The excellence of poverty

 

The excellence of poverty

 

What a thing is poverty!  The wealthy folk don’t let the poor folk sit with them and turn away their faces when they see them coming.  If they do come and sit with them, this is displeasing to them.  If any of the poor folk dies, the wealthy don’t care at all.  If this poor person wants to marry the daughter of a rich person, this proposal is not accepted.  If they ask for a loan, it is not given.  Thus, a poor person is treated very humiliatingly.

 

On the contrary, the wealthy folk who have material wealth within their reach are looked upon with respect.  This is a mistake on our part.  We consider the wealthy to be respected although usually it is the poor who are respected, as they are the beloved of Allah Most High.  The beloved of Allah Most High is the one who is taken by Him as a beloved.

 

Allah!  What a thing poverty is!  That’s why the king of this world and the next, the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) says: 

 

Translation: O Allah!  Keep Me poor in life and grant Me death in poverty and resurrect Me among the poor.

 

We can learn from this what status poverty has.  Of course, if it is only poverty, then it is a punishment and not a mercy.  However, if along with poverty, one has:  They call upon their Lord, morning and evening...(Surah Kahf: 28), then it is absolute mercy, i.e. if in spite of poverty one makes remembrance of Allah Most High day and night and seeks Him and His pleasure day and night no matter how much Satan attempts to misguide.

 

The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said:  When the Day of Judgment is established, Allah Most High will treat the poor folk with such affection as one of you seeks the other’s forgiveness.  Out of affection, Allah Most High will say:  By My Honor and Majesty, o poor folk!  I did not keep the world out of your reach to humiliate you, but to grant you the excellence of poverty.  Today is the day of your honoring.  Those who treated you kindly in the world, take their hand and lead them unto paradise.

 

The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said:  Poverty is My pride.  He also says:  Poverty is a drawback in the opinion of the people, but on the Day of Judgment, it will be a thing of beauty before Allah Most High.  He also said:  The excellence of poverty over affluence is like My excellence over all other creation.  He also said:  Allah Most High takes as a friend a pious poor person who has a family to maintain.

 

[Excerpted from Mawaaiz-e-Hasana, Vol. 1]