Bayhaqi 13153 — What indicates that the poor (faqir) is in greater

(a) Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to seek refuge, saying: 'Allahumma inni a'udhu bika min fitnat al-nar, wa fitnat al-qabr, wa 'adhab al-qabr, wa sharri fitnat al-ghina, wa sharri fitnat al-faqr; Allahumma inni a'udhu bika min sharri fitnat al-Dajjal' (O Allah, I seek refuge in You from the trial of the Fire, from the trial of the grave and the punishment of the grave, and from the evil of the trial of wealth and the evil of the trial of poverty; O Allah, I seek refuge in You from the evil of the trial of the Dajjal).
(b) This is an established hadith; both (Bukhari and Muslim) recorded it in the Sahih. It indicates that he sought refuge only from the trial of poverty, not from the state of poverty, and from the trial of wealth, not from the state of wealth.
(c) As for his (peace and blessings be upon him) saying, if he did say it: 'Allahumma ahyini miskinan wa amitni miskinan' (O Allah, keep me alive as a miskin and let me die as a miskin), then, if its chain is sound, and there is doubt about that, his (peace and blessings be upon him) state at the time of his death indicates that he did not ask for the neediness whose meaning comes back to scarcity; rather, he asked for the neediness whose meaning comes back to humility and lowliness, as though he (peace and blessings be upon him) asked Allah Almighty not to make him one of the arrogant tyrants, and not to raise him on the Day of Resurrection among the luxurious rich.
Al-Qa'nabi said: Maskanah is a word taken from sukun (stillness). It is said 'tamaskana al-rajul' when a man becomes gentle, humble and submissive. From it is the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) to the one praying: 'Taba'as wa tamaskan', meaning: humble yourself and be lowly before Allah.