Al-Tawakkul

1) ‘Umar reported: “I heard the Messenger of Allah (Sall Allah-o-alaihe wa sallam) saying: ‘If you trust in God as He deserves to be trusted in, He would grant rizq (sustenance) to you as He does to birds, which fly out with their bellies empty in the morning and return (in the evening), with their bellies full’.”           

Habbah and Sawa‘a sons of Khalid, reported: “We visited the Apostle of Allah (Sall Allah-o-alaihe wa sallam) who was engaged in some work. We helped him in this work. He (the Holy Prophet) said: ‘You should never worry about your sustenance till you are alive. The mother gives birth to child when he is red and has no crust, then God Almighty feeds him’.”

‘Amr b. al-A‘s reported: “The Messenger of Allah (Sall Allah-o-alaihe wa sallam) said: ‘Man has large number of ambitions. If he engages himself in the pursuit of the ambitions, God becomes indifferent as to which pursuit brings destruction to him. But if he trusts in God, he would have least anxiety about these ambitions’.”

2) Abu Huraira reported that Allah’s Messenger (Sall Allah-o-alaihe wa sallam) said: “When one of you looks at one who stands at a higher level than you in regard to wealth and physical structure, one should also see one who stands at a lower level than you in regard to these things (in which he stands) at a higher level (as compared to him).”

Abu Huraira reported Allah’s Messenger (Sall Allah-o-alaihe wa sallam) as saying: “Look at those who stand at a lower level than you but don’t look at those who stand at a higher level than you. for this would make the favours (conferred upon you by Allah) insignificant (in your eyes).” Abu Mu‘awiya said: “upon you.”

3) Abu Dharr reported that the Messenger of Allah (Sall Allah-o-alaihe wa sallam) said: “Piety in this world is not in considering the halal as haram nor in wasting the wealth. Instead piety in this world is in considering what is with Allah better and more certain than what is in one’s own hand and in aspiring for the reward of trouble when it reaches you while you are still in trouble.”

4) ‘Abd al-Rahman al-Hubuli reported: “I heard that a person asked ‘Abdullah b. ‘Amr b. al-‘As as saying: ‘Are we not amongst the destitute of the emigrants?’ ‘Abdullah said to him: ‘Have you a spouse with whom you live?’ He said: ‘Yes.’ He asked: Have you a house to live in it? He said: ‘Yes’. He again said: ‘Then you are amongst the rich.’ He said: ‘I have a servant also.’ Thereupon he (‘Abdullah b. ‘Amr b. al-‘As) said. ‘Then you are amongst the kings’.”           

Abu ‘Abd al-Rahman reported that three persons came to ‘Abdul­lah b. ‘Amr b. al-‘As while I was sitting with him and they said: “By Allah, we have nothing with us either in the form of provision, riding animals or wealth.” Thereupon he said to them: “I am prepared to do whatever you like. If you want come to us, we would give you what Allah would make available for you, and if you like I would make a mention of your case to the ruler, and if you like you can show patience, for I have heard Allah’s Messenger (Sall Allah-o-alaihe wa sallam) as saying: ‘Destitute amongst the emigrants would precede the rich emigrants by forty years in getting into Paradise on the Day of Resurrection.’ There­upon they said: ‘We, then show patience and do not ask for anything’.”

Source: Economic Teachings of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him): A Select Anthology of Hadith Literature on Economics, Muhammad Akram Khan. Republished with permission.