Economic Independence Amongst the Companions and Those After Them

Allah, Pure is He from all defects, mentions in the Qurān:

وَ السَّابِقُوْنَ الْأَوَّلُوْنَ مِنَ الْمُهَاجِرِيْنَ وَ الْأَنْصَارِ وَ الَّذِيْنَ اتَّبَعُوْهُمْ بِإِحْسَانِِ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهِمْ وَ رَضُوْا عَنْهُ وَ أَعَدَّ لَهُمْ جَنَّاتِِ تَجْرِيْ تَحْتَهَا الْأَنْهَارُ خَالِدِيْنَ فِيْهَا أَبَدََا ذلِكَ الْفَوْزُ الْعَظِيْم

“The forerunners from among the Immigrants and the Helpers, and those who follow them in goodness, Allāh is pleased with them and they are pleased with Him; He has prepared for them gardens under which rivers flow, which they will dwell in forever. That is the supreme success!”¹

In another place in the Qurān, Allāh states:

رِجَال لَّا تُلْهِيْهِمْ تِجَارَة وَ لَا بَيْع عَنْ ذِكْرِ اللهِ وَ إِقَامِ الصَّلَاةِ وَ إِيْتَاءِ الزَّكَاةِ يَخَافُوْنَ يَوْما تَتَقَلَّبُ فِيْهِ الْقُلُوْبُ وَ الْأَبْصَار

“Men whom commerce and buying do not distract from the remembrance of Allāh, establishment of ṣalāh, and giving ẓakāh; they fear a day when hearts and gazes will be overturned.”²

In Tafsīr Rūḥ al-Ma’ānī it is written that the literal meaning of this āyah proves that they were merchants because it is not said that so-and-so isn’t distracted by commerce unless he is a merchant.³

The companions, epitomes of obedience to Allāh and His Messenger ﷺ, also had jobs and professions. This is further illustrated through the words spoken by Abū Hurairah (May Allāh be pleased with him and the rest of the companions) when he explained how he could relate so many narrations of the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ:

ان اخواننا من المهاجرين كان يشغلهم الصفق بالاسواق و ان اخواننا من الانصار كان يشغلهم العمل في اموالهم و ان ابا هريرة كان يلزم رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم بشبع بطنه و يحضر ما لا يحضرون و يحفظون ما لا يحفظون

“Indeed, our brothers amongst the Immigrants were occupied by bargaining and selling in the markets and our brothers among the Helpers were occupied with their wealth (date palm fields⁴), but Abū Hurairah stuck to the Messenger of Allāh, content with what filled his stomach, and was present when they were not, and remembered what they did not.”⁵

Besides being businessmen and farmers, there were tailors, carpenters, etc. amongst them.

(1) Dhimād ibn Th’alabah (May Allāh be pleased with him) was a doctor

The great Tabi’ī and exeget of the Qurān, Sa’īd Ibn Jubair (May Allāh have mercy on him) relates the following from his teacher Ibn ‘Abbās (May Allāh be pleased with him):

“Dhimād ibn Th’alabah (May Allāh be pleased with him) from Azd Shanūah once came to Makkah. He used to practice exorcism  so when he heard some of the fools of Makkah saying that Muḥammad ﷺ was mad, he said, ‘If I see this man perhaps Allāh will cure him at my hands.’ When he did meet the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ, Dhimād said, ‘O Muḥammad! I exorcise these jin, and Allāh cures whomever He wishes at my hands. Do you need me to exorcise you?’

The Messenger of Allāh replied,’All praise is for Allāh. We praise Him and seek His assistance. Whomsoever He guides no one can misguide, and whomsoever He misguides none can guide. I testify that there is no God except Allāh alone, without any partners and that Muḥammad is His slave and messenger. Thereafter…’

Dhimād said, ‘Repeat these words of yours,’ and the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ repeated them thrice. Dhimād then said, ‘I have heard the speech of soothsayers, magicians, and poets, but I have not heard the like of these words of yours. They have pierced the depths of the ocean. Give me your hand [so that] I may accept Islam.’ Then he took the pledge of allegiance.”⁶

Dhimād ibn Tha’labah al-Azdī (May Allāh be pleased with him) used to practice medicine, exorcism, and seek knowledge. He was a friend of the Prophet ﷺ during the period of ignorance, and embraced Islam in the beginning phase.⁷

(2) A Tailor invites the Messenger of Allah

Isḥāq ibn Abdullah ibn Abi Talḥa reports that he heard Anas ibn Mālik (May Allāh be pleased with him) say,”Once a tailor invited the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ to some food he had prepared, and I accompanied [him] to that food.”⁸
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(3) Abū al-Ḥusain/al-Ḥuṣain al-Sulamī (May Allāh be pleased with him) and his mine

Abū al-Ḥuṣain/Al-Ḥusain al-Sulamī (May Allāh be pleased with him) once brought gold from his mine to the Prophet⁹ ﷺ.

(4) An Anṣārī (May Allāh be pleased with him) chops wood

Anas ibn Mālik (May Allāh be pleased with him) relates that once an Anṣarī man came to the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ to ask him [for assistance]. He ﷺ asked the Ansar, “Isn’t there anything in your house?” The Anṣārī replied, “Certainly. [I have] a thick cloth, part of which we use as a bed and the other to cover us, and a wooden cup which we drink water from.” The Prophet ﷺ said, “Bring them to me.” When the Anṣārī brought them, the Prophet ﷺ took them in his hands and asked¹⁰, “Who will buy these?” One companion said, “I will take them for a dirham!” The Prophet ﷺ said two or three times, “Who will give more than a dirham?” Another companion said, “I will take them for two dirham!” The Prophet ﷺ gave the items to the man, took the two dirham and gave them to the Anṣārī saying, “Use one of them to buy food and give it to your family, and buy an axe with the other and bring it to me.” When this was done, the Prophet ﷺ used his own noble hands to tighten the handle and told the Anṣārī, “Go collect wood and sell it.”¹¹

(5) Maimūn (May Allāh be pleased with him) makes a minbar

Jābir ibn ‘Abdullāh reports that an Ansāri woman once asked the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ ,”O Messenger of Allāh, shouldn’t I make something for you to sit on? Because I have a slave¹² who is a carpenter.” The Messenger of Allāh ﷺ replied, “If you wish.” She had the minbar made for him, and the Prophet ﷺ sat on it for Jum’ah.¹³

(6) Zainab bint Jahsh (May Allāh be pleased with her) dyes cloth

Our mother, Zainab bint Jahsh (May Allāh be pleased with her) was an artisan who would dye cloth and give what she earned in charity to the poor.¹⁴

(7) Salmān al-Khair (May Allah be pleased with him) is a weaver

Once some people came to see Salmān (May Allah be pleased with him) while he was the governor of a certain area. At the time he was busy weaving. One of them asked him, “Why are you doing this work when you are the governor and [your] sustenance comes to you?” He replied, “I love to eat from the work of my own hands.”¹⁵

(8) ‘Āishah (May Allāh be pleased with her) describes the companions

‘Urwah¹⁶, [the nephew of ‘Āishah [May Allāh be pleased with her], narrates that once [his aunt] said, “The companions of the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ used to work due to which an odor would emanate from them.”¹⁷

‘Allāmah ‘Aiynī (May Allāh have mercy on him) writes in ‘Umdah al-Qārī: This [not only] shows that the companions chose to earn a living by their own hands, [it also shows] their humility.¹⁸