Does a Farmer Always Remain in Need? Examining the Hadith on Agriculture

Question

Here, in the margin of a translation of the Holy Qur’an, a hadith is recorded stating that the Noble Messenger ﷺ said: in the house where there is farming and its equipment, there remains need and poverty — and this note stands at the place where the umma of Musa ﵇ preferred garlic, onions, cucumbers and the like over manna and quails. Does the hadith quoted above mean that farming always, forever, brings need and poverty?

Answer

Some hadiths mention traits of certain occupations that are disliked, and guidance has been given to avoid them. There are also traits inherent to the nature of an occupation which are hard to avoid, yet such occupations are also necessary: sometimes those engaged in them are so occupied for most of the year that they have no leisure for anything else, and the smallest things…

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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