Forty Gems of Beauty — Page 149
149 In short, the companions of the Holy Prophet (May peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) set, by their conduct, such examples in self-reliance, contentedness and dignity, that history has no parallel to offer. And it is the distinct greatness of the teachings of the Holy Prophet (May peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) that, on the one hand, he directed the wealthy not to turn down a request for help and, on the other, commanded the poor to seek an honourable living and abstain from begging. The two commands are, apparently, contradictions in terms but the truth is that in their reconciliation with one another lies the basis of a true brotherhood of the rich and the poor.