This is one of my favorite stories from the Seerah, it is full of treasures. One of the points that always touched me was the way Rasulullah provided the Ansar with arguments in their favor. There is a lot to say about this point, and what we can learn from it. Insha’Allah I will write more about this soon…on another platform.
“When Sa‘d, may Allah be pleased with him, visited the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allah exalt his mention ), he said, “O Messenger of Allah, some people from among the Ansaar feel dissatisfied because of the way you have distributed the spoils of war. You distributed it among your people and gave great shares to some members of the Arabs while the people of the Ansaar did not take anything.”The Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allah exalt his mention ), asked him:“What is your opinion in this regard, O Sa‘d?”He replied, “O Messenger of Allah, I am but a man from my people.”The Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allah exalt his mention ), said to him:“Gather your people for me in this yard.”
Some of the Muhaajiroon (emigrants) came to attend and were allowed to join them, but others were not allowed. When they gathered, Sa‘d, may Allah be pleased with him, went to the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allah exalt his mention ), and informed him of their gathering. The Messenger of Allah, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allah exalt his mention ), went to them, praised Allah and glorified Him and then said: “O people of the Ansaar, what is this that has been conveyed to me about you and the grief that you find in your hearts? Did I not find you erring, and Allah guided you aright through me? And [in the state of] being destitute, and Allah made you free from want through me? And in a state of disunity, and Allah united you through me?”They (the Ansaar) said,“Allah and His Messenger are most benevolent.”He (again) said:“Why do you not answer me?”They said, “Allah and His Messenger are the most benevolent.”He said:
If you wish you could say, and you would be telling the truth and you will be believed: you came to us while you were belied, and we believed in you; while you were devastated, and we supported you; while you were expelled, and we provided you with a refuge, and while you were poor, and we assisted you. Do you grieve over the sake of worldly gain that I used to bring the hearts of those who have newly reverted to Islam together? I have entrusted you to your Islam. Do you not feel satisfied when people will go away with their goats and camels, but you will return to your places along with the Messenger of Allah?
By the One in whose Hands[1] my soul is, what you take is better than what they take. Had it not been for Hijrah [which made me one of the Muhaajiroon], I would have chosen to be a man from among the Ansaar. If the people were to tread a valley or a narrow path, I would tread the valley chosen by the Ansaar or the narrow path [trodden] by them. The Ansaar are inner garments[closer to me], and [other] people are outer garments. O Allah, bestow Your Mercy on the Ansaar, the children of the Ansaar, and the children of the children of the Ansaar.”