It is related that on the day of Badr the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—was sitting in the shade when Gabriel, the Trustworthy, came quickly to him and said, “Muhammad, do you sit in the shade while your Companions are in the sun?” He was reproached only by this slight remark.
He, peace and blessings be upon him, also said: “Whoever wishes to escape the Fire and enter Paradise must ensure that, when death comes to him, the word of testimony is upon his tongue; and whatever he does not approve for himself, he should not approve for any of the Muslims.”
He likewise said: “Whoever awakens with a concern in his heart other than Allah has no share with Allah, and whoever shows no compassion toward the Muslims is not of them.”
He was reproached only by this slight remark.
He, peace and blessings be upon him, also said: “Whoever wishes to escape the Fire and enter Paradise must ensure that, when death comes to him, the word of testimony is upon his tongue; and whatever he does not approve for himself, he should not approve for any of the Muslims.”
He likewise said: “Whoever awakens with a concern in his heart other than Allah has no share with Allah, and whoever shows no compassion toward the Muslims is not of them.”
The Sixth Principle
Do not belittle those who wait for their needs to be met, nor their standing at your door. Beware of this danger: whenever any Muslim brings a request to you, do not let supererogatory acts of worship distract you from fulfilling it, for meeting the Muslims’ needs is better than voluntary devotions.
Anecdote: One day ʿUmar ibn ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz was attending to the people’s affairs. He remained seated until noon and grew tired, so he entered his house to rest. His son said to him, “What makes you feel safe that death will not come to you at this very moment while someone with a need is waiting at your door and you have fallen short toward him?” He replied, “You are right,” rose, and returned to his place.
The Seventh Principle
Do not accustom yourself to indulging in desires—wearing luxurious clothes and eating fine foods; rather, practice contentment in all things, for there is no justice without contentment.
Anecdote: ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb—may Allah be pleased with him—asked one of the righteous, “Have you seen anything in my life that you dislike?” He replied, “I heard that you place two loaves on your table and that you have two garments, one for the night and another for the day.” ʿUmar asked, “Is there anything besides these two?” He said, “No.” ʿUmar swore, “By Allah, even these two shall not remain.”