Another example of this is that Allah gave him the choice between being a servant-messenger and being a prophet-king. He chose to be a servant-messenger, because a servant-messenger acts at his Master’s command, not for his own benefit, whereas a king acts for his own benefit, even when doing so is permissible. As Solomon was told:

“This is Our gift, so give or withhold without being called to account.”

These hadiths show that he chose servitude and humility, even though he and his followers held the highest standing. As Allah said:

“Do not lose heart or grieve, for you will have the upper hand.”

And He said:

“Honor belongs to Allah, His Messenger, and the believers.”

He did not seek ascendancy, even though he attained it. Moreover, he received gifts such as no one else received. Wealth is preferable only because it enables one to benefit others, spend in Allah’s cause, and draw upon it to obey and worship Him. Otherwise, merely possessing wealth brings no benefit and may even cause harm.

Alongside this, he patiently endured hardship and adversity such as no one else endured. Thus he attained the highest ranks of the grateful and the most excellent stations of the patient. He excelled in both poverty and wealth; unlike some of his Companions and members of his community, he was not someone whose spiritual well-being depended on only one of these conditions.

(The second meaning is that righteousness is more prevalent among the poor than among the wealthy, just as, when it is found among the wealthy, it is more complete than among the poor. Thus it is more prevalent among the former and greater among the latter, because the trial of wealth is greater than the trial of poverty, and fewer people emerge from it unscathed. Whoever emerges from it unscathed is superior to someone who has emerged unscathed only from the trial of poverty; and for this reason