Dignity & Self Respect
Hazrat Hamza (ra) always followed the instruction of the Holy Prophet (sa) that one should always preserve one’s dignity and self-respect. There is a tradition that after the migration to Medina, Hazrat Hamza (ra) had suffered a great financial loss like other Muslims. Hazrat Abdullah bin ‘Amr (ra) narrates that during those days, Hazrat Hamza (ra) once came to the Holy Prophet (sa) and asked if he could perform any service so that it could be a source of income for him. The Holy Prophet (sa) replied:
“O Hamza! Is it preferable to keep one’s self-respect or to completely lose it?” Hazrat Hamza (ra) said that he wished to keep his self-respect. The Holy Prophet (sa) then said, “You ought to safeguard your dignity”.
(Musnad Ahmad bin Hanbal, Vol. 2, p. 624, Hadith No. 6639, A’alamul Kutub, 1998, Beirut)
The Holy Prophet (sa) then asked him to pray more fervently and taught him some particular words of prayers. Hazrat Hamza (ra) said that the Holy Prophet (sa) had told him that he should recite the following prayer, which he always benefited from:
اَللّٰهمَّ اِنِّيْ اَسْـَٔلُكَ بِاسْمِكَ الْاَعْظَمِ وَ رِضْوَانِكَ الْاَكْبَر
“O Allah I beseech Thee, with reference to Your Great Name and the Great Gatekeeper of Paradise”
These things tell us that Hazrat Hamza (ra) had deep faith in prayer, and why would he not as it was through these prayers that Allah the Exalted had given this impoverished emigrant all the household things and whatever else he needed.