We have also related from Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “Rejoice, O impoverished Emigrants, in the complete light on the Day of Resurrection. You will enter Paradise before the wealthy people by half a day, equivalent to five hundred years.” (1)

“And those who had settled in the abode and embraced faith before them love those who emigrated to them, and find no resentment in their hearts over what the latter were given, but give them preference over themselves, even though they are in need. Whoever is protected from the greed of his own soul—it is they who are the successful.” (9)

“And those who had settled in the abode and embraced faith”: the Ansar had settled in the abode—that is, Medina—making it the abode of emigration and faith. “Before them”: that is, they embraced Islam in their own lands, chose faith, and built mosques two years before the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, arrived.

The construction of the verse is: “And those who had settled in the abode before them”—that is, before the Emigrants came to them—“and had believed,” for faith is not something in which one takes up residence.

“They love those who emigrated to them and find no resentment in their hearts”—that is, no rancor, spite, or envy—“over what they were given”: namely, the fay’ property that was given to the Emigrants rather than to them. This was because the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, distributed the wealth of Banu al-Nadir among the Emigrants and gave none of it to the Ansar; yet the Ansar were content with this. “But give them preference over themselves”: that is, they gave preference to their emigrant brethren over themselves with their wealth and homes. “Even though they are in need”: that is, despite their poverty and need for what they gave preference to others in, for they shared their homes and wealth with them.

‘Abd al-Wahid al-Mulayhi informed us; Ahmad ibn ‘Abd Allah al-Nu‘aymi informed us; Muhammad ibn Yusuf informed us; Muhammad ibn Isma‘il narrated to us; Musaddad narrated to us; ‘Abd Allah ibn Dawud narrated to us, from Fudayl ibn Ghazwan, from Abu Hazim, from Abu Hurayrah, that a man came to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, seeking hospitality. He sent word to his wives, asking, “Do you have anything?” They replied, in effect, “Nothing but water.” The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, then said, “Who will take in, or host, this man?” A man from the Ansar said, “I will, O Messenger of Allah.” So he took him to his wife and said, “Honor the guest of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him.” She said, “We have nothing except the children’s provisions.”