As for those who had settled in the city and ˹embraced˺ the faith before ˹the arrival of˺ the emigrants, they love whoever immigrates to them, never having a desire in their hearts for whatever ˹of the gains˺ is given to the emigrants. They give ˹the emigrants˺ preference over themselves even though they may be in need. And whoever is saved from the selfishness of their own souls, it is they who are ˹truly˺ successful.
Surah Hashr, ayah no.9
In this very interesting ayah of surah Hashr, Allah talks about the Ansaar of Medina. They were so poor they were described as having 'their stomachs stuck to their sides'. Yet they were so generous that they preferred the Muhajireen above themselves. They shared their homes, wealth, food, and even their lands - even though they didn't have enough themselves. Later in the ayah, Allah describes the Ansaar as their hearts being free from miserliness and greediness - and those are the successful people. This crushes the traditional paradigm that successful people are those with the most money. Those who are miserly subconsciously think they are doing something good. We think if we save up money, we will be prosperous and successful. But Allah switches our mindset and says those who give without any desire for return - are truly successful!
Some of the most giving people are also the poorest. They may not be seen as successful by society's standards, but to Allah, they are truly successful in reality
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