Excellence of Simple Living and being Content with Little

'Aishah (May Allah be pleased with her) reported:
The family of Muhammad ﷺ never ate to the fill the bread of barley for two successive days until he died.

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Another narration is: 'Aishah (May Allah be pleased with her) said: Never did the family of Muhammad ﷺ eat to the fill, since their arrival to Al-Madinah, the bread of wheat for three successive nights until his death.

وعن عائشة، رضي الله عنها ، قالت: ما شبع آل محمد، ﷺ ، من خبز شعير يومين متتابعين حتى قبض. ((متفق عليه)). وفي رواية: ما شبع آل محمد، ﷺ ، منذ قدم المدينة من طعام البر ثلاث ليال تباعاً حتى قبض.

'Urwah from 'Aishah (May Allah be pleased with her) reported that she used to say to Urwah (May Allah be pleased with him):
"O son of my sister, by Allah, I used to see the new moon, then the new moon, then the new moon, i.e., three moons in two months, and a fire was not kindled in the house of Messenger of Allah ﷺ. "I ('Urwah) said, "O my aunt, what were your means of sustenance?" She said; "Dates and water. But it (so happened) that Messenger of Allah ﷺ had some Ansar neighbours who had milch animals. They used to send Messenger of Allah ﷺ some milk of their (animals) and he gave that to us to drink."

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

وعن عروة عن عائشة، رضي الله عنها، أنها كانت تقول: والله يا ابن اختي إن كنا لننظر إلى الهلال، ثم الهلال: ثلاثة أهلة في شهرين، وما أوقد في أبيات رسول ﷺ ، نار. قلت: يا خالة فما كان يعيشكم؟ قالت: الأسودان: التمر والماء، إلا أنه قد كان لرسول الله ﷺ جيران من الأنصار، وكانت لهم منائح وكانوا يرسلون إلى رسول الله من ألبانها فيسقينا. ((متفق عليه)).

Abu Sa'id Maqburi reported:
Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) said that he happened to pass by some people who had a roast lamb before them. They invited him, but he declined, saying: "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ left the world without having eaten his fill with barley bread."

[Al-Bukhari].

وعن أبي سعيد المقبري عن أبي هريرة رضي الله عنه، أنه مر بقوم بين أيديهم شاة مصلية، فدعوه فأبي أن يأكل، وقال: خرج رسول الله ﷺ من الدنيا ولم يشبع من خبز الشعير. ((رواه البخاري)).

Anas (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:
The Prophet ﷺ neither ate on a dining cloth, nor ate soft bread throughout his life.

[Al-Bukhari].

One narration adds: He ﷺ never even saw a Samit lamb.

Samit is an animal prepared for food by removing its hair by boiling water, and then roasted without being skinned. This type of food is preferred by wealthy people. (Editor's Note)

وعن أنس رضي الله عنه، قال: لم يأكل النبي ﷺ على خوان حتى مات، وما أكل خبزاً مرققاً حتى مات. ((رواه البخاري)). (( وفي روايه له: ولا رأى شاة سميطاً بعينه قط)).

An-Nu'man bin Bashir (May Allah be pleased with them) reported:
I have seen your Prophet ﷺ when he did not find enough of even the inferior quality of dates to eat and fill his belly.

[Muslim].

وعن النعمان بن بشير رضي الله عنهما قال: لقد رأيت نبيكم ﷺ ، وما يجد من الدقل ما يملأ به بطنه، ((رواه مسلم)).

Sahl bin Sa'd (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:
Messenger of Allah ﷺ had never seen bread made out of fine flour throughout his life, since Allah commissioned him until his death. He was asked, "Did you not have sieves at the time of the Messenger of Allah?" He replied, "Messenger of Allah ﷺ never saw a sieve." He was asked, "How did you manage to eat barley bread made of unsieved flour?" He said, "We used to ground it and then blew away the husk, and what remained we kneaded into dough."

[Al-Bukhari].

وعن سهل بن سعد رضي الله عنه، قال: ما رأى رسول الله ﷺ النقي من حين ابتعثة الله تعالى حتى قبضه الله تعالى، فقيل له: هل كان لكم في عهد رسول الله ﷺ مناخل؟ قال: ما رأى رسول الله ﷺ منخلا من حين ابتعثه الله تعالى حتى قبضه الله تعالى، فقيل له: كيف كنتم تأكلون الشعير غير منخول؟ قال: كنا نطحنه وننفخه، فيطير ما طار، وما بقى ثريناه ((رواه البخاري)).

Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:
Messenger of Allah ﷺ went out (of his house) one day, or one night, and there he met Abu Bakr and 'Umar (May Allah be pleased with them) also. He ﷺ said, "What made you leave your houses at this hour?" They said, "It is hunger, O Messenger of Allah." He said, "By Him in Whose Hands my soul is, what made you leave, made me also leave, so come along!" And he went along with them to a man from the Ansar, but they did not find him in his house. When the wife of that man saw the Prophet, she said, "You are most welcome." Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to her, "Where is so-and-so?" She said, "He went to fetch some fresh water for us." In the meantime, the Ansari came back, saw Messenger of Allah ﷺ and his two companions and said: "Praise be to Allah, today no one has more honourable guests than I." He then went out and brought them a bunch of date fruit, having dates, some still green, some ripe, and some fully ripe, and requested them to eat from it. He then took his knife (to slaughter a sheep). Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to him, "Do not kill a milch sheep." So he slaughtered a sheep for them. After they had eaten and drunk to their fill, Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to Abu Bakr and 'Umar (May Allah be pleased with them), "By Him in Whose Hand my soul is, you will certainly be questioned about this treat on the Day of Resurrection. Hunger brought you out of your homes, and you do not return to your homes till you have been blessed with this treat."

[Muslim].

وعن أبي هريرة رضي الله عنه قال: خرج رسول الله ﷺ ذات يوم أو ليلة، فإذا هو بأبي بكر وعمر رضي الله عنهما، فقال: " ما أخرجكما من بيوتكما هذه الساعة؟” قالا: الجوع يا رسول الله. قال: " وأنا، والذي نفسي بيده، لأخرجني الذي أخرجكما. قوما" فقاما معه، فأتى رجلا من الأنصار، فإذا هو ليس في بيته، فلما رأته المرأة قالت: مرحباً وأهلا، فقال لها رسول الله ﷺ "أين فلان؟" قالت ذهب يستعذب لنا الماء، إذ جاء الأنصاري، فنظر إلى رسول الله ﷺ وصاحبيه، ثم قال: الحمد الله، ما أحد اليوم أكرم أضيافاً مني. فانطلق فجاءهم بعذق فيه بسر وتمر ورطب، فقال: كلوا وأخذ المدية فقال رسول الله ﷺ " إياك والحلوب" فذبح لهم فأكلوا من الشاة ومن ذلك العذق وشربوا فلما أن شبعوا ورووا قال رسول الله ﷺ لأبي بكر وعمر رضي الله عنهما: " والذي نفسي بيده، لتسألن عن هذا النعيم يوم القيامة، أخرجكم من بيوتكم الجوع، ثم لم ترجعوا حتى أصابكم هذا النعيم" ((رواه مسلم)). (36)

Khalid bin 'Umar Al-'Adawi reported:
'Utbah bin Ghazwan, the governor of Basrah, delivered a Khutbah. He praised Allah, glorified Him, then said: "Amma b'adu, verily, the world has been given the news of its end and is running to meet its end swiftly. Nothing is left out of it but a very little amount. Similar to the remainder in a dish whose owner is collecting it to drink; and you are going to move to an abode which knows no end, and you should proceed there with the good before you, for we have been informed (by the Prophet ﷺ) that a stone would be thrown at one side of the Hell and it would travel down for seventy years but would not reach its bottom. By Allah, it will be filled (with men and jinn). Do you find it strange? We have been informed (i.e., by the Prophet ﷺ) that the distance between two shutters of the gate of Jannah is forty years (distance). And a day would come when it would be fully packed; I was the seventh amongst the seven who had been with Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and we had nothing to eat but the leaves of the tree until the sides of our mouth were injured. We found a sheet which we tore into two and divided between myself and Sa'd bin Malik. I made the lower garment with half of it and so did Sa'd. Today, there is none amongst us who has not become the governor of a city, and I seek refuge with Allah that I should consider myself great while I am insignificant to Allah."

[Muslim].

وعن خالد بن عمر العدوي قال: خطبنا عتبة بن غزوان، وكان أمير على البصرة، فحمد الله وأثنى عليه، ثم قال: أما بعد؛ فإن الدنيا قد آذنت بصرم، وولت حذاء، ولم يبق منها إلا صبابة كصبابة الإناء يتصابها صاحبها، وإنكم منتقلون منها إلى دار لا زوال لها، فانتقلوا بخير ما بحضرتكم، فإنه قد ذكر لنا أن الحجر يلقى من شفير جنهم فيهوي فيها سبعين عاماً، لا يدرك لها قعراً، والله لتملأن ...أفعجبتم!؟ ولقد ذكر لنا أن ما بين مصراعين من مصاريع الجنة مسيرة أربعين عاماً، وليأتين عليه يوم وهو كظيظ من الزحام، ولقد رأيتني سابع سبعة مع رسول الله، ﷺ ما لنا طعام إلا ورق الشجر، حتى قرحت أشداقنا، فالتقطت بردة فشققتها بيني وبين سعد بن مالك، فاتزرت بنصفها، واتزر سعد بنصفها، فما أصبح اليوم منا أحد إلا أصبح أميراً على مصر من الأمصار، وإني أعوذ بالله أن أكون في نفسي عظيماً، وعند الله صغيراً. ((رواه مسلم)).

Abu Musa Al-Ash'ari (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:
'Aishah (May Allah be pleased with her) showed us a sheet and a thick lower garment and said to us Messenger of Allah ﷺ was wearing them when he died.

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

وعن أبي موسى الأشعري رضي الله عنه قال: أخرجت لنا عائشة رضي الله عنها كساء وإزاراً غليظاً قالت: قبض رسول الله ﷺ في هذين ((متفق عليه)).

Sa'd bin Abu Waqqas (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:
By Allah, I am the first Arab who shot an arrow in the Cause of Allah. We fought along with Messenger of Allah ﷺ when our food was only the leaves of Hublah and Samur trees (wild trees) until one of us would defecate like the droppings of sheep.

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

وعن سعيد بن أبي وقاص، رضي الله عنه، قال: إني لأول العرب رمي بسهم في سبيل الله، ولقد كنا نغزو مع رسول الله ﷺ ما لنا طعام إلا ورق الحلبة، هذا السمر، حتى إن كان أحدنا ليضع كما تضع الشاة ما له خلط. ((متفق عليه)). " الحلبة" بضم الحاء المهملة وإسكان الباء الموحدة: وهي والسمر، نوعان معروفان من شجر البادية.

Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:
Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to supplicate: "O Allah, make the provisions of family of Muhammad ﷺ bare subsistence."

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

وعن أبي هريرة، رضي الله عنه، قال: قال رسول الله، ﷺ : " اللهم اجعل رزق آل محمد قوتاً" ((متفق عليه)). قال أهل اللغة والغريب: معنى " قوتاً" أي: ما يسد الرمق.

Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:
By Allah other than Whom there is none worthy of worship, I used to press my stomach against the earth owing to my hunger; I would tie a stone over it. One day, I was sitting on the way they usually take when the Prophet ﷺ passed by me. When he saw me he smiled at me and knew my condition and my feelings. He called me and I replied, "At your service, O Messenger of Allah." He said, "Follow me." So I followed him. Having arrived at home, he sought permission and entered. He allowed me in and I, too, entered. He found milk in a bowl and asked, "Where is this from?" He was told that it was a gift for him from so- and-so. He called me and I responded: "At your service, O Messenger of Allah." He said, "Go to the people of As-Suffah and usher them in." He Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) explained: The people of As-Suffah were guests of Islam; they had no family, no property and no relations. When Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to receive something in charity, he would send it to them without taking anything from it. When he received a present, he would send for them and share it with them. On this occasion, I disliked to give them anything. I said to myself: "This meagre quantity of milk will not be enough for all the people of As-Suffah! I am more deserving of it than anyone else. By drinking it I may attain some strength. When they come, he will order me to give it to them. I do not expect that anything will be left for me from this milk." As there was no alternative but to obey Allah and His Messenger ﷺ. I went and called them. They came and sought permission which was granted. They took their seats. The Prophet ﷺ called me and I responded, "At your service, O Messenger of Allah." He then said, "Take the milk and give it to them." I took the bowl and gave it to one man who drank his fill and returned it to me, and I gave it to the next and he did the same. I went on doing this till the bowl reached Messenger of Allah ﷺ. By that time all had taken their fill. He ﷺ took the bowl, put it on his hand, looked at me, smiled and said, "Abu Hirr." I said, "At your service, O Messenger of Allah." He said, "Now you and I are left." I said, "That is true, O Messenger of Allah." He said, "Sit down and drink." I drank, but he went on saying, "Drink some more." I said, "By Him Who has sent you with the Truth, I have no room for it." He said, "Then give it to me." So I gave him the bowl. He praised Allah, uttered the Name of Allah and drank the remainder.

[Al-Bukhari].

وعن أبي هريرة رضي الله عنه قال: والله الذي لا إله إلا هو، إن كنت لأعتمد بكبدي على الأرض من الجوع، وإن كنت لأشد الحجر على بطني من الجوع. ولقد قعدت يوماً على طريقهم الذي يخرجون منه، فمر بي النبي، ﷺ ، فتبسم حين رآني، وعرف ما في وجهي وما في نفسي، ثم قال: " أبا هر" قلت لبيك يا رسول الله، قال: " الحق" ومضى فاتبعته، فدخل فاستأذن، فأذن لي فدخلت، فوجد لبنا في قدح فقال: " من أين هذا اللبن؟" قالوا: أهداه لك فلان- أو فلانة- قال:" أبا هر" قلت: لبيك يارسول الله، قال: " الحق إلى أهل الصفة فادعهم لي" قال: وأهل الصفة أضياف الإسلام، لا يأوون على أهل، ولا مال، وإذا أتته هدية أرسل إليهم، وأصاب منها وأشركهم فيها، فساءني ذلك فقلت: وما هذا اللبن في أهل الصفة! كنت أحق أن أصيب من هذا اللبن شربة أتقوى بها، فإذا جأووا وأمرني فكنت أنا أعطيهم؛ وما عسى أن يبلغني من هذا اللبن، ولم يكن من طاعة الله وطاعة رسوله، ﷺ بد، فأتيتهم فدعوتهم، فأقبلوا واستأذنوا، فأذن لهم وأخذوا مجالسهم من البيت قال:" يا أبا هر" قلت: لبيك يا رسول الله قال: " خذ فأعطهم" قال: فأخذت القدح، فجعلت أعطيه الرجل فيشرب حتى يروى، ثم يرد علي القدح، فأعطيه الآخر فيشرب حتى يروى، ثم يرد علي القدح حتى انتيهت إلى النبي ﷺ ، وقد روي القوم كلهم، فأخذ القدح فوضعه على يده، فنظر إلي فتبسم، فقال: " أبا هر" قلت: لبيك يا رسول الله، قال: " بقيت أنا وأنت" قلت: صدقت يا رسول الله، قال: " اقعد فاشرب" فقعدت فشربت: فقال: " اشرب" فشربت، فما زال يقول: " اشرب" حتى قلت: لا والذي بعثك بالحق ما أجد له مسلكاً! قال: " فأرني" فأعطيته القدح، فحمد الله تعالى، وسمى وشرب الفضلة" ((رواه البخاري)).

Muhammad bin Sirin (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:
Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) said: "I would fall in swoon between the pulpit of (the mosque of) Messenger of Allah ﷺ and the chamber of 'Aishah (May Allah be pleased with her) and every passer-by would put his foot on my neck thinking I was insane. I was not insane but I was awfully hungry."

[Al-Bukhari].

وعن محمد بن سيرين عن أبي هريرة، رضي الله عنه، قال: لقد رأيتني وإني لأجر فيما بين منبر رسول الله، ﷺ، إلى حجرة عائشة رضي الله عنها مغشياً علي، فيجيء الجائي، فيضع رجلة على عنقي، ويرى أني مجنون وما بي من جنون، ما بي إلا الجوع. ((رواه البخاري)).

'Aishah (May Allah be pleased with her) reported:
When Messenger of Allah ﷺ died, his armour was mortgaged with a Jew for thirty Sa' (measures) of barley.

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

وعن عائشة، رضي الله عنها قالت: توفي رسول الله ﷺ ودرعه مرهونة عند يهودي في ثلاثين صاعاً من شعير. ((متفق عليه)).

Anas (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:
The Prophet ﷺ mortgaged his armour for a quantity of barley, and I took to him some barley bread and rancid fat. I heard him saying: "The family of Muhammad never possessed a measure of wheat from dawn to dusk although they were nine houses (to feed)."

[Al-Bukhari].

وعن أنس رضي الله عنه قال: رهن النبي ﷺ درعه بشعير، ومشيت إلى النبي ﷺ بخبز شعير، وإهالة سنخة، ولقد سمعته يقول: " ما أصبح لآل محمد صاع ولا أمسى" وإنهم لتسعة أبيات. ((رواه البخاري)). (38)

Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:
I saw seventy of the people of As-Suffah and none of them had a cloak. They had either a lower cloth or a blanket which they suspended from their necks. Some reached half way down to the legs and some to the ankles, and one of them would manage to keep it in his hand to avoid exposing his private parts.

[Al-Bukhari].

وعن أبي هريرة، رضي الله عنه، قال: لقد رأيت سبعين من أهل الصفة، ما منهم رجل عليه رداء، إما إزار وإما كساء، قد ربطوا في أعناقهم منها ما يبلغ نصف الساقين، ومنها ما يبلغ الكعبين، فيجمعه بيده كراهية أن ترى عورته. ((رواه البخاري)).

'Aishah (May Allah be pleased with her) reported:
The mattress of Messenger of Allah ﷺ was a piece of tanned skin stuffed with palm fibres.

[Al-Bukhari].

وعن عائشة رضي الله عنها قالت: كان فراش رسول الله ﷺ من أدم حشوه ليف. ((رواه البخاري)).

Ibn 'Umar (May Allah be pleased with them) reported:
We were once sitting in the company of Messenger of Allah ﷺ when a man from the Ansar came and greeted. As he was leaving, Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to him, "O brother of the Ansar, how is my brother Sa'd bin 'Ubadah?" He replied, "He is well." Messenger of Allah ﷺ asked, "Which of you is desirous of visiting him?" Having said this he got up and we followed him. We were ten and odd in number and we had neither shoes nor light boots nor caps nor shirts. We walked on foot through the barren plain till we came to the residence of Sa'd (May Allah be pleased with him). His people made way and Messenger of Allah ﷺ along with those who accompanied him went up to him.

[Muslim].

وعن ابن عمر رضي الله عنهما قال: كنا جلوساً مع رسول الله ﷺ ، إذ جاء رجل من الأنصار، فسلم عليه، ثم أدبر الأنصاري، فقال رسول الله. ﷺ : " يا أخا الأنصار؛ كيف أخي سعد بن عبادة؟" فقال: صالح، فقال رسول الله ﷺ : "من يعوده منكم؟" فقام وقمنا معه، ونحن بضعة عشر، ما علينا نعال، ولا خفاف، ولا قلانس، ولا قمص، نمشي في تلك السباخ، حتى جئناه، فاستأخر قومه من حوله حتى دنا رسول الله ﷺ وأصحابه الذين معه. ((رواه مسلم)).

'Imran bin Husain (May Allah be pleased with them) reported:
The Prophet ﷺ said, "The best of you, are my contemporaries, then those who follow them, then those who will come after them. ('Imran said, I do not know if he said this twice or thrice). Then, they will be followed by those who will testify but will not be called upon to testify; they will betray the trust, and will not be trusted. They will make vows but will not fulfill them, and obesity will prevail among them."

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

وعن عمران بن الحصين رضي الله عنهما، عن النبي ﷺ أنه قال: " خيركم قرني، ثم الذين يلونهم، ثم الذين يلونهم" قال عمران: فما أدري قال: النبي ﷺ مرتين أو ثلاثاً " ثم يكون بعدهم قوم يشهدون ولا يستشهدون، ويخونون ولا يؤتمنون، وينذرون ولا يوفون، ويظهر فيهم السمن" ((متفق عليه)).

Abu Umamah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:
Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "O son of Adam, if you spend the surplus, it will be better for you; and if you retain it, it will be evil for you. You will not be reprimanded for storing what is enough for your need. First of all spend upon those who are your dependents."

[At- Tirmidhi].

وعن أبي أمامة رضي الله عنه قال: قال رسول الله ﷺ : " يا ابن آدم: إنك أن تبذل الفضل خير لك، وأن تمسكه شر لك، ولا تلام على كفاف، وابدأ بمن تعول" ((رواه الترمذي وقال: حديث حسن صحيح)).

'Ubaidullah bin Mihsan Al-Ansari (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:
Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "Whosoever begins the day feeling family security and good health; and possessing provision for his day is as though he possesed the whole world."

[At- Tirmidhi].

وعن عبيد الله بن محصن الأنصاري الخطمي رضي الله عنه قال: قال رسول الله ﷺ: " من أصبح منكم آمنا في سربه، معافى في جسده، عنده قوت يومه، فكأنما حيزت له الدنيا بحذافيرها" ((رواه الترمذي وقال: حديث حسن)).

'Abdullah bin 'Amr bin Al-'as (May Allah be pleased with them) reported:
Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "Successful is the one who enters the fold of Islam and is provided with sustenance which is sufficient for his day's needs, and Allah makes him content with what He has bestowed upon him."

[Muslim].

-وعن عبد الله بن عمرو بن العاص رضي الله عنهما ، أن رسول الله ﷺ قال : " قد أفلح من أسلم ، وكان رزقه كفافا ، وقنعه الله بما آتاه " ((رواه مسلم )).

Fadalah bin 'Ubaid Al-Ansari (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:
I heard Messenger of Allah ﷺ say: "Happiness is due to him who is guided to Islam and possesses provision that suffices him for his day and remains content."

[At- Tirmidhi].

-وعن أبي محمد فضاله بن عبيد الأنصاري رضي الله عنه ، أنه سمع رسول الله ﷺ يقول : "طوبى لمن هدي إلى الإسلام ، وكان عيشه كفافا ،وقنع " ((رواه الترمذي وقال :حديث حسن صحيح )).

Ibn 'Abbas (May Allah be pleased with them) reported:
Messenger of Allah ﷺ went to bed hungry for several successive nights, nor did his family have a thing for supper for many consecutive nights; and their bread was mostly of barley.

[At- Tirmidhi].

وعن ابن عباس رضي الله عنهما قال : كان رسول الله ﷺ يبيت الليالي المتتابعه طاويا، وأهله لايجدون عشاء ، وكان أكثر خبزهم خبز الشعير . ((رواه الترمذي وقال : حديث حسن صحيح)).

Fadalah bin 'Ubaid (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:
When Messenger of Allah ﷺ led Salat, some people would fall down from their standing posture out of extreme hunger. They were of the people of As-Suffah. The nomad Arabs would say that they were insane. After concluding Salat, Messenger of Allah ﷺ would turn to them and say, "If you were to know what is in store for you with Allah, the Exalted, you would wish to augment your starvation and lack of provisions."

[At-Tirmidhi].

وعن فضالة بن عبيد رضي الله عنه، أن رسول الله ﷺ كان إذا صلى بالناس، يخر رجال من قامتهم في الصلاة من الخصاصة -وهم أصحاب الصفة- حتى يقول الأعراب: هؤلاء مجانين، فإذا صلى رسول الله ﷺ انصرف إليهم، فقال: "لو تعلمون ما لكم عند الله تعالى، لأحببتم أن تزدادوا فاقة وحاجة" ((رواه الترمذي، وقال: حديث صحيح)). "الخصاصة": الفاقة والجوع الشديد.

Miqdad bin Ma'dikarib (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:
I heard Messenger of Allah ﷺ say: "No man fills a container worse than his stomach. A few morsels that keep his back upright are sufficient for him. If he has to, then he should keep one-third for food, one-third for drink and one-third for his breathing."

[At-Tirmidhi].

وعن أبي كريمة المقدام بن معديكرب رضي الله عنه قال: سمعت رسول الله ﷺ يقول “ما ملأ آدمي وعاء شراً من بطن، بحسب ابن آدم أكلات يقمن صلبه، فإن كان لا محالة؛ فتلث لطعامه وثلث لشرابه، وثلث لنفسه". ((رواه الترمذي وقال: حديث حسن))."أكلات" أي: لقم.

Abu Umamah bin Tha'labah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:
The Companions of Messenger of Allah ﷺ mentioned the life of the world before him. He ﷺ said, "Do you not hear? Do you not hear? Simplicity (in life) is part of Faith, simplicity is part of Faith."

[Abu Dawud].

وعن أبي أمامة إياس بن ثعلبة الأنصاري الحارثي رضي الله عنه قال: ذكر أصحاب رسول الله ﷺ يوماً عنده الدنيا، فقال رسول الله ﷺ : “ألا تسمعون؟ ألا تسمعون؟ إن البذاذة من الإيمان، إن البذاذة من الإيمان" يعني: التقحل. ((رواه أبو داود)). "البذاذة" بالباء الموحدة والذالين المعجمتين، وهي رثاثة الهيئة، وترك فاخر اللباس. وأما "التقحل" فبالقاف والحاء، قال أهل اللغة: المتقحل: هو الرجل اليابس الجلد من خشونة العيش، وترك الترفة.

Jabir bin 'Abdullah (May Allah be pleased with them) reported:
Messenger of Allah ﷺ sent us in an expedition under the command of Abu 'Ubaidah (May Allah be pleased with him) to intercept a caravan of the Quraish. He provided us with a bag of dates, apart from which he found nothing for us. Abu 'Ubaidah (May Allah be pleased with him) gave each of us one date (every day). He (the narrator) was asked: "What did you do with that?" He said: We sucked that just like a baby and then drank water over that, and it was sufficient for us for the day until night. We beat off leaves with the help of our sticks, then drenched them with water and ate them. We then went to the seaside, when there appeared before us something like a big mound. We came near it and we found that it was a beast called Al-Anbar. Abu 'Ubaidah (May Allah be pleased with him) said: "It is dead (so it useless for us)." He then said: "No (but it does not matter), we have been sent by Messenger of Allah ﷺ in the way of Allah and you are hard-pressed (on account of the scarcity of food), so you can eat that." We, three hundred in number, stayed there for a month until we fattened up (having plenty to eat of that fish). He (Jabir) said: I saw how we extracted pitcher after pitcher full of fat from the cavity of its eye, and sliced from it compact piece of meat equal to a bull or almost like a bull. Abu 'Ubaidah (May Allah be pleased with him) called thirteen men from us and he made them sit in the cavity of its eye, and he held one of its ribs and raised it erect and then saddled the biggest of the camels we had with us and it passed through it (the arched rib), and we carried large pieces of meat for use in our journey. When we came back to Al-Madinah we went to Messenger of Allah ﷺ and told him about that, whereupon he said, "That was a sustenance Allah had brought forth for you. Do you have any piece of meat left with you, for us to eat." Jabir (May Allah be pleased with him) said: We sent to Messenger of Allah ﷺ some of that (meat) and he ate it.

[Muslim].

وعن أبي عبد الله جابر بن عبد الله رضي الله عنهما قال: بعثنا رسول الله ﷺ وأمر علينا أبا عبيدة رضي الله عنه، نتلقى عيرا لقريش، وزودنا جراباً من تمر لم يجد لنا غيره، فكان أبوعبيدة يعطينا تمرة تمرة، فقيل كيف كنتم تصنعون بها؟ قال: نمصها كما يمص الصبي، ثم نشرب عليها من الماء، فتكفينا يومنا إلى الليل، وكنا نضرب بعصينا الخبط، ثم نبله بالماء فنأكله. قال: وانطلقنا على ساحل البحر، فرفع لنا على ساحل البحر كهيئة الكثيب الضخم، فأتيناه فإذا هي دابة تدعى العنبر، فقال أبو عبيدة: ميتة، ثم قال: لا، بل نحن رسل رسول الله ﷺ وفي سبيل الله وقد اضطررتم فكلوا، فأقمنا عليه شهرا، ونحن ثلاثمائة، حتى سمنا، ولقد رأيتنا نغترف من وقب عينه بالقلال الدهن ونقطع منه الفدر كالثور أو كقدر الثور، ولقد أخذ منا أبوعبيدة ثلاثة عشر رجلا فأقعدهم في وقب عينه وأخذ ضلعا من أضلاعه فأقامها ثم رحل أعظم بعير معنا فمر من تحتها وتزودنا من لحمه وشائق، فلما قدمنا المدينة أتينا رسول الله ﷺ فذكرنا ذلك له، فقال: "هو رزق أخرجه الله لكم، فهل معكم من لحمه شئ فتطعمونا؟" فأرسلنا إلى رسول الله ﷺ منه فأكله. ((رواه مسلم)). "الجراب": وعاء من جلد معروف، وهو بكسر الجيم وفتحها، والكسر أفصح. قوله: نمصها" بفتح الميم. "والخبط" ورق شجر معروف تأكله الإبل. "والكثيب": التل من الرمل. "والوقب" بفتح الواو وإسكان القاف وبعدها باء موحدة، وهو نقرة العين. "بتخفيف الحاء: أي جعل عليه الرحل. "الشائق" بالشين المعجمة والقاف: اللحم الذي اقتطع ليقدد منه، والله اعلم.

Asma' bint Yazid (May Allah be pleased with them) reported:
The sleeves of the shirt of Messenger of Allah ﷺ reached his wrists.

[At-Tirmidhi].

وعن أسماء بنت يزيد رضي الله عنها قالت: كان كم قميص رسول الله ﷺ إلى الرصغ، ((رواه أبو داود، والترمذي، وقال: حديث حسن)). "الرصغ: بالصاد والرسغ بالسين أيضاً: هو المفصل بين الكف والساعد.

Jabir (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:
On the day of the battle of Al-Khandaq (the Trench), we were digging the trench when a very hard boulder came in our way. The Companions went to Messenger of Allah ﷺ and told him about it. He said, "I will go down the trench to see it." He stood up and it was noticed that he had tied a stone over his stomach due to intense hunger. We had not tasted anything for three days. He took up a spade and struck the hard rock with it and it turned into sand. I sought his permission to go home, (after reaching home I) said to my wife, "I have seen the Prophet ﷺ in a state that I am unable to endure. Have you got anything in the house?" She said, "I have a small quantity of barley and a lamb." I slaughtered the lamb, ground the barley and put the meat in the cooking pot. Then I went to the Prophet ﷺ. In the meantime the flour had been kneaded and the meat in the pot was nearly cooked. I said to him, "O Messenger of Allah, I have some food, will you come along with one or two Companions?" He asked, "How many men should go there?" I told him the number. He said, "It will be better if they are more in number. Tell your wife not to remove the pot from the hearth nor the bread from the oven till I arrive." Then he said to the Muhajirun and the Ansar: "Let us go (to eat)." They all rose (and went with him). I went to my wife and said, "Bless you, the Prophet ﷺ, the Muhajirun, the Ansar and the whole company are coming." She said, "Did he ﷺ ask you?" I replied in the affirmative. (When they arrived) Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to his Companions, "Enter, but do not crowd in." Then he started breaking up the bread and putting meat on it. He would take from the pot and the oven then would cover them up, approach his Companions and hand it over to them. He would then go back and uncover the pot and the oven. He continued to break up the bread and put meat on it till all had eaten to their fill and still some of the food remained. Then he said to my wife, "Eat from it, and send it as a present, for the people have been afflicted with severe hunger."

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Another narration is: Jabir said: When the trench was being dug, I noticed the signs of hunger on the face of the Prophet ﷺ. I returned to my wife and said to her, "Have you got anything in the house? I have seen the signs of severe hunger on the face of Messenger of Allah ﷺ." She brought out a bag which contained a Sa' (a measure that equals approximately 3kg.) of barley. We had a lamb which was reared in the home. I slaughtered the lamb and she ground the flour for baking bread. I then cut the meat and put it in the cooking pot. When I was returning to Messenger of Allah ﷺ, my wife said to me, "Do not embarass me before Messenger of Allah ﷺ and his Companions." (She said this because she thought that the food would not be enough for everyone, for how can very little food cater for a thousand people?) When I came to him, I said to him in a low tone, "O Messenger of Allah ﷺ, we have slaughtered a small lamb and have ground a Sa' of barley. Please accompany me with a few of your Companions." Thereupon he ﷺ announced in a loud voice, "O people of the Trench, Jabir has arranged a feast for you, so all of you are welcome." And addressing me he said, "Do not take the pot off the fire, nor bake the kneaded flour till I arrive." So I came home and he came ahead of the people. My wife said, "It will be a matter of disgrace for you (because there is not enough food)." I said, "I did only what you told me." She brought out the kneaded flour and Messenger of Allah ﷺ spat into it, and invoked the blessing of Allah on it, and then he spat into the cooking pot and invoked the blessing of Allah on it. Then he said, "Call another woman to help bake bread and let her take out from the cooking pot, but do not take it off the fire." There were about a thousand guests. All of them ate till they left the food and went off. Our pot still bubbled as before and the dough was being baked as before.

وعن جابر رضي الله عنه قال: إنا كنا يوم الخندق نحفر، فعرضت كدية شديدة، فجاؤوا إلى النبي ﷺ فقالوا: هذه كدية عرضت في الخندق. فقال: "أنا نازل" ثم قام، وبطنه معصوب بحجر، ولبثنا ثلاثة أيام لا نذوق ذوقاً فأخذ النبي ﷺ المعول، فضرب، فعاد كثيباً أهيل، أو أهيم، فقلت: يا رسول الله ائذن لي إلى البيت، فقلت لامرأتي: رأيت بالنبي ﷺ شيئاً ما في ذلك صبر فعندك شيء؟ فقالت: عندي شعير وعناق، فذبحت العناق وطحنت الشعير حتى جعلنا اللحم في البرمة، ثم جئت النبي ﷺ والعجين قد انكسر، والبرمة بين الأثاقي قد كادت تنضج، فقلت: طعيم لي، فقم أنت يا رسول الله ورجل أو رجلان، قال: "كم هو؟" فذكرت له فقال: "كثير طيب، قل لها لا تنزع البرمة، ولا الخبز من التنور حتى آتي” فقال: “قوموا” فقام المهاجرون والأنصار، فدخلت عليها فقلت: ويحك جاء النبي ﷺ والمهاجرون والأنصار ومن معهم! قالت: هل سألك؟ قلت: نعم، قال: “ادخلوا ولا تضاغطوا فجعل يكسر الخبز، ويجعل عليه اللحم، ويخمر البرمة والتنور إذا أخذ منه، ويقرب إلى أصحابه ثم ينزع، فلم يزل يكسر ويغرف حتى شبعوا، وبقي منه، فقال: كلي هذا وأهدي، فإن الناس أصابتهم مجاعة” ((متفق عليه)). وفي رواية: قال جابر: لما حفر الخندق رأيت النبي ﷺ خمصاً، فانكفأت إلى امراتى فقلت: هل عندك شيء؛ فإني رأيت برسول الله ﷺ خمصاً شديداً فأخرجت إلي جرابا فيه صاع من شعير، ولنا بهيمة داجن فذبحتها، وطحنت الشعير، ففرغت إلى فراغى، وقطعتها في برمتها، ثم وليت إلى رسول الله ﷺ فقالت: لا تفضحني برسول الله ﷺ ومن معه، فجئته وساررته فقلت: يا رسول الله، ذبحنا بهيمة لنا، وطحنت صاعا من شعير، فتعال أنت ونفر معك، فصاح رسول الله ﷺ فقال: يا أهل الخندق إن جابراً قد صنع سؤراً فحيهلا بكم" فقال النبي ﷺ : "لا تنزلن برمتكم ولا تخبزن عجينكم حتى أجيء" فجئت، وجاء النبي ﷺ يقدم الناس، حتى جئت امرأتي فقالت: بك وبك! فقلت: قد فعلت الذي قلت. فأخرجت عجيناً، فبسق فيه وبارك، ثم عمد إلى برمتنا فبصق وبارك، ثم قال: "ادعي خابزة فلتخبز معك، واقدحي من برمتكم ولا تنزلوها"وهم ألف، فأقسم بالله لأكلوا حتى تركوه وانحرفوا، وإن برمتنا لتغط كما هي، وإن عجيننا ليخبز كما هو.قوله: "عرضت كدية" : بضم الكاف وإسكان الدال وبالياء المثناة تحت؛ وهي قطعة غليظة صلبة من الأرض لا يعمل فيها الفأس. "والكثيب" أصله تل الرمل، والمراد هنا: صارت تراباً ناعماً، وهو معنى “أهيل”. "الأثافي" : الأحجار التى يكون عليها القدر. و"تضاغطوا" : تزاحموا. و"المجاعة" :الجوع، وهو بفتح الميم. و"الخمص" بفتح الخاء المعجمة والميم: الجوع. و”انكفأت” : انقلبت ورجعت. "البهيمة" بضم الباء: تصغير بهمة، وهي العناق -بفتح العين-. و"الداجن": هي التي ألفت البيت. و"السؤر" :الطعام الذي يدعى الناس إليه، وهو بالفارسية. و"حيهلا" أي: تعالوا. وقولها: "بك وبك" أي: خاصمته وسبته، لأنها اعتقدت أن الذي عندها لا يكفيهم، فاستحيت وخفي عليها ما أكرم الله سبحانه وتعالى به نبيه ﷺ من هذه المعجزة الظاهرة والآية اباهرة. “بسق" أي :بصق؛ ويقال أيضاً: بزق -ثلاث لغات- و"عمد" بفتح الميم: أي قصد. و"اقدحي” أي اغرفي؛ والمقدحة: المغرفة. و”تغط” أي: لغليانها صوت، والله اعلم.