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Islam - Children's Corner
The Poor Man
It
was a usual meeting. The Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) was in his place and
his companions gathered around him to hear the words of wisdom and guidance.
Suddenly a poor man in rags appeared, saluted the assembly:
"Assalamun Alaikum" and finding a vacant place, comfortably sat down. The
Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) had taught them that all Muslims were
brothers and in an assembly one should sit wherever one finds a place,
regardless of any status.
Now, it so happened that this poor man sat next to a very rich man. The rich man
felt disturbed and tried to collect the edges of his dress around himself, so
that the poor man did not touch them.
The Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) observed this and addressing the rich man
he said:
"Perhaps you were afraid that his poverty would affect you?"
"No, O Messenger of Allah," he said
"Then perhaps you were apprehensive about some of your wealth flying away to
him?"
"No, O Messenger of Allah."
"Or you feared that your clothes would become dirty if he touched them?"
"No, O Messenger of Allah."
"Then why did you draw yourself and your clothes away from him?"
The rich man said: "I admit that was the most undesirable thing to do. It was an
error and I confess. Now to make amends for it, I will give away half of my
wealth to this Muslim brother so that I may be forgiven. "
Just as he said this, the poor man rose and said: "O Prophet of Allah, I do not
accept his offer."
People present were all taken by surprise. They thought the poor man was a fool.
But he explained:
"O Prophet of Allah, I refuse to accept his offer because I fear that I might
then become arrogant and ill treat my Muslim brothers the way he did to me."
Look, you are being called upon to expend in Allah's Way, yet some of you are
being niggardly, whereas the one who is niggardly is, in fact, being niggardly
only to himself. Allah is Self-Sufficient: it is you who are the needy. If you
turn away, Allah will replace you by another people, and they will not be like
you.
[47: 38]
"Allah does not love the arrogant and the boastful, who are niggardly and bid
others to be niggardly and conceal the bounty which Allah has bestowed upon
them. We have kept in readiness a humiliating chastisement for such deniers (of
Allah's bounty)"
[4: 36-37]
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The
Holy Quran Quotes
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“Don't be humiliated and ask for peace, while you are on the Uppermost and Allah is with you.”
(Muhammad, 47:35)
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