No one eats better food than that which he eats out of the work of his hand.
Markscheme Answers:
Dignity of labour is another aspect of the teaching of this Hadith which strongly discourages reliance on others and beggary. Earnings by honest hard work are blessed by God. In another Hadith it is said that: ‘One who earns his livelihood by the sweat of his brow is a friend of God’s.’
Dignity of labour and earning lawfully are stressed in Islam. The teaching of this Hadith strongly discourages reliance on others and encourages Muslims to earn lawfully and to live within their means. The Prophet (pbuh) himself in his early days worked as a shepherd.
The instruction in this Hadith to Muslims is that they must all strive to earn a living for themselves and their families. Reliance on others and begging are discouraged in Islam. Earnings are better than a fortune that has not been lawfully earned. It is not how much a person earns but how he/she earns it that matters.
Through this Hadith the Prophet (pbuh) is giving Muslims the teaching that they should earn their living lawfully and through their own hard work. The broader teaching of the Hadith discourages reliance on others and beggary and condemns all other unlawful means of earnings like gambling, usury and bribery, etc. Dignity of labour is stressed upon in Islam and it is a Muslim belief that a person’s rizq is fixed by God. Quotes from the Prophet (pbuh) on this topic can be given by candidates to develop the answer.
Lawful earnings, no matter how meagre, have a high position in Islam. Muslims are encouraged to earn their daily wage honestly and through their own efforts. Beggary, reliance on others and earning unlawfully are condemned in Islam
Allah likes to have lawful earnings from the believers. Allah likes the one who works with his own hands. The one who works hard is liked by Allah. “One who earns his livelihood by the sweat of his brow is a friend of Allah”. A believer shall rely on his potentials for earning. Allah also helps such followers. It is a key to success for them in life.
Man will not get anything unless he works hard” (Surah al-Najm, 53:39)
<aside> 💡 Dignity of labour and earning lawfully are stressed in Islam while reliance on others and begging are strongly discouraged in Islam. It condemns all other unlawful means of earnings like gambling, usury and bribery, etc. In Surah An-Najm, Allah says "and that each person will only have what they endeavoured towards,”. Muslims are encouraged to earn lawfully and to live within their means, beacuse lawful earnings, no matter how meagre, have a high position in Islam.
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Markscheme Answers:
Muslims can act upon this Hadith by respecting all forms of work and by engaging in means that enable them to earn an honest day’s living. Examples of the prophets of the past can be given who worked as shepherds including the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) who even after assuming leadership of Madina did not shy away from manual work.
The teachings of this Hadith can be implemented by Muslims today by earning an honest living and staying away from all sorts of corruption. Living within one’s means and being grateful to God for His provision is the way to act upon the Hadith. The example of the Prophet (pbuh) assisting in the construction of the mosque in Madina, his participation in digging the trench during the Battle of Trench are examples of dignity of labour that Islam and the Prophet (pbuh) promoted and could be cited in the answer.
By earning one’s living honestly and through hard work a Muslim can put into practise the teaching of this Hadith. All illegal earnings must be shunned by Muslims and no job should be looked down upon. Examples of how many of the prophets of God were shepherds including the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) in his early life could be cited as proof of dignity of labour in Islam.
A Muslim can act upon this hadith by earning for themselves and their family an honest living through their own efforts. Examples from the life of the Prophet (pbuh) and his companions could be cited in the answers, or candidates could simply give examples of people conducting themselves honestly in the work place.
A Muslim who earns by hard work and is happy with that he has great respect and honour in the vision of Allah. Hard work is always appreciated by everyone and it bears great fruit. Holy Prophet(s) liked the one who earned by Trade. It is necessary to keep oneself away from the evil earnings like bribe, theft, smuggling etc. Holy Prophet(s) himself worked as a labourer to construct the mosque Quba.
<aside> 💡 A Muslim can act upon this hadith by earning for themselves and their family an honest living through their own efforts while being grateful to God for His provision. All illegal earnings must be shunned by Muslims and no job should be looked down upon. The Prophet (pbuh) who even after assuming leadership of Madina did not shy away from manual work, and instead promoted dignity of labour by assisting in the construction of the mosque in Madina and participated in digging the trench during the Battle of Trench.
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