Be Indifferent to the Condition of Others

So here is Umar bin al Khattab (radiyallahu anhu) competing with Abu Bakr (radiyallahi anhu) with respect to spending in charity as is established in the Sahih (of al Bukhari) from Umar bin al Khattab, that he said:

The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wasalam) commanded us to give in charity, and this coincided with my possessing some wealth. So I said (to myself): ‘If there is a day that I can better Abu Bakr then it is this one.’ So I went with half of my wealth and the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wasalam) asked me, ‘What have you left for your family?’ I replied, ‘The same amount.’ Then Abu Bakr came with everything that he possessed and the Messenger of Allah (saws) asked him, ‘What have you left for your family?’ He replied, ‘I have left Allah and His Messenger for them.’ So I (Umar) said, ‘I will never be able to better you in anything!’

So what ‘Umar did here was competition and the permitted type of jealousy (ghubTa), but the state of as-Siddeeq was better than his, and thus he would generally be the victor in such competition due to his indifference to the condition of others.

 

 

Source: Diseases of the Hearts and Their Cures by Ibn Taymiyyah (rahimahullah)

The Majectically Magnificent by Boona Muhammad