Hundred Great Muslims

HundredGreat Muslims
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pre-Islamic days that no complaint was lodged \\I;th the Qazi for one year.
Hazrat Ali, Hazrat Usman and laid bin Sabit worked as Khatibs.
Hazrat Abu Bakr's simplicity, honesty and integrity was personified. He
sacrificed everything in the service of Islam. He was a prosperous businessman
owning more than 40,000 dirhams in cash when he embraced Islam, but he was
a pauper when he died as the First Caliph of Islam.
He did not abandon his ancestral occupation when he was elected as
Caliph and for about six months carried cloth sheets on his shoulders for selling
in the markets of Medina. However, his official duties did not leave him much
time for his private work, hence he was advised to accept some maintenance
allowance. The Assembly of the Muslims fixed a monthly stipend which enabled
him to pass the life of an ordinary citizen. He had to deposit his old clothes
for replacement by new ones from the Baitul Mal (Public Treasury).
Before his assumption of the exalted office of Caliph, he used to milk
the goats of his locality. Once while passing through a street of Medina, he
heard a girl's remark's, "Now he has become the Caliph, hence he would not
milk our goats." He replied instantly, "No, my daughter, I shall certainly milk
the goats as usual. I hope thai by the grace of God, my position will not alter
my routine." He had great affection for children who used to embrace him and
call him 'Baba' (Father).
An old destitute woman lived on the outskirts of Medina. Hazrat Umar
visited her occasionally to handle her household chores. But whenever he went
there, he was told that someone else had preceded him in that service. Once he
visited her house in the early hours of the morning and hid himself in a corner
to watch the mysterious person who arrived at the usual time. He was surprised
to see that he was none other than the Caliph himself.
Hazrat Abu Bakr was extremely scrupulous in drawing his stipend from
the Baitul Mal. He charged only as much as would suffice for the barest
necessities of an ordinary life. One day his wife asked for sweets, but he had no
spare funds for that. She saved a few dirhams in a fortnight and gave it to him
to get sweets for her. Forthrightly he gave her to understand that her savings
had established that he was drawing stipend in excess of their requirements.
Hence he refunded the amount to the Baitul Mal and reduced his stipend for the
future.
He delighted in doing alI his work with his own hands, and never tolerated
anyose to share his domestic works. Even if the reins of the camel happened to
drop from his hand, he would never ask anyone to hold it for him. He would
rather come down and pick it up himself.
Whenever a man praised him in his presence he would say, "0, God!
You know me more than myself and I know myself more than these people.