Chapter VII: Intention, Sincerity and Truth
The Prophet engaged two persons to realise Zakat from the Muslims. They both went to Sa'laba and asked Zakat from him in accordance with the order of the Prophet. He said : It's nothing but poll-tax. Show me your letter of appointment. When it was shown, he said : It is the sister of Poll-tax. They returned to the Prophet and informed him of it. Then God revealed this verb :
These are such persons among them who promised to God : If He grants them wealth, they will pay its dues and becomes religious man. When He granted them wealth, they were miserly to that and turned their faces. So He punished them with such hypocrisy which will last up to that day on which they will meet with God, as they promised with God and treated falsely.
At that time, there was a relative of Sa'alaba near the Prophet.
He informed Sa'laba of this verse. Then Sa'laba came to the Prophet and requested him to take Zakat from him but he said :
God prohibited me to take your Zakat. He then began to besmear dust on his face and the Prophet said : This is your action. I have enjoined you but you have not obeyed me. Then Sa'laba returned to his house. After the demise of the Prophet, he came to Abu Bakr who too refused to accept his Zakat. Thereafter he went to Hazrat Omar who also refused to accept it. During his Caliphate.
Sa'laba died.
This will show you how wealth works in the minds of the people.
The Prophet preferred poverty for himself and his family members. Hazrat Imran-b-Hussain said that he had rank and honour before the Prophet. One day Prophet said to him : O Imran, will you go with me to see the illness of Fatima, daughter of the Prophet of God ? Then I said. O Prophet of God, I will go with you.
Then we came to the house of Fatima. When the Prophet knocked at the door and sought permission to enter the house, she said : Who is with you ? He said : Imran-b-Hussian Fatima said : By One who sent you a prophet with truth, I have got nothing to put on except an old blanket which does not cover my whole body. The Prophet said :
Cover your head with a piece of cloth. Then after permission, the Prophet entered with Imran. When questioned about her health, she said : By God's mercy, I have got a pain. Besides this, I have got nothing to eat. Hunger gives me trouble. At this the Prophet wept
Vol-III Love of wealth 207