Umer bin Abdul Aziz, the fifth righteous caliph was once talking to his daughters noticed that they cupped their mouths while talking to him. On making enquiries, he found that since only lentils and onions were available in his House, they cupped their mouths lest its smell should offend their beloved father. With tears in his eyes, Umar said, “My daughters, would you like to have sumptuous food and your father to be consigned to Hell?
He was the ruler of the mightiest empire of his day but he did not have enough money to perform the Hajj! He once asked his servant if he had saved anything so that he could go for the Hajj.The servant informed him that he had only ten or twelve dinars and thus he could not undertake the journey. After a few days, the Caliph received a sum sufficient to perform the Hajj from his personal holdings.The servant congratulated the Caliph and said that now he could go for the Hajj. Umar bin Abdul Aziz, however, replied that we have been deriving benefits from this for a long time. Now Muslims have a right to enjoy its fruits. Then he got the entire proceeds deposited in the public treasury.
The righteous Caliph never spent more than two dirhams on his food. If any official came to see him and began talking of the Caliph's private affairs, he would promptly put off the candle provided by the State and ask for his own candle to be brought in. He would never use the hot water taken from the State mess or even inhale the fragrance of musk belonging to the State.
Time to self reflect! Yes, it is easy to condemn rulers, and others.
However, Isn’t there a lesson for every Muslim — leaders, workers, business owners, and families?
Allah T’ala says in the Holy Quran, Chapter 102:
YOU ARE OBSESSED by greed for more and more, until you go down to your graves. Nay, in time you will come to understand! And once again: Nay, in time you will come to understand! Nay, if you could but understand [it] with an understanding [born] of certainty, you would indeed, most surely, behold the blazing fire [of hell]! In the end you will indeed, most surely, behold it with the eye of certainty: and on that Day you will most surely be called to account for [what you did with] the boon of life!
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