'Umar (ra) lived by trade before becoming Khalifah. When he was made Khalifah after Abu Bakr (ra), he assembled the people and said to them: "I earned my living through trade. As you people have engaged me as Khalifah, I cannot attend to my business. Now, what about my living?" Different amounts of daily allowance from the Bait-ul-Mal were suggested by different people, but Ali (ra) did not speak..

'Umar inquired of him: "Oh Ali what is your suggestion?" He replied: I suggest that you should take such amount as may be on average be sufficient for your family." 'Umar accepted his suggestion and a moderate amount was fixed as his daily allowance. Later on, some people including Ali, 'Uthman, Zubair and Talhah (Radiyallaho 'anhum) once proposed that 'Umar's allowance might be increased, as it was hardly sufficient for him, but nobody dared to suggest that to 'Umar. People approached Ummul-momineen Hafsah (ra), 'Umar's daughter, and requested her to ascertain 'Umar's reaction to the suggestion without mentioning their names to him. When Hafsah talked about it to 'Umar, he became angry and said, "Who are the persons making this suggestion?" Hafsah said, "Let me first know your opinion." 'Umar said, "If I knew them, I would smite them on their faces Hafsah! Just tell me what was the Prophet's best dress in your house?" Hafsah replied, "It was a pair of reddish brown clothes, which the Prophet (pbuh) wore on Friday or while receiving some envoy." 'Umar then asked, "What was the best of food that the Prophet (pbuh) ever took at your house?" Hafsah replied, "Simple barley bread was the only food we used to take. One day I anointed a piece of bread with the sediments from an empty butter tin, and he ate it with relish and offered it to others as well." 'Umar asked again, "What was the best bedding that the Prophet ever used in your house?" Hafsah again replied, "It was a piece of thick cloth. In the summer it was spread in four layers, and in the winter in two, half he spread underneath and with the other half he covered himself." 'Umar said, "Hafsah! Go and tell these people that the Prophet (pbuh) has set a standard by his personal example. I must follow him. My example and that of my other two companions, the Prophet (pbuh) and Abu Bakr (ra) is like that of three men travelling on the same road. The first man started with a provision and reached the goal. The second followed the first and joined him. Now the third is on his way. If he follows their way, he will also join them, otherwise he can never reach them."

Source: From "Fada'il al 'Amaal by Shaykhul Hadith Muhammad Zakariyya Kaandhlawi.

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