Prophet Muhammad (SAW) considered the poor as the best part of his ummah and the fastest to travel to Paradise. Haritha bin Wahb (RA) heard Prophet Muhammad (SAW) say: “Shall I tell you of the People of Paradise? They comprise every poor humble person, and if he swears by Allah to do something, Allah will fulfill it; while the people of the Fire comprise of every violent, cruel arrogant person.” Prophet Muhammad (SAW) said again: “There are many persons who look much disturbed with ruffled hair and boggard face and are scornfully pushed away from people’s doors, yet if they were to say in the name of Allah, the same would be fulfilled.”

Abu Sa’eed Al-Khudri (RA) narrated that once he was sitting in the company of the poor members of the emigrants. Some of them were sitting because of lack of clothing while a reader was reciting to us. All of a sudden the Messenger of Allah (SAW) came along and stood behind us. When the Messenger of Allah (SAW) stood, the reader stopped and greeted him. He asked: “What are you doing?” We said: “O Messenger of Allah (SAW)! We had a reader who was reciting to us and we were listening to the Book of Allah, the Exalted.” The Messenger of Allah (SAW) then said: “Praise be to Allah Who has put among my people those with whom I have been ordered to stay.” The Messenger of Allah (SAW) then sat among them so as to be like one of them, and when he had made a sign with his hand they sat in a circle with their faces turned towards him. The narrator said: “I think that the Messenger of Allah (SAW) did not recognize any of them except me.” The Messenger of Allah (SAW) then said: “Rejoice, you group of poor emigrants, in the announcement that you will have perfect light on the Day of Resurrection. You will enter Paradise half s day before the rich, and that is five hundred years.”

Prophet Muhammad (SAW) said: “My reservoir (haudh-e-kauthar) is like the distance between Aden and Amman in al-Baqa’. Its water is whiter than milk and sweeter than honey, and its cups are as numerous as the stars in the sky. He who takes one drink of it will never thirst thereafter. The first to come down to it will be the poor emigrants, those with disheveled heads and dirty clothes, who do not marry delicate women and do not have doors open for them.”

While Abdullah ibn Amr (RA) was sitting in the mosque at the same time as some of the poor ones among the emigrants were seated in the circle, Prophet Muhammad (SAW) entered and sat with them, so he got up and went over to them. Prophet Muhammad then (SAW): “Let the poor ones among the emigrants rejoice over what makes their faces glad, for they will enter Paradise forty years before the rich.” Abdullah ibn Amar (RA) said he saw their color shining so he wished to be along with them or to be one of them.

Abu Abdur Rahman reported that three people came to Abdullah ibn Amr ibn Al-As (RA) while he was sitting with him and they said: “By Allah, we have nothing with us in the form of either provision, riding animals or wealth.” Thereupon he said to them: “I am prepared to do whatever you like. If you come to us, we shall give you that which Allah will make available for you, and if you like I shall mention your case to the ruler.” If you like you can show patience also, for I have heard Allah’s Messenger (SAW) say: “The destitute among the emigrants will precede the rich emigrants by forty years in entering Paradise on the Day of Resurrection.” Thereupon they said: “We shall show patience, and then, not ask for anything.” Dahhak (RA) said: “He who goes to the market, sees something, and wishes to buy it but cannot do so for want of money and remains patient, his reward will be greater than that of a person giving away a thousand dinars as sadaqah for the cause of Allah.”

Both the Glorious Qur’an and the traditions of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) have spoken in very high terms about the poor persons who lead a pious life, and those who are weak and humble. Prophet Muhammad (SAW) said: “The poor people will enter Paradise five hundred years earlier than the rich.” The former will get due recompense for their having been deprived of easy life and comforts in this world. Sa’eed ibn Amr (RA), the amir of Hims, had once received one thousand dinars from Caliph Umar (RA) which made him extremely sad. He used to lead a poor life and therefore distributed the dinars in small packets among the poor people, stood in prayer, wept the whole night, and related what he heard Prophet Muhammad (SAW) say: “The poor of my ummah would enter Paradise five hundred years before the rich. Taking this as an opportunity a certain number of the rich persons should sneak quietly into their crowd, but the guarding angels catch them and push them back from there.”

Prophet Muhammad (SAW) said: “O Allah, grant me life as a poor man, cause me to die as a poor man, and resurrect me in the company of the poor.” When Aishah (RA) asked Prophet Muhammad (SAW) the reason for such a du’a, he replied: “Because they will enter Paradise forty years before the rich. Do not turn away a poor man, Aishah, even if all you can give is half a date. If you love the poor and bring them near to you, Aishah, Allah will bring you near Him on the Day of Resurrection.”

by Mohammad H. R. Talukdar