La Désagréabilité de la Mendicité

3. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Khalid, from his father, from Ahmad ibn al-Nadr in a marfu‘ manner has said the following: “The Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, has said, ‘Hands are of three kinds: The hands of Allah are the upper hands, the hands of a benevolent person are next in rank, and the hands of recipient of a favor are the lowest in rank. You should abstain from pleading for help (financial) as much as you can. Sustenance is behind a curtain (barrier); therefore, one may protect his dignity to find his sustenance or tear it down to find his sustenance. I swear by the One in whose hand is my life. One of you picks up a rope and goes in the valley to collect firewood. He works hard and collects so much that the length of the rope hardly reaches around the bunch of his collection. He then brings it to the market and sells it for a mud (a certain amount) of dates, saves one-third, and gives the rest in charity. This is better for him than pleading before people for financial help who may give it to him or turn him away empty-handed.’”

Les mains sont trois : la main d'Allah, la plus haute, la main du donneur qui la suit, et la main du receveur qui est la plus basse. Abstenez-vous de demander autant que possible, car les provisions sont voilées derrière des écrans. Celui qui veut préserver sa pudeur et prendre sa subsistance, qu'il le fasse. Celui qui veut déchirer le voile et prendre sa subsistance, je jure par Celui qui détient mon âme que l'un d'entre vous pourrait prendre une corde, entrer dans cette vallée, la couper et la vendre pour un tas de dattes, en prendre un tiers et en donner deux tiers en charité, cela serait meilleur pour lui que de demander aux gens de lui donner ou de lui refuser.

4. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from Ali ibn al-Hakam from Dawud ibn al-Nu’man from Ibrahim ibn ‘Uthman who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, has said that the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, has said, ‘Allah, the Most Blessed the Most High, loves something to be for His own self and He hates something to be for His creatures. He hates His creatures begging for financial help from each other, but He loves their asking Him for help. There is nothing more beloved to Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, than being asked for help; therefore, you must not feel shy to ask Allah for favors from His generosity, even if it is as insignificant as a sandal’s strap that passes between the toes of a wearer.’”

Le Messager d'Allah (que la paix et les bénédictions d'Allah soient sur lui) a dit : "Certes, Allah, le Très-Haut, aime quelque chose pour Lui-même et déteste cela pour Sa création. Il déteste le fait d'être questionné par Sa création, et aime être questionné pour Lui-même. Rien n'est plus aimé par Allah, le Tout-Puissant et Majestueux, que d'être questionné. Ainsi, que l'un d'entre vous n'hésite pas à demander à Allah de Sa grâce, même pour une simple chaussure."

5. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from ibn abu ‘Umayr from Hisham ibn Salim from abu Basir who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, has said that once, members of a tribe of al-Ansar (people of al- Madinah) came to the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause. They offered greetings of peace and he responded likewise. They said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, we have a request from you.’ He asked, ‘What is your request?’ They replied, ‘It is a very great matter.’ He asked, ‘What is it?’ They replied, ‘Provide us a guarantee from your Lord to admit us into Paradise.’ He bent down his head and made a few marks on the ground, then raised his head and said, ‘I am ready to do it with one condition. The condition is that not one of you will ever ask anyone to give you something.’ The Imam has said that thereafter, because of that condition, a man of that tribe when on a journey; even if his whip fell off his hand while riding, he disliked to ask another person to fetch his whip. Instead, he would dismount to pick up his whip to keep his promise with the Messenger of Allah. While sitting at the table for food, they would not ask a person nearer the water to fetch them the water container. Rather they would stand up to get water.’”

Un groupe d'Ansar vint voir le Messager d'Allah (que la prière d'Allah et Son salut soient sur lui), le salua et il leur rendit le salut. Ils dirent: "Ô Messager d'Allah, nous avons un besoin envers toi." Il répondit: "Exprimez votre besoin." Ils dirent: "C'est un grand besoin." Il dit: "Exprimez-le." Ils dirent: "Garantis-nous le Paradis auprès de ton Seigneur." Le Messager d'Allah (que la prière d'Allah et Son salut soient sur lui) baissa la tête, puis la releva, et dit: "Je le ferai pour vous à condition que vous ne demandiez rien à personne." Un homme parmi eux voyageait et sa cravache tombait, il n'aimait pas demander à quelqu'un de la lui passer par peur de la mendicité. Il descendait, la prenait, et lorsqu'il était à table, certains convives étaient plus proches de l'eau que lui, mais il ne disait pas "Passez-moi l'eau" jusqu'à ce qu'il se lève et boive.

6. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn abu ‘Abd Allah from his father from those whom he has mentioned (in his book) from al-Husayn ibn abu al-‘Ala’ who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, has said, ‘Allah grants mercy to one of His servants who has maintained chastity, continues to do so, and abstains from asking (people) for a favor; doing so brings lowliness for one in this world quickly, and people cannot make him self-sufficient.’ Abu ‘Abd Allah, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, then mentioned a line of the poems of Hatim (a famous generous person) as an example: ‘Once I understood “giving up all hope” properly, I found it to be self-sufficiency and wealth when the soul also understood it as well; (it ) found that greed is not anything other than poverty.’”

Un serviteur qui pardonne, se retient et s'abstient de demander, atteint rapidement la prospérité dans ce monde et les gens ne peuvent rien lui enlever. Quand tu connais le désespoir, tu le trouves riche; quand l'âme et la cupidité le reconnaissent, la pauvreté le guette.

7. Ali ibn Muhammad and Ahmad ibn Muhammad have narrated from Ali ibn al-Hassan from al-‘Abbas ibn ‘Amir from Muhammad ibn Ibrahim al-Sayrafiy from Mufaddal ibn Qays ibn Rummanah who has said the following: “Once I visited abu ‘Abd Allah, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, and mentioned to him certain matters about my conditions. The Imam asked the housemaid to bring to him a certain bag, then he said, ‘This is the four hundred dinar that abu Ja’far (the Abbaside rule) has sent to me as a gift. Take it to ease your difficulties.’ I then said, ‘I pray to Allah to keep my soul in service for your cause, I do not want to take the money; it is not everything in my life. I love most that you pray for me before Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Glorious.’ The Imam said, ‘I will certainly do so; however, you must never speak to people about your conditions; you will seem insignificant in their sight.’”

J'ai rendu visite à Abi Abdullah (sur lui la paix) et je lui ai mentionné certaines de mes difficultés. Il a dit : "Ô jeune fille, apporte ce sac contenant quatre cents dinars que Abu Ja'far m'a envoyé. Prends-le et utilise-le." J'ai répondu : "Non, par Allah, que ma vie soit sacrifiée pour toi, ce n'est pas ma destinée, mais j'aimerais que tu invoques Allah, Le Majestueux et Glorieux, en ma faveur." Il a dit : "Je le ferai, mais je te demande de ne pas informer les gens de toutes tes difficultés, afin de ne pas les rendre légers pour eux."

8. “It is narrated that Luqman said to his son, ‘Son, I have tested patience and have consumed tree barks for food. I have not found anything as bitter as poverty. If you ever face poverty, do not tell people about it; you will seem insignificant in their sight and they will be of no benefit to you. You must turn to the One who has placed it upon you as a trial. He has all the power to grant you relief, but you must ask Him for help. No one asking Him for help is ever turned away empty-handed, and no one who has placed his trust in Him is ever abandoned.’”

"Ô mon fils, j'ai goûté à la patience et j'ai mangé l'écorce des arbres sans trouver quoi que ce soit de plus amer que la pauvreté. Si tu es éprouvé un jour, ne le montre pas aux gens pour qu'ils se moquent de toi, car ils ne te seront d'aucune utilité. Retourne-toi vers Celui qui t'a éprouvé, car Il est plus capable de soulager ta détresse. Et demande à Celui à qui on demande sans recevoir ou en qui on place sa confiance sans être secouru."