863 – ʿAbd Allah narrated to us; my father narrated to us; Yazid narrated to us; al-Masʿudi narrated to us, from ʿAwn ibn ʿAbd Allah, who said: ʿAbd Allah ibn Masʿud (may Allah have mercy on him) said, “A servant does not attain the reality of faith until he settles at its summit, and he will not reach that summit until poverty is dearer to him than wealth, humility dearer to him than prestige, and the one who praises him and the one who censures him are equal in his eyes.”

He continued: The companions of ʿAbd Allah explained this, saying, “It means that poverty accompanied by what is lawful is dearer to him than wealth gained through what is unlawful; that humility while obeying Allah is dearer to him than honor achieved through disobedience to Allah; and that the one who praises him and the one who disparages him—when both speak the truth—are the same to him.”