The Most Valuable Profit A person came to the Messenger of Allah (SAW) and said: “O Messenger of Allah! Today I have made such a profit that nobody in this valley could have gained as much as I did.” The Messenger of Allah (SAW) said: “Woe to you! How much is your profit?” The man said: “I kept on selling and buying until I earned 300 Uqiyyah.” Thereupon, the Messenger of Allah (SAW) said: “I will tell you the most valuable thing that a person can earn.” The man asked: “What is that, O Messenger of Allah?” The Messenger of Allah (SAW) replied: “Two Rakaat (of supererogatory prayer) after (an obligatory) prayer.” [Abu Dawud, Kitaab al-Jihad] This incident took place after the fortress of Khyber was conquered. The spoils (Ghaneemah) from the goods and captives were distributed among the people. The people started trading; buying and selling their spoils. The person who came to the Messenger of Allah (SAW) had made a profit of 300 Uqiyyah. Regarding the dowry that the Messenger of Allah (SAW) gave to his wives, Aisha (radiya Allahu anha) said that it was twelve and a half Uqiyya, which was equal to five hundred silver coins (Dirhams). [Sahih Muslim, Kitaab an-Nikah] This means that an Uqiyya was equal to 40 Dirhams and the man’s profit was equal to 12,000 coins of silver! Notice that the Messenger of Allah (SAW) did not celebrate the man’s monetary success. Real profit is the profit of the Hereafter. Whatever wealth we earn in this life we leave behind when we depart from it. Only our deeds go with us, whether it is prayer, Sadaqah in the path of Allah, or any other injunction of Islam. So, the Messenger of Allah (SAW) instructed the man in how he would be able to make a profit that is really worth talking about. This profitable venture, which is better than 60,000 silver coins a day, is two Rakaat of supererogatory prayer with each obligatory (Fard) prayer. If we were to be handed out $60,000 in cash every day for praying these 10 extra Rakaat, how many of us would not be able to find the time or energy to? "And verily for everything that a slave loses there is a substitute, but the one who loses Allah will never find anything to replace Him.” ~Ibn al-Qayyim
Posted on: Thu, 06 Jun 2013 16:37:49 +0000