Introduction to the Study of The Holy Quran — Page 242
242 slaves were sitting together when Abu Sufyan (who was a chieftain among the Quraysh and had fought the Muslims up to the surrender of Mecca and had accepted Islam only on that occasion) happened to pass by. These Companions, addressing him, recalled the victory that God had bestowed upon Islam. Abu Bakr also heard this and did not approve of a chieftain of the Quraysh being reminded of their humiliation and he reprimanded the group of Companions. He then went to the Holy Prophet and related the incident to him. The Prophet said: "O Abu Bakr! I fear you may have hurt the feelings of these servants of God. If that should be so, God would be offended with you. " Abu Bakr at once returned to those people and inquired: "Brothers of mine! Did you feel hurt over what I said?" To which they replied: "We felt no offence at what you said. May God forgive you!" 293 While, however, the Prophet insisted that poor people should be respected and their feelings should not be injured and strove to fulfil their needs, he also sought to instil the sentiment of self-respect into them and taught them not to beg for favours. He used to say that it behoved a poor man not to seek to be content with a date or two or with a mouthful or two of food but to restrain himself from making a request, however severely he might be tried. 294 On the other hand he used to say that no entertainment would be blessed unless some poor people were also invited to it. Ayesha relates that a poor woman came to visit her on one occasion accompanied by her two little daughters. Ayesha had nothing with her at the time except one date which she gave to the woman. The woman divided it between her little daughters and then they all departed. When the Prophet came home Ayesha related this to him and he said: "If a poor man has daughters and he treats them with consideration, God will save him from the torments of Hell," and added: "God will bestow Paradise upon this woman on account of the consideration she showed towards her daughters. " 295 On one occasion he was told that one of his Companions, Sa‘d, who was a well-to-do person, was boasting of his enterprise to others. When the Prophet heard this, he said: "Let no man imagine that his wealth or standing or power is the result merely of his own efforts or enterprise. That is not so. Your power and your position and your wealth are all earned through the poor. " One of his prayers was: "O God! Keep me humble while I am alive and keep me humble when I die and let my resurrection on the Day of Judgement be with the humble. " 296 On one occasion during the hot weather when he was passing through a street, he observed a very poor Muslim carrying heavy loads from one place to another. He was very plain of features which were rendered still more unattractive by a heavy coating of perspiration and dust. He bore a melancholy look. The Holy Prophet approached him stealthily from the back and, as children sometimes do in fun, he put forward his hands and covered the labourer’s eyes with them, expecting him to guess who he was. The man put back his own hands and feeling over the body of the Prophet realised that it was the Holy Prophet himself. He probably guessed also that nobody else would show such intimate affection for a man in his condition. Being