The generosity of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam)

The generosity of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam)

 

The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) was granted the kingship of the physical and the spiritual realms.  Thus, the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) would spend freely.  It is mentioned in Shifa on the authority of the 6 rigorously authenticated Hadith that Hadhrat ‘Aisha and Hadhrat Abu Hurairah (May Allah be well pleased with them) both say that it never happened that the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) was asked for something and He refused.

 

There is a couplet by Hadhrat Hassaan bin Thabit (May Allah be well pleased with him) which means that except in the Tashahud (where it is recited Laa Ilaaha Illallah….), the word “no” (Laa) is never heard from the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) which He said to anyone who asks of Him.

 

Can even the greatest and mightiest king claim this, that he never disappointed anyone who asks of him?  In fact, if someone asked the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) something and He did not have anything, the Prophet would say:  Take a loan from somebody.  I will repay it.

 

Thus, it is mentioned in Shifa on the authority of Jame’ Tirmidhi, etc. that someone asked something of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam).  The Prophet said:  I don’t have anything now, but you go ahead and buy it.  I will pay for it.  Hadhrat ‘Umar (May Allah be well pleased with him) said:  O Prophet of Allah (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam), Allah Most High has not tasked You to be responsible even for those things which are not with You!  On this, there were signs of displeasure on the blessed face of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam).  A Madinite Companion who understood the inclination of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said:  O Prophet of Allah (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam)!  You please keep spending and there is no need for any apprehension that Allah Most High will make You needy (of others’ help).  These words brought a smile to the blessed face of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) and He said:  Yes.  I have been given the same order.

 

This shows that the verse of the Holy Quran:

 

is intended for other people whose reliance on Allah Most High is not of such a high standard.  If such people spend all their money then when they need something, they will regret the earlier spending.  For this reason, they have been forewarned.

 

It was the custom of the Arab that they would speak to someone and the real addressee would be someone else.  Thus, the following verse of the Holy Quran is an example of such an address:

 

Here, outwardly these words are addressed to the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam), but actually the words are addressed to others as the parents of the Prophet were not alive at the time of the revelation of this verse.

 

Someone asked the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) for something and He did not have anything then.  The Prophet took on loan a large quantity of barley and gave it to that person.  When the creditor came, the Prophet gave double the quantity of that barley and said:  One half is what you gave on loan and other half is a grant from Me.  This shows that the intent of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) was always to bestow on others.

 

 

Mu’awwidh bin ‘Afra (May Allah be well pleased with him) says:  I placed some wet dates and some cucumbers in a tray and presented it to the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam).  In return, the Prophet gave me a fistful of gold.

 

Dates and cucumbers would at most of a few coins, but not everyone can give a great quantity of gold in lieu of them.

 

Once, 90,000 Dirham were brought to the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) from somewhere.  The Prophet had them laid on a mat and stood up to distribute them.  How much ever people asked for, He gave and all the money was distributed then and there.

 

A person asked the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) for some goats.  The Prophet gave him such a flock of goats, large enough to fill a valley between 2 mountains.  That person went back to his community and proclaimed:  Muhammad (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) gives so much that He has no fear of starvation.

 

The Prophet gave 100 camels to one person many many times.  The slaves, goats, etc. which the Prophet had given to the clan of Hawazin have been valued at 50 million Dirham.

 

All these have been related from Shifa where they have been related on the authority of reliable books.  Now, can any poor person give so much?

 

[Excerpted from Maqasid Ul Islam, Vol. 5]