Real Revolution — Page 172
172 with some business he had in hand. Some of the companions who noticed his hurry and great absorption in his work tended to deride him for being so engrossed in mundane pursuits while it was open to him to win more merit by devoting his youth and strength in the way of God. When the Holy Prophet heard this remark, he deprecated strongly, saying that if a man worked with zeal and speed, hoping that his wife would benefit thereby, then such a person was to be taken as engaged in the way of God. But if he was showing speed only to win applause from people, then he was a disciple of the devil. To work diligently, inorder to win an honest livelihood, too, is therefore to work in the way of the Lord. . Care of one's property. . Is'am has given specific and very clear instructions in regard to the proper care of property. . The Hoiy Prophet said that if a man sold his property, living on the proceeds, he was a worthless fellow, who did not deserve that Allah should bestow his favours upon him. . I have mentioned these few things only by way of instance. Otherwise injunctions and directions in Islam run into hundreds, and to put them all into proper practice is called siyasat (for which the English equivalent generally used is politics) and this siyasat forms an essential portion of Islam.