If people become content with the little they have, then there will be no poor or deprived persons among them. If a person is content with what Allah, the Almighty, has given him, he will be powerful and in no need of others, even if he does not possess a lot in this life.
Imam Ash-Shafi‘ee said, “I knew that contentment is the core of richness, and I adhered to it, so I never stood at anybody’s door, or begged anyone. Consequently, I became rich without a Dirham, passing by people as if I were a king.”
The Prophet advised his Ummah (nation) to have contentment when he said: “If you are content with what Allah has given you, you will be the richest person.”
He would supplicate Allah the Almighty, saying: “Allaahuma qanni‘ni bima razaqtani wa baarik li feeh wakhluf ‘ala kulli ghaa’ibatin li bikhayr [O Allah, make me content with what You have provided me, bless it for me and grant me good thing in compensation for whatever I miss].”
A person who is content with what Allah, The Almighty, provides for him, will enjoy tranquility, satisfaction and peace of mind as he does not long for what others have or desire what he does not possess. Accordingly, Allah, the Almighty, as well as people, will love him, and the following Hadeeth of the Prophet would apply to him: “Do not incline to the worldly life and Allah will love you. Have no desire for what people possess, and people will love you.”
Moreover, a person cannot reach the degree of the thankful unless he becomes content with the provision that he receives. This meaning is indicated by the saying of the Prophet to Abu Hurayrah : “O Abu Hurayrah! Be pious, and you will be the most worshipping person. Be content, and you will be the most thankful person. Love for people what you love for yourself, and you will be a [true] believer.”
A content person, therefore, has a virtuous self as he does not hurt his pride for the sake of a worldly gain that will soon vanish. Such people are the ones whom Allah, the Almighty, praised in His Saying (which means): {[Charity is] for the poor who have been restricted for the cause of Allah, unable to move about in the land. An ignorant [person] would think them self-sufficient because of their restraint, but you will know them by their [characteristic] sign. They do not ask people persistently [or at all]. And whatever you spend of good - indeed, Allah is Knowing of it} [Quran 2:273]
Also, the Prophet gave us glad tidings as he said: “Successful is the person who adopted Islam, has been provided with what is just sufficient for his needs, and been made content by Allah with what He has given him.”
‘Umar Ibn Al-Khattab said: “Greed is [in essence] poverty and despair [of what others have] is richness. Anyone who despairs of [i.e., does not long for] what is possessed by others, becomes in no need of it.”
An amazing story in this regard is mentioned in the book of Al-Ihyaa’, Al-Khaleel ibn Ahmad Al-Faraheedi refused to be the private tutor of the son of the ruler of Al-Ahwaz. He brought out dry bread to show the messenger of the ruler, and said, “As long as I find this, I am in no need of Sulayman [the ruler]. Then, he said some poetic verses which mean, “Inform Sulayman that I enjoy ease and richness, although I have no wealth. I keep my pride as I see no one die of hunger or remain in the same state all his life. We realize that poverty lies in souls not in properties, as does richness.” Indeed, the Prophet was truthful when he said: “Richness is not the abundance of wealth; rather, it is self-contentment.”
O Allah, make us content with what You have given us and make us the most contented people of what You have decreed to us of provisions!