I went to the Prophet (ﷺ) with two men from Ash'arî tribe. I said (to the Prophet ﷺ), "I do not know that they want employment." The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "No, we do not appoint for our jobs anybody who demands it earnestly. [3:462-O.B]

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Allâh did not send any Prophet (ﷺ) but he shepherded sheep." His companions asked him, "Did you do the same?" The Prophet (ﷺ) replied, "Yes, I used to shepherd the sheep of the people of Makka for some." [3:463-0.B]

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "The example of Muslims, Jews and Christians is like the example of a man who employed labourers to work for him from morning till night for specific wages. They worked till midday and then said, 'We do not need your money which you have fixed for us and whatever we have done be annulled. ' The man said to them, 'Don't quit the work, but complete the rest of it and take your full wages. ' But they refused and went away. The man employed another batch after them and said to them, 'Complete the rest of the day and yours will be the wages I had fixed for the first batch. ' So, they worked till the time of ' prayer. Then they said, 'Let what we have done be annulled and keep the wages you have promised us for yourself. ' The man said to them, 'Complete the rest of the work, as only a little of the day remains, 'but they refused. Thereafter he employed another batch to work for the rest of the day and they worked for the rest of the day till the sunset, and they received the wages of the two former batches. So, that was the example of those people (Muslims) and the example of this light [Islâmic Monotheism, the Qur'ân, the Sunna (legal ways of the Prophet ﷺ) and the guidance which Prophet Muḥammad (ﷺ) brought which they have accepted willingly." [3:471-O.B]

I heard Allâh's Messenger (ﷺ) saying, "Three men from among those who were before you, set out together till they reached a cave at night and entered it. A big rock rolled down the mountain and closed the mouth of the cave. They said (to each other), 'Nothing could save you from this rock but to invoke Allâh by giving reference to the righteous deeds which you have done (for Allâh's sake only). ' So, one of them said, 'O Allâh ! I had old parents (whom I used to provide milk first) and I never provided my family (wife, children etc.) with milk before them. One day, by chance I was delayed, and I came late (at night) while they had slept. I milked the sheep for them and took the milk to them, but I found them sleeping. I disliked to provide my family with the milk before them. I waited for them and the bowl of milk was in my hand and I kept on waiting for them to get up till the day dawned. Then they got up and drank the milk. O Allâh ! If I did that for Your sake only, please relieve us from our critical situation caused by this rock. ' So, the rock shifted a little but they could not get out." The Prophet (ﷺ) added, "The second man said, 'O Allâh ! I had a cousin who was the dearest of all people to me and I wanted to have sexual intercourse with her but she refused. Later she had a hard time in a famine year and she came to me and I gave her one hundred and twenty on the condition that she would not resist my desire, and she agreed. When I was about to fulfill my desire, she said: It is illegal for you to outrage my chastity except by legitimate marriage. So, I thought it a sin to have sexual intercourse with her and left her though she was the dearest of all the people to me, and also I left the gold I had given her. O Allah ! If I did that for Your sake only, please relieve us from the present calamity. ' So, the rock shifted a little more but still they could not get out from there." The Prophet (ﷺ) added, "Then the third man said, 'O Allâh ! I employed few labourers and I paid them their wages with the exception of one man who did not take his wages and went away. I invested his wages and I got much property thereby. (Then after some time) he came and said to me: 0 Allâh's slave ! Pay me my wages. I said to him: All the camels, cows, sheep and slaves you see, are yours. He said: O Allâh's slave ! Don't mock at me. I said: I am not mocking at you. So, he took all the herd and drove them away and left nothing. O Allah ! if I did that for Your sake only, please relieve us from the present suffering '. So, that rock shifted completely and they got out walking. [3:472-O.B]