Sometimes a villager called upon the holy Prophet [sallallaahu alayhi wasallam]. His name was Zahir [radhiallaahu anhu]. He was a rustic fellow, black-complexioned and very much depressed financially. He had no respect and regard among the people. The holy Prophet [sallallaahu alayhi wasallam] had great affection for him. Once while passing through the market, the holy Prophet [sallallaahu alayhi wasallam] saw Hadhrat Zahir [radhiallaahu anhu] standing there. Who will take notice of a black, poor and unimportant villager, standing in a market in tattered clothes. When the holy Prophet [sallallaahu alayhi wasallam] passed through the market, ignoring everything he approached Hadhrat Zahir [radhiallaahu anhu] from the back and closing his arms round Hadhrat Zahir [radhiallaahu anhu], he blind folded his eyes with his hands - a kind of joke which intimate friends oftem make with one another. Finding himself in this grip, Hadhrat Zahir [radhiallaahu anhu] tried to liberate himself from this, not knowing who was behind him. The holy Prophet [sallallaahu alayhi wasallam], then pronounced these words loudly as the hawkers generally do, 'Who will purchase this slave?'
As Hadhrat Zahir [radhiallaahu anhu] did not know who had held him from behind he was trying to liberate himself from the grip. When he came to know that the person holding him was the holy Prophet [sallallaahu alayhi wasallam] then, instead of liberating him from the grip, he began to press his waist closer and closer to the sacred body of the holy Prophet [sallallaahu alayhi wasallam] and the following words spontaneously escaped from his mouth.
'O Messenger of Allah! If you sell me as a slave, a very scanty price will be offered for me, because I am a very ordinary and poor man, having no value.'
What a wondeful sentence the holy Prophet [sallallaahu alayhi wasallam] spoke in reply, 'O Zahir, whatever value the people may place on you. Your value in the sight of Allah is not little, it is great.'
Now consider there are many rich and successful businessmen in the market rolling in millions but ignoring them all, the holy Prophet [sallallaahu alayhi wasallam] met Zahir [radhiallaahu anhu] to please him. He [sallallaahu alayhi wasallam] gave him glad tidings and behaved with him freely and informally as two intimate friends behave with each other. (Musnad Ahmad vol.3 pg.161)
There was a man from the desert people whose name was Zahir. He used to bring gifts from the desert to the Prophet pbuh, and in return the Prophet pbuh would provide him with whatever he needed when he went out to fight. The Prophet pbuh said, "Zahir is our man of the desert, and we are his town-dwellers." The Prophet pbuh loved him very much, and he (Zahir) was an ugly man. One day the Prophet pbuh came to him whilst he was selling some goods. He embraced him from behind. The man could not see him, so he said, "Let me go! Who is this?" Then he turned around and recognized the Prophet pbuh, so he tried to move closer to him once he knew who it was. The Prophet pbuh started to say, "Who will buy this slave?" Zahir said, "O Messenger of Allah (pbuh), you will find me unsellable." The Prophet pbuh said, "But in the sight of Allah (almighty) you are not unsellable," or he said, "But in the sight of Allah (almighty) you are valuable."
- Reported by Imam Ahmad from Anas (radhiallahu `anhu)
(so was he "unsellable" because he was poor or ugly??")
This cannot be undone and I am sure it will be greatly appreciated.
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