Source of income of Sayyiduna ‘Utba-tul-Ghulam رَحْمَةُ اللّٰەِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه

Brief introduction

Complete name of Sayyiduna ‘Utba-tul-Ghulam رَحْمَةُ اللّٰہِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه is ‘Utbah Bin Abaan Basri. Before repentance, he was a transgressor and drunken. Luckily once he رَحْمَةُ اللّٰہِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه attended the spiritual gathering of Sayyiduna Hasan Basri رَحْمَةُ اللّٰہِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه and was deeply inspired by the blessed speech of Sayyiduna Hasan Basri رَحْمَةُ اللّٰہِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه; as a result sought repentance and adopted piety and asceticism. He رَحْمَةُ اللّٰہِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه would live at the banks of river, deserts and graveyards and come to ‘Basra’ city only on Friday and he رَحْمَةُ اللّٰہِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه had become ‘صَائِمُ الدَّہْر’ (one who always observes fast).

Deeply grieved at Fikr-e-Aakhirat

Sayyiduna ‘Utba-tul-Ghulam رَحْمَةُ اللّٰہِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه would mostly remain deeply grieved on pondering over Hereafter even people declared him like Sayyiduna Hasan Basri رَحْمَةُ اللّٰہِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه. (Siyar A’laam-un-Nubula, vol. 7, pp. 51, 52; Tareekh-e-Islam liz-Zahabi, vol. 10, pp. 347)

Source of income

Sayyiduna ‘Utba-tul-Ghulam رَحْمَةُ اللّٰہِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه would make baskets from tree leaves. Sayyiduna Abu ‘Umar Basri رَحْمَةُ اللّٰہِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه (a pious personality of that time) said: Capital of Sayyiduna ‘Utba-tul-Ghulam رَحْمَةُ اللّٰہِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه was a Fals [فَلْس] (a coin equal to 1/6 of a dirham). He رَحْمَةُ اللّٰہِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه would buy leaves of dates and coconut trees from it and would make baskets and sell for 3 Fals; thereafter he رَحْمَةُ اللّٰہِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه would give one Fals as a Sadaqah, save one for his capital and spend the last one to buy food items for Iftar. (Hilya-tul-Awliya, vol. 6, pp. 248)

Dear Islamic brothers! Pious people of Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ would earn from the world for religious purposes as per need and would spend the balance earning in the path of Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ. Pious people did not like wealth for worldly pleasures, they used to like it for spending in the path of Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ but what we do is contrary to this practice. We know well as to how much we are concerned about wealth and why. May Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ protect us from the greed of wealth and grant us the riches of contentment.

Showing displeasure upon being idle

Sayyiduna ‘Utba-tul-Ghulam رَحْمَةُ اللّٰہِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه said, ‘I do not like such [kind of] person who does not join any profession.’ (Siyar A’laam-un-Nubula, vol. 7, pp. 52)

Dear Islamic brothers! The abovementioned blessed saying carries a lesson for those who stay idle and do not enter into any employment or profession although the one who tries to earn a Halal living is liked by Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ.

It is stated in the blessed Hadees, ‘Seeking Halal [lawful] earning is Jihad and Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ likes a person who joins a profession.’ (Mawsu’ah Ibn Abid Dunya, vol. 7, pp. 449)

May Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ grant us Taufeeq (ability) to try to earn a Halal living following the footsteps of our pious predecessors.

اٰمِيۡن بِجَاهِ النَّبِيِّ الۡاَمِيۡن صَلَّى اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيۡهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم


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