In Islamic teachings, authentic hadiths state that the poor will enter paradise before the rich by 500 years. Kiai Ali Mustafa explains that this does not diminish the poor's value before Allah, but highlights their virtues.
REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, BOGOR -- An authentic hadith mentions that Prophet Muhammad prayed to Allah to protect him from poverty and pauperism. However, this does not mean the poor or paupers have low value in Allah's sight.
In fact, other authentic hadiths state that the poor will enter paradise before the rich, with a 500-year gap. “This hadith shows that the poor have greater value than the rich, even though both enter paradise,” said Kiai Ali Mustafa, quoted from the book “Hadis-Hadis Bermasalah” by Prof KH Ali Mustada Yaqub.
According to Kiai Ali Mustafa, this advantage arises from two possibilities. First, like an airport passenger with no luggage, the poor enter paradise without lengthy checks since they have no possessions to inspect. In contrast, the rich undergo detailed scrutiny of their wealth, causing delays.
Second, this holds if the poor face their poverty with sincerity and patience after maximum efforts to escape it. The Quran affirms that humans love wealth and often neglect the afterlife due to worldly pursuits. If efforts to overcome poverty fail, accepting it patiently adds value. “That is one of the greater values for the poor,” explained Kiai Ali Mustafa.