He was asked about someone who said:
“The poor and the rich” have no superiority over one another except through piety. Whoever is more mindful of Allah is better and more beloved to Allah Most High. The authentic hadith in which the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, “The poor of my nation will enter Paradise five hundred years before the rich,” concerns vulnerable and destitute Muslims who fulfil the obligations prescribed by Allah Most High. It is not restricted to the mere trappings that have become familiar and widespread in these later times: prayer rugs, patched cloaks, staffs, and ornate expressions. Rather, these outward forms customary in our times are newly devised innovations. Is the matter as stated or not?
He replied—may Allah be pleased with him:
Praise be to Allah, Lord of all worlds. Many Muslims of later generations have disputed which is better: “the grateful rich person or the patient poor person.” Some scholars and devout worshippers have favoured one, while others have favoured the other. Two positions on this matter have been reported from Imam Ahmad. As for the Companions and the Successors, they are not reported to have preferred either of the two groups