In Islam, all people are equal before Allah SWT. What differentiates\npeople is the level of piety, and even that is known only to Allah\nTa\u2019ala, who knows the truth of each heart. The amount of wealth a person\npossesses cannot be used to measure their nobility. There are many\ntraditions that indicate the high standing of the poor. Rasulullah SAW\nis reported by Harits bin Wahb as saying: \u2018Would you like me to tell you\nwho the people of Paradise are? They are those who are weak and\nconsidered weak by others, but if they swear by the name of Allah, Allah\nwill surely fulfil what they swear.\u2019 And who are the people of Hell?\nThey are those who are hard, stingy, and fond of amassing wealth and\nbeing arrogant (HR Bukhari-Muslim).<\/p>\n
One interpretation of this hadith is that the term \u2018the weak\u2019 refers\nto the poor. Another interpretation says that \u2018the weak\u2019 are those who\nare humble and have soft hearts.<\/p>\n
The next hadith is even more explicit in explaining the fate of those\nwho are poor in this world but fortunate in the hereafter. From Abu\nHurairah, Rasulullah SAW said: \u2018The believers who are poor will enter\nParadise before the rich, by about half a day, a measure comparable to\nfive hundred years\u2019 (HR Ibnu Majah and Tirmidzi).<\/p>\n
Another sahih hadith relates that, on one occasion, Sa\u2019ad thought\nthat he possessed worldly superiority over his companions. Yet the\nProphet warned: \u2018You only receive help and sustenance because of the\npresence of the weak among you\u2019 (HR Bukhari).<\/p>\n
Another narration records the Prophet\u2019s words: \u2018Indeed, Allah helps\nthis community because of the weak among them, by their prayers, their\nritual prayers, and their sincerity\u2019 (HR an-Nasai, according to Sheikh\nal-Albani this hadith is authentic).<\/p>\n
The message is that the poor and the weak can have a close\nrelationship with Allah SWT. The prayers they offer spring from a\nsincere heart, free from worldly fetters. Therefore, do not treat their\nprayers with contempt.<\/p>\n
Finally, poverty does not mean a loss of dignity. The Prophet SAW\nsaid: \u2018To be poor does not mean one who refuses a morsel or two; rather,\nthe poor are those who lack sufficiency, and yet they are ashamed or do\nnot insist in asking.\u2019<\/p>\n
Surah al-Mudatsir was revealed at the beginning of the mission,\nexplaining that Islam forbids any behaviour that fosters poverty, such\nas failing to assist the needy and leaving them in destitution.<\/p>\n
As depicted in Surah al-Mudatsir, Allah SWT says, meaning: \u2018What will\nbring you to Saqar (Hell)? They reply: \u2019We were not among those who\nprayed, and we did not feed the poor\u2019\u2019 (QS al-Mudatsir: 42-44).<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/dont-look-down-on-the-poor-1779545546", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }