How they used to live

 

Let us go back and take a glimpse at how one of the Prophet’s Companions would spend his day. ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him), who was married to Faatimah (may Allah be pleased with her), the daughter of the Prophet (Blessings and Peace be upon him), woke up early one morning with his wife and searched for food. But there was nothing in their humble home to be found.

 

This occurred on a bitter cold day of winter, so ‘Ali put on some warm clothes and left. He searched through all of the precincts of the city and finally he remembered a Jew who owned a garden. When ‘Ali reached the garden, the Jew said, "O’ Arab, come and harvest the dates for me and for each large bucket that you till, I will give you a single date. " And so he toiled for a period of time until his hands hurt and his body ached. He took the paltry number of dates that he earned and went to the Prophet (bpuh) to share them with him. With whatever was left over, he and Faatimah sustained themselves for the rest of the day.

 

This was their life. Yet what may seem to be a contradiction to the material minded person is that their homes were replete with illumination and happiness.

 

Their hearts were filled with the noble principles that were revealed to the Prophet (bpuh). Through the spiritual illumination of their hearts, they perceived the truth and accepted it, while they recognized falsehood and rejected it. They worked in the path of the former and they steered far away from the latter. They came to realize and grasp the true value and worth of things.

 

Where is the happiness of a man like Haamaan; he is still cursed for his wrongdoing.

 

(As the likeness of vegetation after rain, thereof the growth is pleasing to the tiller; afterwards it dries up and you see it turning yellow; then it becomes straw.)                                  (Quran 57: 20)

 

True happiness is with Bilal, Salmaan and ‘Ammar; Bilal was a caller to the truth, Salmaan was truthful, and ‘Ammar was faithful in fulfilling his obligations.