God’s People

An able and righteous man – the most treasured asset Zayd ibn Aslam reports, on the authority of his father, that Umar ibn Khattab asked some of his companions to tell him about their ambitions. “I would like to have this house full of money, so that I could spend it in the path of God,” volunteered one. Another said that he would like gold-yet another mentioned pearls-so that their wealth could be spent in the furtherance of God’s cause. “What I would like more than anything,” said Umar, “would be to have this house full of men like Abu Ubaidah ibn al Jarrah, Muadh ibn Jabal and Hudhaifah ibn al Yaman, so that I could use them for God’s work.” (AL TARIKH AL-SAGHIR)