وَلَقَدْ كَانَ فِي رَسُولِ اللهِ (صلى الله عليه وآله) مَا يَدُلُّكَ عَلَى مَسَاوِىءِ الدُّنْيَا وَعُيُوبِهَا: إِذْ جَاعَ فِيهَا مَعَ خَاصَّتِهِ، وَزُوِيَتْ عَنْهُ زَخَارِفُهَا مَعَ عَظِيمِ زُلْفَتِهِ. فَلْيَنْظُرْ نَاظِرٌ بِعَقْلِهِ: أَكْرَمَ اللهُ مُحَمَّداً (عليه السلام) بِذلِكَ أَمْ أَهَانَهُ! فَإِنْ قَالَ: أَهَانَهُ، فَقَدْ كَذَبَ ـ وَاللهِ الْعَظِيمِ ـ وَإِنْ قَالَ: أَكْرَمَهُ، فَلْيَعْلَمْ أَنَّ اللهَ قَدْ أَهَانَ غَيْرَهُ حَيْثُ بَسَطَ الدُّنْيَا لَهُ، وَزَوَاهَا عَنْ أَقْرَبِ النَّاسِ مِنْهُ.
Certainly there was in the Prophet of Allāh all that would apprise you of the evils of this world and its defects, namely that he remained hungry along with his chief companions, and despite his great nearness the allurements of the world remained remote from him. Now, one should see with one’s intelligence whether Allāh honoured Muḥammad — the peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him and his descendants — as a result of this or disgraced him. If he says that Allāh disgraced him, he certainly lies and perpetrates a great untruth. If he says Allāh honoured him, he should know that Allāh dishonoured the others when He extended the (benefits of the) world for him but held them away from him who was the nearest to Him of all men.
