Poorer than me

One of his friends committed a serious sin while he was fasting in the month of Ramadan. Then, he went to the presence of Hz Muhammad (pbuh) and asked him how he could be forgiven. Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) said,

“Can you free a slave?”

He said, “No. I have no money.”

Hz Muhammad (PBUH) asked, “Can you fast sixty days on end?”

He said, “O Messenger of Allah! It happened while I was fasting.”

The Prophet asked, “Can you feed sixty poor people?”

He said, “I cannot afford it.”

The Prophet said, “Then, stay with me and wait until Allah shows an easy way for you.”

His friend started to wait in the mosque. After a while, a person from Madinah brought a basket of dates as a present to the Prophet. Hz Muhammad gave the basket to his friend and said,

“Take this basket and distribute the dates to the poor so that it will be atonement for your sin.”

He said, “O Messenger of Allah! I do not know a family poorer than mine in Madinah.”

The Messenger of Allah started to smile and said,

Then, take it to your family and eat the dates together.