Life-of-Muhammad

224Life of Muhammad samore unattractive by a heavy coating of perspiration anddust. He bore a melancholy look. The Holy Prophet saapproached him stealthily from the back and, aschildren sometimes do in fun, he put forward his handsand covered the labourer's eyes with them, expectinghim to guess who he was. The man put back his ownhands and feeling over the body of the Prophet sa realizedthat it was the Holy Prophet sa himself. He probablyguessed also that nobody else would show such intimateaffection for a man in his condition. Being pleased andencouraged, he pressed against the Holy Prophet's sabody and clasped him to himself from the back rubbinghis dust and sweat-covered body against the clothes ofthe Prophet sa , desiring perhaps to ascertain how far theProphet sa would be willing to indulge him. The Prophet sawent on smiling and did not ask him to desist. When theman had been put in a thoroughly happy mood theProphet sa said to him: "I possess a slave; do you thinkanybody will be willing to buy him?" The man realizedthat probably there was nobody in the whole world, savethe Holy Prophet sa himself who would be ready to seeany worth in him, and with a melancholy sigh hereplied: "O Messenger of Allah sa ! there is nobody in thisworld who would be prepared to purchase me." TheProphet sa said: "No! No! You must not say that. You areof great worth in the eyes of God" (Sharhussunna).Not only was he himself watchful of the welfare of thepoor but he constantly exhorted others to be the same.Abu Musa Ash‘ari ra relates that if a needy personapproached the Holy Prophet sa and made a request, hewould say to those around him, "You should alsosupport his request so that you may acquire merit bybecoming sharers in promoting a good deed" (Bukhariand Muslim), his object being to create on the one side inthe minds of his Companions a feeling of eagerness tohelp the poor and on the other in the minds of the needya realization of the affection and sympathy felt for themby their better-off brethren.