37/28. Chapter:
Jami at-Tirmidhi 2462 — The Danger of Worldly Competition
The Hadith: "By Allah! It is Not Poverty That I Fear for You"
Hadith About the Danger of Dunya Competition
Jami at-Tirmidhi : 2462
Jami at-TirmidhiHadith Number 2462
حَدَّثَنَا سُوَيْدُ بْنُ نَصْرٍ، أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ الْمُبَارَكِ، عَنْ مَعْمَرٍ، وَيُونُسَ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، أَنَّ عُرْوَةَ بْنَ الزُّبَيْرِ، أَخْبَرَهُ أَنَّ الْمِسْوَرَ بْنَ مَخْرَمَةَ أَخْبَرَهُ أَنَّ عَمْرَو بْنَ عَوْفٍ وَهُوَ حَلِيفُ بَنِي عَامِرِ بْنِ لُؤَىٍّ وَكَانَ شَهِدَ بَدْرًا مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم - أَخْبَرَهُ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم بَعَثَ أَبَا عُبَيْدَةَ بْنَ الْجَرَّاحِ فَقَدِمَ بِمَالٍ مِنَ الْبَحْرَيْنِ وَسَمِعَتِ الأَنْصَارُ بِقُدُومِ أَبِي عُبَيْدَةَ فَوَافَوْا صَلاَةَ الْفَجْرِ مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَلَمَّا صَلَّى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم انْصَرَفَ فَتَعَرَّضُوا لَهُ فَتَبَسَّمَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم حِينَ رَآهُمْ ثُمَّ قَالَ " أَظُنُّكُمْ سَمِعْتُمْ أَنَّ أَبَا عُبَيْدَةَ قَدِمَ بِشَيْءٍ " . قَالُوا أَجَلْ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ . قَالَ " فَأَبْشِرُوا وَأَمِّلُوا مَا يَسُرُّكُمْ فَوَاللَّهِ مَا الْفَقْرَ أَخْشَى عَلَيْكُمْ وَلَكِنِّي أَخْشَى أَنْ تُبْسَطَ الدُّنْيَا عَلَيْكُمْ كَمَا بُسِطَتْ عَلَى مَنْ قَبْلَكُمْ فَتَنَافَسُوهَا كَمَا تَنَافَسُوهَا فَتُهْلِكَكُمْ كَمَا أَهْلَكَتْهُمْ " . قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ .
'Amir bin 'Awf Narrated from:
The Messenger Of Allah (S.A.W) Had Dispatched Abu 'Ubaidah Bin Al-Jarrah, So He Arrived With The Wealth From Al-Bahrain. When The Ansar Had Heard Of The Arrival Of Abu 'Ubaidah They Were Attending Salat Al-Fajr. So The The Messenger Of Allah (S.A.W) Performed The Salat And When He Finished, They Assembled Before Him.The Messenger Of Allah (S.A.W) Smiled When He Saw Them, Then He Said: 'I Think That You Heard That Abu 'Ubaidah Has Arrived With Something?' They Said: 'Yes O Messenger Of Allah! 'He Said: 'Then Receive Good News, And Hope For What Will Please You. By Allah! It Is Not Poverty That I Fear For You, But What I Fear For You Is That The World Will Be Presented For You Just As It Was Presented For Those Before You, Then You Will Compete For It, Just As They Competed For It, And It Will Destroy You, Just As It Destroyed Them.'
[1] This part preceded under no. 2377.Reference : Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2462In-book reference : Book 37, Hadith 48English translation : Vol. 4, Book 11, Hadith 2462
Summary of Jami at-Tirmidhi Hadith 2462
This hadith about the danger of dunya competition speaks directly about wealth, desire, and rivalry. The Ansar heard that Abu Ubaidah had arrived with wealth from Bahrain, and they gathered after Fajr. The Prophet smiled and gave them good news, but then he gave a serious warning. He said he did not fear poverty for them. What he feared was that the world would be opened for them as it was opened for people before them. Then they might compete for it, and that competition could destroy them as it destroyed earlier people. The hadith teaches that wealth itself is a test. The real danger is when the heart starts racing after it and people begin to compete over it.
What we learn from this hadith
- The Prophet feared harmful worldly competition for his community.
- Wealth can become a test when people compete over it.
- Poverty is not always the greatest danger to faith.
- The fate of earlier people is a warning against greed.
