Dignity of Labour

Once a man from among the Ansars came to the Prophet (Pbuh &hh) expecting some charity. The Prophet (Pbuh &hh) asked the man: “ what do you have in your house?” The man replied: “ I have a blanket big enough to cover our body and to spread as a carpet. Also I have a leather bag that we use to carry water to drink.”

The Prophet (Pbuh &hh) told him: “You go home and bring both to me.”

The man went home and brought both these articles. The Prophet (Pbuh &hh) took hold of them and asked those present: “Who will buy these?”

The man said: “I will take them for one dirham”

The Prophet (Pbuh &hh) said: “Can anyone offer some higher amount?”

Another man: “I will take them for two dirhams.” The Prophet (Pbuh &hh) collected two dirhams from this man and delivered the articles to him. The Prophet (Pbuh &hh) gave this amount to the Ansar telling: “Go and buy food for your family with one dirham and with another, you buy an axe and bring it to me.”

The man did as the Prophet (Pbuh &hh) told. The Prophet (Pbuh &hh) made a handle for the axe with his own hands and returned the axe to the man and said: “Go! Cut wood with this axe, sell the wood and meet me after 15 days.”

The man went to the forest, cut wood, sold them and returned to the Prophet (Pbuh &hh) with 20 dirhams in his hand-the money that he had earned for his labour. Out of this earning, he bought clothing for some amount and provision for some amount. He was happy. Then the Prophet (Pbuh &hh) told him: “This is good for you rather than begging that leaves horrible scars on your face in the hereafter."