Muhammad the kindred to Humanity — Page 12
12 bewildered companions enquired, "What was the matter. O Prophet of God. " He answered, “I had dropped a dinar, and having remembered it, I wanted to give it away as soon as I could. ". Notwithstanding his wealth, he lived as one of the poor. Some of his poor companions complained of the richness of others. On this the Prophet smiled and touching their shoulders said, "Do you not like that you and. I should belong to the same class. " He had ample wealth but he was so contented without it that we cannot but wonder when we think of it. Whatever he had, he would give away in the name of God. His household was with out means. Aisha reports that for months and months they would have nothing to cook and would live on dates and milk, unless, of course, some neighbour thought of sending them some food. Often they had to go without food of any kind. This would happen, remember, when he was growing in wealth and prosperity. It is amazing therefore, that Western writers should have found aut with this very period of the Prophet's life. It has been said that when wealth came to the Prophet his head was turned, while the truth is that when he died his armor was found mortgaged for a few pounds of barley. The Holy. Prophet in short had the experience of being poor as well as rich, but in either case he lived up to his own high ideal, and wealth made no difference to him-so that even when he was rich he lived in poverty. . The Prophet's Married Life. Let us turn now to his married life. When he was single he lived up to such a high ideal that the world wonders over it to this day. He did not marry until he was twenty-five. This is a late age for marriage in Arabia. . In the hot climate of that country boys of sixteen and seventeen years are ripe for marriage. The Holy Prophet, however, not only married later than most young men of his country but he married a widow as old as forty years.