In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
God made everything on this earth for you, everyone, every nation, every people -- as a gift.
... هُوَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ لَكُم مَّا فِي الْأَرْضِ جَمِيعًا[Qur'an, Al-Baqarah 2:29]
It is He who created for you all of that which is on the earth (altogether) ...
Whatever Allah made on the earth is for you altogether. There is not a thing on the earth that He has not put in service for human beings. All of the resources of the earth (all that the earth contains) were made for human beings. All humanity have to share all the resources of the earth. But human beings become greedy, just like nations become greedy, just like a entire block of nations become greedy, just like states and cities become greedy. You will find in a city, for example, certain neighborhood get more resources, government benefits, better paved streets, etc than other neighborhoods in the city. Because of certain people's greed, there are people who get more resources at the expense of others.
Allah is letting us know a principle of how to live on this earth in this ayah -- that Allah made all the resources of the earth for the service of all humanity. Human beings have to share these resources and learn to live with each other and co-exist peacefully.
We know of many stories about the sacrifices and generosity of the companions of the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace), the best of generations ever lived on this earth. They are people praised by Allah in the Qur'an. Indeed they are our role models and we should learn from them.
One of the great companions, Abdullah ibn 'Umar, the son of Umar Al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with them) is also known for his charity. He was fond of freeing slaves that he would go out and work and when he had enough money to free a slave (Muslim or non Muslim slave), he would do so. One day he was sick and his wife prepared him a fish. A beggar came to the door and asked for food. Abdullah asked his wife to give the fish to the beggar. The wife gave the fish to the beggar but asked the beggar if she could buy the fish from him and the beggar agreed. So she bought the fish from the beggar and took it to her husband. As soon as Abdullah was about to eat the fish, the beggar returned and said "I have money but I am still hungry.) Abdullah heard it and asked his wife to give the fish to the beggar.
As a group, we have the Ansar (helpers) and the Muhajirin (emigrants), may Allah be pleased with all of them. The Muhajirin gave up their wealth (their homes and estates) to give support to Allah and His Messenger (sallallahu alayhi wassallam) to establish His religion. The Ansar, the Muslims of Al-Madinah, who gave asylum to their Muhajirin brethren in their own homes and comforted them with their wealth. They also gave aid to Allah and His Messenger by fighting alongside the Muhajirun. Certainly they are allies to one another, for each one of them has more right to the other than anyone else.
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَهَاجَرُوا وَجَاهَدُوا بِأَمْوَالِهِمْ وَأَنفُسِهِمْ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّـهِ وَالَّذِينَ آوَوا وَّنَصَرُوا أُولَـٰئِكَ بَعْضُهُمْ أَوْلِيَاءُ بَعْضٍ ۚ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَلَمْ يُهَاجِرُوا مَا لَكُم مِّن وَلَايَتِهِم مِّن شَيْءٍ حَتَّىٰ يُهَاجِرُوا ۚ وَإِنِ اسْتَنصَرُوكُمْ فِي الدِّينِ فَعَلَيْكُمُ النَّصْرُ إِلَّا عَلَىٰ قَوْمٍ بَيْنَكُمْ وَبَيْنَهُم مِّيثَاقٌ ۗ وَاللَّـهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ بَصِيرٌ ﴿٧٢[Qur'an, Al-Anfal 7:72]
Indeed, those who have believed and emigrated and fought with their wealth and lives in the cause of Allah and those who gave shelter and aided - they are allies of one another. But those who believed and did not emigrate - for you there is no guardianship of them until they emigrate. And if they seek help of you for the religion, then you must help, except against a people between yourselves and whom is a treaty. And Allah is Seeing of what you do. (72)
Abdur-Rahman ibn 'Awf (may Allah be pleased with him) was linked by the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wassallam) with Sa'd ibn ar-Rabi'ah (may Allah be pleased with him). Sa'd in the spirit of generosity and magnanimity with which the Ansar greeted the Muhajirin, said to Abdur-Rahman:
"My brother! Among the people of Madinah I have the most wealth. I have two orchards and I have two wives. See which of the two orchards you like and I shall vacate it for you and which of my two wives is pleasing to you and I will divorce her for you."
Abdur-Rahman must have been embarrassed and said in reply: "May Allah bless you and your family and your wealth. But just show me where the suq (market) is.."
Abdur-Rahman went to the market-place and began trading with whatever little resources he had. He bought and sold and his profits grew rapidly. Soon he was sufficiently well off and was able to get married. He went to the noble Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wassallam) with the scent of perfume lingering over him.
‘Abdullah ibn Masood (may Allah be pleased with him): “Whoever wants to follow a path, let him follow the path of one who has died, for the living are not safe from fitnah. I mean the Companions of Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). They were the best of this ummah: the purest in heart, the deepest in knowledge and the most straightforward. Allah chose them to accompany His Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) and establish His religion, so recognize their status and follow in their footsteps and adhere as much as you can to their example of conduct and attitude, for they followed true guidance.”
What is meant by it is that whoever wants to follow a path to his Lord, he should not come up with a path by himself or imitate with regard to matters of religion one among the living who is like him, because he is still alive and he does not know what kind of end Allah will cause him to have. Thus he may find himself following a man in his religious affairs who, even though today he may he following guidance and the Sunnah, may end up following something other than that. The only one who is safe in that regard is one who follows, on his path to his Lord, the way of the righteous early generations of this ummah: the Companions of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wassallam), those who have died and there is no longer any fear that they may fall into fitnah.
May Allah enable us to follow the footsteps of the noble companions and remove greed from our hearts and make us among those who are charitable and generous. Ameen.
Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wassallam
Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakum Allahu khairan.
And Allah knows best.
Wassallam
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