And among them were those who were poor, such as the Messiah, Jesus son of Mary; John son of Zechariah; ‘Alī ibn Abī Tālib; Abū Dharr al-Ghifārī; Mus‘ab ibn ‘Umayr; Salmān al-Fārisī; and others like them, who are among the finest of creation—the prophets and the utterly truthful.

Among them were also those who experienced both conditions—wealth at one time and poverty at another—and combined the generosity of the wealthy with the patience of the poor, such as our Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, Abū Bakr, and ‘Umar.

The texts of the Quran and Sunnah judge with justice. In the Quran, Allah has not preferred anyone on account of poverty or wealth, just as He has not preferred anyone on account of health or illness, residence or travel, commanding or obeying, or leading or following. Rather, He says:

“Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you.”

He has distinguished people by righteous deeds: faith, its pillars and its branches, such as certainty, knowledge, love for Allah, turning to Him, reliance upon Him, hope in Him, fear of Him, gratitude to Him, and patience for His sake.

In the verse concerning justice, He says:

“O you who believe, stand firmly for justice as witnesses for Allah, even against yourselves, your parents, or close relatives. Whether a person is rich or poor, Allah is best able to care for both. So do not follow your desires, lest you deviate from justice.”

Accordingly, the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and his caliphs treated Muslims, rich and poor alike, justly in their affairs. When some wealthy people asked the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, to send the poor away, Allah forbade him to do so and praised them for seeking His Face. He said:

“And do not drive away those who call upon their Lord”—to the end of the verse.