When we mention Muhammad (peace be upon him), we are indeed speaking of the man loved best by God, and to whom He entrusted the delivery of His final message to mankind. God gave him whatever he prayed for. By human reasoning, the Prophet should be given riches, comforts and luxuries to make his life smooth and easy, free of want and hardship. But was it so?
Umar ibn Al-Khattab reports: “I went in to see the Prophet and I found him lying on a hard mat on the ground, with no mattress or cushion. The mat left its mark on his side. He reclined on a pillow made of hide and filled up with fiber. I looked around in his home and I could not see anything to take a man’s eye, except three hides that were not dyed. I said to him: ‘Messenger of God! Pray to God to give affluence to your followers. The Persians and the Byzantines have been given plenty, while they do not worship God.’ He said to me: ‘Are you thinking of this, Umar? Those people were given all the good things they would ever have in this present life.’” [Related by Al-Bukhari.]
The first point to remember here is that the Prophet could have had whatever he wished for. Numerous were the occasions when he prayed for some of his companions, and each time the prayer was answered in a form that surpassed anything people could have imagined. Take the example of the poet known as Al-Nabighah Al-Juadi who recited a poem full of wisdom and faith when the Prophet was listening. The Prophet’s comment on the poem was in the form of a prayer. He said to Al-Nabighah: ‘May God preserve your mouth.’ We may understand this as a figurative supplication in appreciation of the wisdom the poet has expressed. This could have meant that he would continue to say words of wisdom throughout his life. While this actually took place and his poetry remained of high standard, it is reported that he lived a very long life, perhaps to reach 120 years, without ever losing a single tooth. Thus the answer to the Prophet’s prayer was both physical and abstract. The Prophet also prayed that God would make Anas ibn Malik’s offspring numerous. Anas reports that he saw no less than 93 of his children and grandchildren.
This goes to show that the Prophet could have had whatever he wished of this world’s comforts and luxuries, merely for the asking, but he declined realizing that all such luxuries are of the fleeting type. No matter how affluent a person may be, all his riches could disappear in a moment. It is only the pleasures of the hereafter that are permanent. Hence, the Prophet told Umar that whatever those unbelievers of Persia and Byzantium enjoyed would last no more than this present life.
The Prophet carried this further, appealing to God to give him no more than what is sufficient for his family’s subsistence. Abu Hurayrah quotes this supplication by the Prophet: “My Lord! Keep the provisions You give to Muhammad’s household at the subsistence level.” [Related by Al-Bukhari, Muslim, Ahmad, Al-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah.] This is indeed sufficient for anyone. The Prophet did not want people of his household and his progeny to be distracted by the riches that this life could offer. He wanted them to have the comfort of having enough without the worry that could be associated with wealth.
Yet the Prophet was fully aware of what life at the subsistence level could mean. And he was fully aware that he need not suffer any hardship. Abu Umamah quotes the Prophet as saying: “God has offered me to give me the wide plains of Makkah in gold, but I said: ‘No. I would rather have enough to eat one day and remain hungry one day. Thus, when I am hungry I would turn to You in earnest supplication and remember You; and when I have my fill, I praise You and give thanks.” [Related by Al-Bukhari and Ahmad.]
This hadith sums up the point we have been explaining. To have such a great quantity of gold as would fill the wide plains of Makkah would have made the entire population of the city rich for numerous generations. The Prophet could have had all that, as it was offered to him by God. However, he preferred a life of limited means so that to remain always in touch with God, praying to Him for his food when he goes hungry and thanking Him for all His gifts which He gives to all His servants. Wealth could easily distract people, making them think that they acquire such wealth by right, or because God loves them in a special way. Thus they may think that since God has given them so much in this life, they will be certain to have more in the hereafter. They forget that God gives of the comforts of this present life to all, whether believers or unbelievers, but He gives paradise and the luxuries of the life to come only to those who believe in Him alone.
Moreover, Muhammad was one of the five messengers whom God praised as having firm resolve in faith. The others are Noah, Abraham, Moses and Jesus. They were assigned harder tasks than other prophets and were required to live up to their tasks.
The Prophet defines this in a hadith quoted by Aishah who says that the Prophet said to her: “Aishah! The luxuries of this life are unsuitable to Muhammad or his household. Aishah! God does not accept from the messengers of strongest resolve anything other than patient perseverance when they are faced with either hardship or comfort. He does not accept to assign to me anything less than He had assigned to them. He has told me: ‘Remain patient in adversity, just as all the messengers, endowed with firmness of heart, bore themselves with patience.’ By God! I desire nothing other than to obey Him. By God! I will remain patient as they were patient, and I will do my best. All power and strong resolve come from God.” [Related by Ibn Hibban.]
This hadith defines the noble task assigned to all prophets, particularly those who are described by God as having firm resolve and strength of faith. No one could match their endurance of all types of hardship. Noah preached the message of God’s oneness for 950 years, and yet only a few of his people responded positively and accepted the faith. Abraham faced one hardship after another, while Moses and Jesus faced immense difficulties. None of them showed even the slightest weakness in the face of such hardships. Muhammad appreciated the significance of God’s command as He told him to remain steadfast as they did, and he declared that he would obey. He certainly was the model of obedience to God in all matters and all situations.