Why Support Small Businesses for the Poor?
A man of the Ansar came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and begged from him. He (the Prophet) asked: Have you nothing in your house? He replied: Yes, a piece of cloth, a part of which we wear and a part of which we spread (on the ground), and a wooden bowl from which we drink water. He said: Bring them to me. He then brought these articles to him, and he (the Prophet) took them in his hands and asked: Who will buy these? A man said: I shall offer to buy them for one dirham. He said twice or thrice: Who will offer more than one dirham? Another man said: I shall buy them for offered and bought them for two dirhams. He gave the two dirhams to him and took the two dirhams and, giving them to the owner Ansari, he and said: Buy food with one dirham for your family, and buy an axe with the second dirham, and bring it to me. The Ansar brought the axe to the Apostle of Allah (peace be upon him), who fixed a handle on it with his own hands and said: Go, gather firewood and sell it, and do not let me see you for a fortnight. The man went away, and gathered firewood and sold it. When he had earned ten dirhams, he came to the prophet and told him that he had bought a garment with some of them and food with his earnings the others. (Abu Dawud, Hadith 1637)
Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, “(Prophet) Zakariyya (PBUH) was a carpenter.” (Sahih Muslim, Book 30, Number 5863)
Narrated Al-Miqdam The Prophet said, “Nobody has ever eaten a better meal than that whichone has earned by working with one’s own hands. The Prophet of Allah, David used to eat from the earnings of his manual labor.” (Sahih Bukhari, Book 34, Number 286)
Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah’s Apostle said, “The Prophet David used not to eat except from the earnings of his manual labor.” (Sahih Bukhari, Book 34, Number 287)
Narrated Az-Zubair bin Al-Awwam: The Prophet said, “One would rather take a rope and cut wood and carry it than ask others).” (Sahih Bukhari, Book 34, Number 289)
Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet said, “Allah did not send any prophet but shepherded sheep.” His companions asked him, “Did you do the same?” The Prophet replied, “Yes, I used to shepherd the sheep of the people of Mecca for some Qirats.” (Sahih Bukhari Vol. 3, Book 36, Number 463)