He ﷺ replied, “That is Allah’s bounty; He bestows it upon whomever He wills. It is He who apportions both provision and guidance according to His wisdom, and He is the All-Wise, the All-Knowing.”
Lessons drawn from the ḥadith
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The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) were deeply eager for every sort of goodness and strove to outdo one another in righteous deeds. The poor were pained at being unable to perform financial acts of worship, while the wealthy were not content merely with their wealth but wanted to share with the poor in every avenue of good. It is possible that, by His grace and generosity, Allah will grant the poor a reward equal to their sincere intention.
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The report points to the merit of the grateful rich person over the patient poor person, because of the additional deeds the former can perform. This question has been the subject of lengthy debate among the scholars.
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Spending in the path of good is a cause for elevation in rank. Ibn al-Qayyim said: “When a wealthy person fears Allah regarding his wealth and spends it in its proper channels—not limiting himself to zakāt alone, but also feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, relieving the distressed, and supporting those in need or in danger—his way is the way of gain, which is higher than mere safety. The Prophet ﷺ acknowledged for the poor what the wealthy attain of this high station through their spending.”
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The excellence of the remembrance mentioned in this ḥadith: whoever recites it after the obligatory prayers gains a lead that no one can match except one who does the same, because of the purification it brings to the soul and the discipline it instills in character.
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Guidance and provision are in Allah’s hand; He alone distributes them among His servants, so one must be content with Allah’s allotment.
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This remembrance is prescribed after the obligatory prayers, as some narrations explicitly limit it to them, and it is to be recited in this very formula. The tasbīḥ (saying subḥān Allah) negates all imperfections with respect to Allah, the taḥmīd (saying al-ḥamdu lillāh) affirms His perfection, and the takbīr (saying Allāhu akbar) affirms His attributes of majesty. Ibn al-Qayyim held that the total of thirty-three is reached by combining the words of tasbīḥ, taḥmīd, and takbīr.