The virtue of poverty

It was narrated that Sahl bin Sa’d As-Sa’idi said:
“A man passed by the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and the Prophet ﷺ said: ‘What do you say about this man?’ They said: ‘We agree with your opinion concerning him. We say: He is one of the noblest of people. If he proposes marriage, his proposal deserves to be accepted; and if he intercedes, his intercession deserves to be accepted; and if he speaks, he deserves to be listened to.’ The Prophet ﷺ remained silent, and another man passed by. The Prophet ﷺ said: ‘What do you think about this man?’ We said: ‘By Allah, O Messenger of Allah, this is one of the poor Muslims. If he proposes marriage, he does not deserve to get married; and if he intercedes, his intercession does not deserve to be accepted; and if he speaks, he does not deserve to be listened to.’ The Prophet ﷺ said: ‘This one is better than an earthful of (men like) the other man.’”

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الصَّبَّاحِ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْعَزِيزِ بْنُ أَبِي حَازِمٍ، حَدَّثَنِي أَبِي، عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ سَعْدٍ السَّاعِدِيِّ، قَالَ مَرَّ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ رَجُلٌ فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ " مَا تَقُولُونَ فِي هَذَا الرَّجُلِ قَالُوا رَأْيَكَ فِي . هَذَا نَقُولُ هَذَا مِنْ أَشْرَافِ النَّاسِ هَذَا حَرِيٌّ إِنْ خَطَبَ أَنْ يُخَطَّبَ وَإِنْ شَفَعَ أَنْ يُشَفَّعَ وَإِنْ قَالَ أَنْ يُسْمَعَ لِقَوْلِهِ . فَسَكَتَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ وَمَرَّ رَجُلٌ آخَرُ فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ " مَا تَقُولُونَ فِي هَذَا " . قَالُوا نَقُولُ وَاللَّهِ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ هَذَا مِنْ فُقَرَاءِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ هَذَا حَرِيٌّ إِنْ خَطَبَ لَمْ يُنْكَحْ وَإِنْ شَفَعَ لاَ يُشَفَّعْ وَإِنْ قَالَ لاَ يُسْمَعْ لِقَوْلِهِ فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ " لَهَذَا خَيْرٌ مِنْ مِلْءِ الأَرْضِ مِثْلَ هَذَا " .