Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) - 37: Turning Away
From Luxuries
Islamic Perspectives - Muslim Journals
Arab News
& Information - By Adil Salahi
Umar ibn Al-Khattab, a very close companion of the
Prophet (peace be upon him), once saw him reclining on
a straw mat, which left its mark on his side. He felt
very sorry for the Prophet whom he loved more than
anyone on earth. He said to him: “Messenger of God, I
see how this straw mat has left its mark on you, while
the Byzantines and the Persians live a life of
affluence even though they do not worship God.” The
Prophet sat up suddenly and said: “Are you
entertaining doubt, Umar? These people are having
their share of goodly life in this world.”
We mentioned a couple of weeks back how the Prophet
led a life of poverty, and the Hadith we have just
quoted shows that the Prophet did not have a settee or
a cushion to recline on. It was only natural that Umar
should make his remark and draw the comparison with
the two superpowers of the time. The Prophet’s answer
put the whole question in its proper perspective.
What we learn from this Hadith and similar reports is
that the Prophet did not dislike or disdain the
comforts of this life, but chose not to indulge in
them. To him, the life of this world was simply a
passing stage. It is the life to come that is the one
to work for and to enjoy. Yet richness is not a reason
to deprive anyone of achieving a good position in the
next world. A rich person should only use some of his
resources to bring happiness to his family, relatives
and community so that he would attain a high position
in God’s sight and ensure admittance into heaven.
The Prophet’s choice meant that he wanted nothing in
this life to distract him from his diligent work for
his message. All he wanted was to fulfill the task
assigned to him by God. Concentrating on the task in
hand and on providing guidance for his companions and
future followers meant that he should rise above any
attraction or tempting comfort. He did not look at
what people might say if he had a good standard of
living. They would certainly have accepted that as
normal. Some earlier prophets were kings, such as
David and Solomon. Muhammad himself was the head of
the Muslim state. He did not wish to entertain any
feeling that comfortable life in this world was
something to aspire to. He wanted his faith in God and
in the truth of his message to be absolutely pure,
uncolored by any desire for comfort or luxury. Thus,
he added his disinterestedness in life’s comforts to
his untiring, dedicated work in order to ensure that
his faith was his supreme motivator. Nothing should
detract from that goal, the goal of letting his faith
be the epitome of his life.
His scruples in this area were unique. Had he given us
the message with which he was entrusted, and showed us
God’s guidance, while leading a life of comfort, he
would have feared that some people might think that
such comfort was one of his goals. Therefore, he made
sure that no one would ever entertain such thoughts.
If providing guidance was the crux of his message, he
made sure that this was fulfilled while his own share
of this life would be minimal. He will have his full
share in the life to come.
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