was the first man to construct of lofty building. Thereafter the tyrant kings followed him.
188 THE BOOK OF CONSTRUCTIVE VIRTUES Vol-IV