A Fistful of Dates versus A Mountain of Gold
When Abu Bakr (r.a.)became the khalifa, some families in Madina were very unhappy and their unhappiness was a loud one. They consisted of widows, handicaps and orphans. Then it became known that these familiies were regular beneficiaries of the generosity of Abu Bakr. In fact Abu Bakr used to visit them regularly and served them. I repeat, Abu Bakr served those families by filling water in their pots, by sweeping their houses talking to them to drive away their loneliness and fulfilled many other needs. Quite naturally, the people must have felt in secured on his appointment as Khalifa, feeling that he may be too busy now to help them.But Abu Bakr went to meet them and assured them publicly : I will continue to be serving them even if I am the Khalifa.....No wonder Abu Bakr was the man about whom the prophet (pbuh) said: He will be welcomed by every gate of Paradise...
Ibn Abbas (r.a.) was in It'ikaaf when a man approached him to intercede on his behalf in some matter. Ibn Abbas got up immediately and decided to go out of the Masjid with him.Some people tried to stop him by saying: You can intercede on his behalf later on after your It'ikaaf is over. But Ibn Abbas, the man of knowledge, did not agree to their views, rather he said : I will go because I have heard from the messenger of Allah that whoever intercedes on the behalf of a Muslim brother to make his task easier, Allah will record It'ikaaf of ten years in his accounts.. and Ibn Abbas left with that man.
Abu Talha noted that Khalifa Umar bin Khattab used to visit some family in the darkness of nights. So he followed Umar regulalry. One day he intercepted Umar and congratulated him thinking that Umar had got married. But Umar disclosed to him that during the day time he had duties as a khalifa so he chose nights to serve some families with widows, orphans, handicaps and old people without children.
A person with kharji mentality asked Ibn Umar : Between Ali and Uthman who was the better one? Ibn Umar replied, "I dont know who was better between the two but I know for sure that both the men were better than you!
When Ikrimah, the son of abu Jahl became a Muslim he was very aggressive in the battlefields. Once someone hold the rein of his horse and adviced him to be little less harsh.. Ikrimah replied... Leave it! When I fought against Islam, you did not stop me then, today I am fighting for Islam you are stopping me!. Later he fell in one of the battles during the rule of Abu Bakr. He layed seriously injured on the hot sands of the desert asking for water. Some one brought some water for the dying man,but as he was about to take his last sip he heard another injured man asking for water, Ikrimah asked the water to be given to his fellow Muslim, the water went to the other injured person, who too did not drink as he heard another injured person close by him asking for water. The water pot kept on moving from one warrior to another. Meanwhile all of them died thirsty while preferring water for their brothers.
These were high profile people for whom responsibleness were never upgraded as privileges. Even after being a Khalifa or a renowned scholar or a warrior, they turned into more responsible men. They preferred to look into the needs of their fellow Muslims instead of their own. They spoke truth and did not fear doing so. Their charity did not end with just giving away some Dinars and Dirhams, rather they spend their own time energy and wealth meant for their own family .
No wonder the Prophet (pbuh) told us about them: Do not revile my companions, for, your mountain of gold cannot match their fistful of dates. The most successful generation on the surface of the earth, as certified by the Qur'an : Allah is pleased with them and they are pleased with Allah, that is the supreme success..Surah Maidah , ch 5 verse 116
Author: NIsaar Nadiadwala speaks and writes on socio-educational issues from Islamic perspective. He can be reached at nisaar_yusuf@yahoo.com
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