Manners in Speech

Discord and the truth Abu Bakr used to give equal allowances to everybody, irrespective of rank or class. It was suggested to him that the Muhajirs and Ansar be given more than others, but Abu Bakr dismissed this, saying: “They have their rank with God. This is a matter of worldly livelihood, in which it is better to be even-handed.” Umar differed on this matter and when he became Caliph, he introduced a system by which some received larger allowances than others: 5000 dirhams were allotted to the Emigrants and the Helpers; other Muslims were given 4000. According to this allocation, Usamah ibn Zayd received 4000 dirhams, while to his own son, Abdullah, Umar gave only 3000. Abdullah ibn Umar asked his father why he had been given less than Usamah. “What rank does he or his father have that I do not have?” Umar told his son: Usamah’s father was dearer to the Prophet than your father, while he himself was dearer than you. According to one tradition, Umar came round to Abu Bakr’s point of view later in his life, admitting that it was more practical. (AHMAD, BAZZAR)