English
Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (ﷺ) said: "O Allah, let me live as a poor person, 1 die as a poor person, and resurrect me among the poor." Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) asked: "Why, O Messenger of Allah?" He replied: "They will enter Paradise forty years before their rich counterparts. O Aisha, do not turn away a poor person, even if with half a date. O Aisha, love the poor and draw near to them, for Allah will draw near to you on the Day of Resurrection." [Narrated by Tirmidhi and Bayhaqi in Shu'ab al-Iman] Ibn Majah narrated up to "among the poor" from Abu Sa'id (may Allah be pleased with him).
Possible references (unverified, pending editorial review)
- Candidate: Jami al-Tirmidhi 2352 (unverified) 98% confidence
- Candidate: Sunan Ibn Majah 4126 (unverified) 94% confidence
Confidence and text similarity are not editorial verification.
Commentary and footnotes (2)
Note 1
(1) His statement: "O Allah, let me live as a poor person, etc." teaches the Ummah to recognize the virtue of the poor, love them, and keep their company to gain their blessings. It consoles the poor and highlights their high ranks. It may also mean having just enough sustenance to avoid being preoccupied with wealth, as excessive wealth can be a burden for those close to Allah. As stated in Al-Ihya': The Prophet’s saying, "I seek refuge in You from poverty," and "Poverty is close to disbelief," does not contradict "Let me live as a poor person," because he sought refuge from distressing poverty, while the poverty he sought is the acknowledgment of neediness and humility before Allah. The narration "Poverty is close to disbelief" is very weak, but if authentic, it refers to spiritual poverty leading to impatience and discontent with divine decree. Thus, it is said: "True wealth is not in abundant possessions, but in the contentment of the soul." (As stated in Al-Mirqat)
Note 1
(۱) قوله: اللهم أحيني مسكينا إلخ فيه تعليم الأمة؛ ليعرفوا فضل الفقراء فيحبوهم، ويجالسوهم؛ لينالهم بركتهم، وفيه تسلية للمساكين، وتنبيه على علو درجاتهم، ويجوز أن يراد بهذا أن يجعل قوته كفافا، ولا يشغله بالمال، فإن كثرة المال في حق المقربين مؤنة من الوبال. كذا في المرقاة». وقال في الإحياء»: وقوله : أعوذ بك من الفقر»، وقوله عليه : كاد الفقر أن يكون كفرا لا يناقض قوله : أحيني مسكينا وأمتني مسكينا»؛ إذ فقر المضطر هو الذي استعاذ منه، والفقر الذي هو الاعتراف بالمسكنة والذلة والافتقار إلى الله تعالى هو الذي سأله في دعائه ، انتهى. وفي المرقاة»: وأما حديث: كاد الفقر أن يكون كفرا فهو ضعيف جدا، وعلى تقدير صحته فهو محمول على الفقر القلبي المؤدي إلى الجزع والفزع، بحيث يفضي إلى عدم الرضا بالقضاء، والاعتراض على تقسيم رب الأرض والسماء، ولذا قال : ليس الغنى عن كثرة العرض إنما الغنى غنى النفس .