Explaining the Hadeeth where the Prophet prayed to live among the poor

12-5-2011 | IslamWeb

Question:

What are the qualities of the poor mentioned in the supplication of the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam: "O Allaah, gather me with the group of the poor"?

---

Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allaah, the Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His Slave and Messenger.

 

This wording was mentioned in a Hadeeth (narration) by ‘Abd ibn Humayd in his Musnad and Ibn Maajah in his Sunan through a sound chain of narration. It was narrated on the authority of Abu Sa‘eed Al-Khudri that the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: "O Allaah! Let me live like a poor (person), die like a poor (person), and gather me among the group of the poor." Being a poor person here means to be modest and submissive to Allaah The Almighty.

Ibn Maajah understood the Hadeeth in this way, and thus put it under the Book of Asceticism the chapter of, "Sitting with the poor". Abu Sa‘eed Al-Khudri had the same understanding of the Hadeeth and said, "Love the poor, for I heard the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, saying: 'O Allaah, let me live like a poor (person)…" The Hadeeth indicates the perfection of the morals of the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, his asceticism, and modesty.

Allaah Knows best.