A Thousand Camels of Grain

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

The following story is related by Mawlana Habibullah Mukhtar (r.a.) in his book, in the chapter of Generosity. 

In the time when Sayyidina Abu Hafsw ‘Umar ibn al-Khaththab al-Faruq (r.a.) was caliph, there was a severe famine.  The people of Madina were suffering due to a shortage of food.  A caravan made up of a thousand camels loaded with a large stock of food grain belonging to Sayyidina Abu ‘Amr ‘Utsman ibn ‘Affan (r.a.) arrived from Sham.  Several merchants offered to buy all of it.  He asked them what profit they would pay.  “Five per cent,” they said.  He answered that he could get higher profit than that.  They began to argue with him, saying that they did not know of any merchant who would offer him more than their quote. 

He said to them, “I know of one who repays a profit of more than seven hundred to a dirham.”  He then recited the following verse of the Qur’an: 

سُوۡرَةُ البَقَرَة

مَّثَلُ ٱلَّذِينَ يُنفِقُونَ أَمۡوَٲلَهُمۡ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ كَمَثَلِ حَبَّةٍ أَنۢبَتَتۡ سَبۡعَ سَنَابِلَ فِى كُلِّ سُنۢبُلَةٍ۬ مِّاْئَةُ حَبَّةٍ۬‌ۗ وَٱللَّهُ يُضَـٰعِفُ لِمَن يَشَآءُ‌ۗ وَٱللَّهُ وَٲسِعٌ عَلِيمٌ (٢٦١) 

The parable of those who spend their wealth in the way of Allah is that of a grain of corn: it grows seven ears, and each ear has a hundred grains.  Allah Gives manifold increase to whom He Pleases; and Allah Cares for all and He Knows all things. (Surah al-Baqarah:261) 

“O traders!  Bear witness with me that I donate all this to the poor people of Madina,” said Sayyidina ‘Utsman (r.a.).