What counts more: good deeds or high rank?

ditta

Alhamdu'Lillaah
Staff member
As-salaamu'alaykum,

One day, a delegation of high ranking men from the Quraish visited Umar (radiyAllahu anh); two of those men were Suhail ibn 'Amr ibn Al-Haarith and Abu Sufyaan ibn Harb. At the same time, however, two former slaves of the Quraish, Suhaib and Bilal (may Allah be pleased with them all), also arrived at Umar's door. Even though both groups arrived at about the same time, Umar gave priority to Suhaib and Bilal, allowing them to enter first.

The leaders of the Quraish perceived what Umar did as an affront to their honour. Abu Sufyaan said to some of the others,


"I have never witnessed a day such as today! These slaves are granted permission to enter, while we are made to stand and wait at his door."

Suhail then said to the others,


"By Allah, I can see how you feel by the angry expressions on your faces. But if you must be angry, then be angry at your own selves. They were invited (to Islam), and you were invited as well. The difference is that while you tarried, they hastened (to answer the Prophet's :saw: invitation to accept Islam). Then how will it be for you on the Day of Resurrection when they will be invited (to reap the rewards of their deeds), while you will be left (to wait)."

(Manaaqib Umar, pg. 129 and Fannul-Hukum, pg. 367)
 
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