God knows how to care for His people. It is His practice since beginning that He brings some people over to Himself over a thorn-ridden path, while some others over bouquets of flowers. If God wants to bring someone near to Him through fasting, then they will get their virtue that way. Virtue at that time is, therefore, in fasting. If God wants to captivate someone through feasting, then eating is the virtue to win the pleasure of God at that time.
Once, during the time of the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, a significant amount of wealth came. He said to the Ansar1, “Come and I will give you some of the God-sent wealth.” At that time, the Ansar said, “O Messenger of God, give all this to the Muhajirin2. Whatever we have is sufficient for us.”
This seems like a great sacrifice by the Ansar to refuse the wealth and say, “We already have a lot, let this bounty be given to our brothers.” However, it did not count as a sacrifice in the eyes of God. The Holy Prophet said at that time in response to the Ansar’s reply, “I wanted to give you a bounty from God and you refused; now you will not get any material rewards in this world. Claim your rewards when you are at the fountain of Kauthar in the next world.”
Notice that, after the Holy Prophet, when the empire came to Muslims, none of the Ansar became a king. Through Islam, during the 1,300 years, Muhajirin became kings, slaves became kings, and servants became kings. Through Islam, Rajputs, Mughals, Pathan, Iranians, Tripulians, and Islanders became kings. The people about whom it is related that they vacated their homes for those who had believed in God and his Messenger, they did not get to have an empire.
The people about whom it is related that they vacated their home for the believers in God and His Messenger, they did not get to have an empire. Not that they had not starved in the way of Allah but because they did not eat for their God’s sake. Without doubt they had refused this bounty due to not understanding, and not because of arrogance, therefore, God did not deprive them of the reward and gave them the promise of rewards at the fountain of Kauthar. However, they never had an empire in this world.
1 Native Muslims of Medina.
2 Muslim immigrants in Medina.