The Holy Prophet(sa) was ever concerned to ameliorate the condition of the poorer sections of the community and to raise their status in society. On one occasion while he was sitting with his Companions(ra), a rich man happened to pass by.The Prophet(sa) inquired of one of his Companions(ra) what he thought of him. He replied "He is a well-to-do and well-connected man. If he were to ask for the hand of a girl in marriage the request would be favourably considered and if he were to intercede on behalf of anybody the intercession would be accepted." Shortly after, another man passed by who appeared to be poor and of no substance. The Prophet(sa) inquired of the same Companion(ra) what he thought of him. He replied: "O Messenger of Allah(sa)! He is a poor man. If he were to request the hand of a girl in marriage the request would not be favourably received and if he were to intercede on behalf of any person the intercession would be rejected and if he were to seek to engage anybody in conversation no attention would be paid to him." On hearing this the Prophet(sa) observed: "The worth of this poor man is much greater than the value of a quantity of gold sufficient to fill the whole universe" (Bukhari, Kitabur Riqaq).
A poor Muslim woman used to clean out the Holy Prophet's(sa) mosque in Medina. The Prophet(sa) did not see her in the mosque for some days and made inquiries concerning her. He was told that she had died. He said: "Why was I not informed when she died? I would have wished to join her funeral prayers," and added, "perchance you did not consider her worthy of consideration as she was poor. This was not right. Direct me to her grave." He then proceeded to her grave and prayed for her (Bukhari, Kitabus Salat). He used to say that there were people with tangled hair whose bodies were covered with dust and who were not welcomed by those who were well-to-do but who were so highly valued by God that if, trusting in God's beneficence, they swore in His name that a certain matter would take a certain turn He would support them." (Muslim, Kitabul Birr Was Sila). On one occasion some Companions of the Holy Prophet(sa) who were freed slaves were sitting together when Abu Sufyan(ra) (who was a chieftain among the Quraish and had fought the Muslims up to the surrender of Mecca and had accepted Islam only on that occasion) happened to pass by. These Companions(ra), addressing him, recalled the victory that God had bestowed upon Islam. Abu Bakr(ra) also heard this and did not approve of a chieftain of the Quraish being reminded of their humiliation and he reprimanded the group of Companions(ra). He then went to the Holy Prophet(sa) and related the incident to him. The Prophet(sa) said: "O Abu Bakr(ra)! I fear you may have hurt the feelings of these servants of God. If that should be so, God would be offended with you." Abu Bakr(ra) at once returned to those people and inquired: "Brothers of mine! Did you feel hurt over what I said?" To which they replied: "We felt no offence at what you said. May God forgive you!" (Muslim, Kitabul Fada’l).
While, however, the Prophet(sa) insisted that poor people should be respected and their feelings should not be injured and strove to fulfil their needs, he also sought to instil the sentiment of self-respect into them and taught them not to beg for favours. He used to say that it behoved a poor man not to seek to be content with a date or two or with a mouthful or two of food but to restrain himself from making a request, however severely he might be tried (Bukhari, Kitabul Kusuf). On the other hand he used to say that no entertainment would be blessed unless some poor people were also invited to it. A’isha(ra) relates that a poor woman came to visit her on one occasion accompanied by her two little daughters. A’isha(ra) had nothing with her at the time except one date which she gave to the woman. The woman divided it between her little daughters and then they all departed. When the Prophet(sa) came home A’isha(ra) related this to him and he said: "If a poor man has daughters and he treats them with consideration, God will save him from the torments of Hell," and added: "God will bestow Paradise upon this woman on account of the consideration she showed towards her daughters" (Muslim). On one occasion he was told that one of his Companions, Sa’d(ra), who was a well-to-do person, was boasting of his enterprise to others. When the Prophet(sa) heard this, he said: "Let no man imagine that his wealth or standing or power is the result merely of his own efforts or enterprise. That is not so. Your power and your position and your wealth are all earned through the poor." One of his prayers was: "O God! Keep me humble while I am alive and keep me humble when I die and let my resurrection on the Day of Judgement be with the humble" (Tirmidhi, Abwabul Zuhad).
On one occasion during the hot weather when he was passing through a street, he observed a very poor Muslim carrying heavy loads from one place to another. He was very plain of features which were rendered still more unattractive by a heavy coating of perspiration and dust. He bore a melancholy look. The Holy Prophet(sa) approached him stealthily from the back and, as children sometimes do in fun, he put forward his hands and covered the labourer's eyes with them, expecting him to guess who he was. The man put back his own hands and feeling over the body of the Prophet(sa) realized that it was the Holy Prophet(sa) himself. He probably guessed also that nobody else would show such intimate affection for a man in his condition. Being pleased and encouraged, he pressed against the Holy Prophet's(sa) body and clasped him to himself from the back rubbing his dust and sweat-covered body against the clothes of the Prophet(sa), desiring perhaps to ascertain how far the Prophet(sa) would be willing to indulge him. The Prophet(sa) went on smiling and did not ask him to desist. When the man had been put in a thoroughly happy mood the Prophet(sa) said to him: "I possess a slave; do you think anybody will be willing to buy him?" The man realized that probably there was nobody in the whole world, save the Holy Prophet(sa) himself who would be ready to see any worth in him, and with a melancholy sigh he replied: "O Messenger of Allah(sa)! there is nobody in this world who would be prepared to purchase me." The Prophet(sa) said: "No! No! You must not say that. You are of great worth in the eyes of God" (Sharhussunna).
Not only was he himself watchful of the welfare of the poor but he constantly exhorted others to be the same. Abu Musa Ash’ari(ra) relates that if a needy person approached the Holy Prophet(sa) and made a request, he would say to those around him, "You should also support his request so that you may acquire merit by becoming sharers in promoting a good deed" (Bukhari and Muslim), his object being to create on the one side in the minds of his Companions a feeling of eagerness to help the poor and on the other in the minds of the needy a realization of the affection and sympathy felt for them by their better-off brethren.