THE NOBLEST HUMAN BEING

Some salient features of the Messenger of Allah's character were contentment, optimism, and a generous heart. He was a bearer of glad tidings. He forbade people from extremes of austerity an asceticism, because these lead to repelling people from the truth. Hopelessness and failure were not in his dictionary. A smile was always on his face, and his heart was content. Furthermore, his commands were easy to follow, for his mission was to alleviate hardship and to remove the shackles of falsehood that hold people down.

Zayd ibn Thaabit (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that he heard the Messenger of Allah (bpuh) say:

"Whoever's main concern in this world, Allah will scatter his affairs and afflict him with poverty between his eyes; moreover, nothing will come to him from this world except that which was written for him. And as for those who long for the Hereafter, Allah will unite (and make smooth) their affairs. He will instill richness into their hearts and the world wll come to them, though it might do so unwillingly."

'Abdullah ibn Mas'ood (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that he heard the Messenger of Allah (bpuh) say:

"Whoever transforms all of his concerns into one concern only - concern for the Hereafter - Allah will satisfy his demands and needs in this life. As for he who devotes his concerns to worldly matters, Allah will not care in which valley he perishes."