What is Faith?

The feelings inspired by faith are misinterpreted by the profane Abu Salma and Abu Hurayrah tell of one occasion when the Prophet, intending to despatch a force, urged the people to offer their contributions. A merchant, Abdur Rahman ibn Auf, who was among them, spoke up: “Messenger of God, I have four thousand. Two thousand are for my household. The other two I lend to God.” “God bless you in what you have given and in what you have kept,” said the Prophet. Abu Aqeel Ansari, on the other hand, was a poor man, who had spent his whole night working in an orchard, for which he was paid just two sa’a of dates. One sa’a he kept for his household, the other he presented to the Prophet. The Messenger of God prayed for blessings upon these two. As far as Abdur Rahman ibn Auf was concerned, they said he was just being ostentatious. And as for Abu Aqeel, they said, “Couldn’t God and the Prophet have done without his one sa‘a?” (AL-BAZZAR)