Poverty and prosperity are both trials from Allah; Exalted is He, and tribulations with which Allah tests His chosen servants so that the forbearance of those who are patient and the gratitude of the grateful are revealed.The Prophet ﷺ used to seek Allah’s protection from poverty and used to warn about the temptations of richness and wealth. In this hadeeth, ‘Amr ibn ‘Awf al-Muzanee reports that the Messenger of Allahﷺ sent Aboo ‘Ubaydah ibn al-Jarraah (may Allah be pleased with him) to Bahrain to bring its Jizyah.This is the tax that was imposed on the Magi, who were among its residents in lieu of leaving them to live peacefully and granting them protection after he had made a pact with them on that.Bahrain in those days was a term used for a vast land that covers present-day Bahrain, as well as al-Ahsaa and al-Qateef, situated in the eastern region of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.This area was conquered in the eighth year of the Hijrah.The Prophet ﷺ appointed al-Munthiribn Saawa as the governor of the region.Then, when he passed away, the Prophet ﷺ appointed al-‘Alaa ibn al-Hadramee as the governor. When Aboo ‘Ubaydah brought this wealth, it happened to coincide with the time of Fajr, when the people attended the prayers.After the Prophet ﷺ completed the prayer and turned away from it and turned to the people, the Ansaar presented themselves in front of him.It was as if they requested something through this gesture due to their being well aware of the Prophet’s noble character.They wanted to distribute the wealth brought by Aboo ‘Ubaydah between them.They did that at that time because they were overburdened by the dire need and hunger which they endured, and not because of their greediness for worldly pleasures or for their interest in it.The Prophet ﷺ understood what they wanted, and he smiled, and then he said, “I think you have heard that Aboo ‘Ubaydah has brought something?”They replied, “Of course, O Messenger of Allah.”Thereupon, the Prophet ﷺ said, “Receive good news and be anticipating”i.e. be hopeful of what will please you.This is a kind of calming them down from the hardship which they were in, and good news for them by hastening the prosperity upon them. Then heﷺswore by Allah that he did not worry about poverty afflicting them; however, he feared that the world wouldbe offered to them, meaning prosperity and excessive wealth, as it was offered to those nations before them.Thereafter they may engage in acquiring it, which could lead to their downfall, due to conflicts concerning it, inclination towards it and engagement with it by turning away from the hereafter, as happened to the nations before them. In this statement, there is a warning about what would happen in the future, and allthat the Prophet ﷺ informed of really happened.Their economy prospered and they became affluent afterwards; hence, mutual jealousy and in-fighting occurred. All thattestifies to the truthfulness of the information that the Prophetﷺ foretold. This hadeeth shows that there is no aberration in seeking gifts from the leader, and that the ruler should give good news to his followers and should expand their hopes. It highlights that competition in worldly matters may drag one to the destruction of one’s religion..