Download PDF: [S] Kindness and generosity of the Sahaba (Islamic story)

Hadrat Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn ‘Umar – may Allah be pleased with them – narrates that once, a certain blessed companion received a certain portion of an animal as a gift. However, before he could accept this, he mentioned that his neighbour was more in need and sent that portion sent to him. This continued to go from one house to another as each blessed companion felt that the other was more in need than himself.

 

In reference to this, the following verse in Surah Hashr verse 9 was revealed, which is:

 

وَ الَّذِیۡنَ تَبَوَّؤُا الدَّارَ وَ الْاِیۡمٰنَ مِنۡ قَبْلِہِمْ یُحِبُّوۡنَ مَنْ ہَاجَرَ اِلَیۡہِمْ وَ لَا یَجِدُوۡنَ فِیۡ صُدُوۡرِہِمْ حَاجَۃً مِّمَّاۤ اُوۡتُوۡا وَ یُؤْثِرُوۡنَ عَلٰۤی اَنۡفُسِہِمْ وَلَوْ کَانَ بِہِمْ خَصَاصَۃٌ ؕ۟ وَ مَنۡ یُّوۡقَ شُحَّ نَفْسِہٖ فَاُولٰٓئِکَ ہُمُ الْمُفْلِحُوۡنَ ﴿ۚ۹﴾

“And those who accepted this city as their home and accepted faith before them, befriend those who migrated towards them, and in their breasts do not find any need for what they have been given, and prefer the migrants above themselves even if they themselves are in dire need; and whoever is saved from the greed of his soul – it is they who are the successful.”

 

There are many examples of such amazing generosity which has been found in the lives of the early Muslims. As a matter of fact, one of these examples also occurred during the era of Hadrat Sayyiduna ‘Umar – may Allah be pleased with him.

 

It is mentioned that once he gave his servant a bag which contained four hundred Dinars and told him to give it to the eminent companion Hadrat Sayyiduna Abu Ubaidah bin Jarrah – may Allah be pleased with him – and also told him to see what the blessed companion would do when he received this money. The servant then took this bag of Dinars and handed it to the great companion and informed him that Hadrat Sayyiduna ‘Umar – may Allah be pleased with him had given him this as a gift. He was also informed that he was free to spend it on himself.

 

When Hadrat Sayyiduna Abu Ubaidah bin Jarrah – may Allah be pleased with him – received this bag of Dinars, he made a special Du’a for the great leader. He then called his female servant and said to her, “Please give these five Dinars to a certain person, these seven Dinars to a certain person etc.” In this way, in this one sitting, he distributed all of these Dinars to those who were needier than him. Only two Dinars remained. He also informed her to take these two Dinars and give it to another needy person.

 

Every servant of our master is matchless!

 

This servant then returned to Hadrat Sayyiduna ‘Umar – may Allah be pleased with him – and informed him what had happened. The great leader then gave the same servant another bag of four Dinaars to be given to Hadrat Sayyiduna Ma’az bin Jabal – may Allah be pleased with him. He also informed him to wait and see what the eminent companion would do with this wealth.

 

When he received these Dinaars, Hadrat Sayyiduna Ma’az bin Jabal – may Allah be pleased with him – made a special Du’a for the great Muslim leader and he then instructed his female slave to come forward. Hadrat Sayyiduna Ma’az bin Jabal – may Allah be pleased with him – then ordered her to give each person a certain amount of these Dinaars. When there were only two Dinaars left, his wife also came forward and said, “By Allah! We are also poor and destitute.”

 

When Hadrat Sayyiduna Ma’az bin Jabal – may Allah be pleased with him – heard this, he picked these two Dinaars and threw it at her. After seeing this, the servant then returned to Hadrat Sayyiduna ‘Umar – may Allah be pleased with him – and informed him about what he had seen. When Hadrat Sayyiduna ‘Umar – may Allah be pleased with him – about what had happened, he was extremely surprised and happy at the behaviour of these both eminent companions. He then mentioned, “There is no doubt that the blessed companions are brothers one of another and are extremely merciful to each other and also very concerned about each other.”

 

There is also another report which has been mentioned by Sayyidah Bibi Ayesha – may Allah be pleased with her – about the extreme love the blessed Ashaab had for one another. (Tafseer Sawwi. 4/161)

 

Serving a guest.

 

The above Qur’anic verse is reported to have also been revealed about the following incident.

 

Once, a poor person approached the Holy Prophet – may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him – and he asked his wives whether there anything to eat in the house. They all replied that there was no food in the house. The Holy Prophet – may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him – then turned to his blessed companions and said, “Whoever takes this person to his house as a guest, Allah Almighty will reveal His Divine Mercy on that person.”

 

Hadrat Sayyiduna Abu Talha Ansaari – may Allah be pleased with him – stood up and took this person to his house. When he entered his house and asked his wife whether she had anything to eat, she replied that there was just enough food for the children. He then informed her to make the children sleep in some way and also informed her to make the light a little dim so that the guest could eat properly without noticing that they were not eating. Another reason is that if the guest knew that they were not eating, he himself would not have eaten and with the result, he would have remained hungry. In this way, his guest ate well, while the family of Hadrat Sayyiduna Abu Talha – may Allah be pleased with him – remained hungry.

 

The next morning, when he approached the Holy Prophet – may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him, the Holy Prophet – may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him, looking at his other companions said, “Last night a very strange incident had occurred and without doubt, Allah Almighty is very Pleased by this action.” Thereafter, this verse was revealed. (Khazaa’inul Irfaan. 650)

 

There is no doubt that these incidents of extreme kindness and generosity is something which Muslims in the present era should listen to and heed. There is no need to explain these incidents further. Merely by reading about these incidents is lesson enough.