Stinginess
It is so obscene that humans benefit from all the material and spiritual blessings Allah has bestowed on them, but some of them do not donate part of their wealth and give no charity.
Human wealth that is gained by legal means is a divine trust from which he is allowed to spend according to his dignity and needs. Allah has ordered human to give his additional possessions away to the poor and the unfortunate. The human himself and everything he possesses are Allah’s Belonging and every belonging should be spent by its owner’s permission. If the servant spends the wealth based on his own whims, he should certainly expect the Owner’s punishment.
Excessive accumulation of wealth, which is possible only by stinginess and doing evil in business, is opposing Allah’s Will, a major sin, and a cause for unluckiness and hard heartedness. It also deprives human from Allah’s Mercy and brings about His chastisement in the Hereafter.
Meanness is an evil attribute and an obscene vice, which is criticized in the Holy Qur’¡n and the Prophet’s traditions. The Qur’¡nic verses and the traditions represent a stingy individual as an unthankful servant, which is doomed to punishment.
الَّذِينَ يَبْخَلُونَ وَيَأْمُرُونَ النَّاسَ بِالْبُخْلِ وَيَكْتُمُونَ مَا آتَاهُمْ اللَّهُ مِنْ فَضْلِهِ وَأَعْتَدْنَا لِلْكَافِرِينَ عَذَابًا مُهِينًا.
(Those) who hoard their wealth and enjoin avarice on others, and hide that which Allah has bestowed upon them of His bounty. For disbelievers, We prepare a shameful doom. (4:37)
The Messenger of Allah (s.a) stated:
حُرِّمَتِ الجَنَّةُ عَلَى المَنَّانِ وَالبَخِيلِ وَالقَتَّاتِ.
The Paradise is forbidden for the taleteller, the stingy, and one who obliges for others.
Imam `Al¢ (a.s) heard someone saying: “The fault of a stingy is more excusable than the oppressor’s.” He (a.s) told him:
كَذِبْتَ! إنَّ الظَّالِمَ يَتُوبُ وَيَسْتَغْفِرُ اللهَ وَيَرُدُّ الظُّلاَمَةَ عَلَى أهْلِهَا. وَالشَّحِيحُ إذَا شَحََّ مَنَعَ الزَّكَاةَ وَالصَّدَقَةَ وَصِلَةَ الرَّحِمِ وَإقْرَاءَ الضَّيْفِ وَالنَّفَقَةَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ وَأبْوَابَ البِرِّ. وَحَرَامٌ عَلَى الجَنَّةِ أنْ يَدْخُلَهَا شَحِيحٌ.
You are wrong. Because an oppressor can repent, ask for Allah’s forgiveness, and return people’s material rights. But when someone shows meanness he avoids alms giving, charity, hosting guests, and spending in Allah’s way. Paradise is forbidden for the stingy.
The Messenger of Allah (s.a) stated:
خَصْلَتَانِ لا تَجْتَمِعَانِ فِي مُسْلِمٍ: البُخْلُ وَسُوءُ الخُلُقِ.
A Muslim does not have two attributes; meanness and bad temper.
Imam ¯¡diq (a.s) said:
إنْ كَانَ الخَلَفُ مِنَ اللهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ حَقّاً، فَالبُخْلُ لِمَاذَا؟
If Allah truly substitutes for the property that is given away in His way, what is meanness for?
Imam M£s¡ Ibn Ja’far (a.s) said:
اَلبَخِيلُ مَنْ بَخِلَ بِمَا افْتَرَضَ اللهُ عَلَيْهِ.
A stingy is the one who is mean in doing what Allah has obliged him to do.
The Messenger of Allah (s.a) stated:
السَّخِيُّ قَريبٌ مِِنَ اللهِ، قَرِيبٌ مِن الجَنَّةِ، قَريبٌ مِنَ النَّاسِ، بَعِيدٌ مِنَ النَّارِ، وَالبَخيلُ بَعيدٌ مِنَ اللهِ، بَعيدٌ مِنَ الجَنَّةِ، بَعيدٌ مِنَ النَّاسِ، قَريبٌ مِنَ النَّارِ.
A generous person is close to Allah, close to the people, and to the Paradise. But a stingy one is away from Allah, the people, and the Paradise.
Greed
Intense desire for wealth or property and gaining them more than one’s needs causes mental disorder for human. It makes human neglect Allah’s rules and moral bonds, and hence lose his humanity. The greedy individuals burn people’s properties and rights as fire, and possess their wealth unlawfully.
Remembering Allah and His chastisement in the Hereafter, observing moral codes, loving other people, and observing their rights keeps human from being polluted with greed for material wealth.
Allah has prepared a full array of blessings for humans. He has set some ways for them to obtain their definite sustenance through working and activities; hence He has guaranteed their sustenance. No one dies except that he eats the last mouthful Allah has set for him. What is the reason for being greedy then?
The Messenger of Allah (s.a) stated:
أغْنَى النَّاسِ مَنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ لِلحِرْصِ أسِيراً.
The most contented of the people is the one who is not a captive of greed.
Also the Prophet (s.a) advised Imam `Al¢ (a.s):
يَا عَلِيُّ! أنْهَاكَ عَنْ ثَلاَثِ خِصَالٍ عِظَامٍ: الحَسَدُ وَالحِرْصُ وَالكَذِبُ.
I prohibit you from three obscene characters; jealousy, greed, and lying.
Imam ¯¡diq (a.s) said:
لَمَّا هَبِطَ نُوحٌ عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ مِنَ السَّفِينَةِ أتَاهُ إبْلِيسُ فَقَالَ لَهُ: مَا فِي الأرْضِ رَجُلٌ أعْظَمُ مِنَّةً عَلَيَّ مِنْكَ، دَعَوْتَ اللهَ عَلَى هَؤلاءِ الفُسَّاقِ فَأرَحْتَنِي مِنْهُمْ. ألاَ أُعَلِّمُكَ خِصْلَتَيْنِ: إيَّاكَ وَالحَسَدَ، فَهُوَ الَّذِي عَمِلَ بِي مَا عَمِلَ، وَإيَّاكَ وَالحِرْصَ فَهُوَ الَّذِي عَمِلَ بِآدَمَ مَا عَمِلَ.
When Noah (a.s) took off his ship, Satan came to him and said: ‘No one on the earth has done a greater favor for me than you; you asked chastisement for the wrongdoers from Allah and caused my comfort. I inform you of two characters; avoid envy that did what it did to me, and avoid greed that did what it did to Adam.’
Prophet Mu¦ammad (s.a) said:
A greedy person has seven major calamities: a thought that harms his body and has no use, a grief than is endless, a pain that accompanies him in his happiness and is not cured but with death, a fear that finally strikes him, a sadness that bitters his joy, a sin that brings about Allah’s punishment, except that He forgive him, a chastisement that cannot help it.
Cupidity
Interest in what other people possess, wishing and asking for it, and stating that interest in a way that forces other people to give away their property is regarded as ‘cupidity’ by the scholars.
The fourth Imam, Imam Al-Sajj¡d (a.s) said:
رَأيْتُ الخَيْرَ كُلَّهُ قَد اجْتَمَعَ فِي قَطْعِ الطَّمَعِ عَمَّا فِي أيْدِي النَّاسِ.
I see all goodness in avoiding cupidity for the wealth and position that others possess.
Sa’dan asked Imam ¯¡diq (a.s): ‘What fixes belief in a servant’s heart?’ Imam (a.s) answered: ‘Piety and chastity.’ He asked again: ‘What detaches a servant’s belief?’ Imam replied: ‘cupidity.’
Imam Hadi (a.s), the tenth infallible Imam, stated:
الطَّمَعُ سَجِيَّةٌ سَيِّئَةٌ.
Cupidity is a very obscene quality.
Imam ¯¡diq (a.s) said:
إذَا أرَدْتَ أنْ تَقَرَّ عَيْنُكَ وَتَنَالَ خَيْرَ الدُّنْيَا وَالآخِرَةِ فَاقْطَعِ الطَّمَعَ عَمَّا فِي أيْدِي النَّاسِ.
If you want to be happy and delighted and gain goodness in this world and the Last Day, do not long for what others have.
Imam `Al¢ (a.s) stated:
مَنْ أرَادَ أنْ يَعِيشَ حُرّاً أيَّامَ حَيَاتِهِ فَلا يُسْكِنِ الطَّمَعَ قَلْبَهُ.
One who wants to live a free life should not place cupidity in his heart.
Jealousy
One of the most obscene qualities of mankind is jealousy. Islamic scholars believe that jealousy is observing a blessing with someone and wish its removal! Jealousy is, in fact, discontent with Allah’s wise fate in giving blessings to other people. Proud, self-admiration, longing for mastery, and stinginess are factors that cause jealousy in human heart.
Imam ¯¡diq (a.s) stated:
إنَّ الحَسَدَ يَأكُلُ الإيمَانَ كَمَا تَأكُلُ النَّارُ الحَطَبَ.
Surely, jealousy removes belief as the fire burns wood.
He also said:
آفَةُ الدِّينِ الحَسَدُ وَالعُجْبُ وَالفَخْرُ.
The plague for the belief is jealousy, self-admiration, and pride.
Imam ¯¡diq has narrated:
The Prophet (s.a) has sought refuge to Allah from six things: suspicion, disbelief, proud, wrath, oppression, and jealousy.
Imam ¯¡diq (a.s) said as well:
Moses was praying and talking to Allah when he saw a man under the shade of Allah’s Empyrean. He called: ‘O Lord! Who is this man Your Highest Heaven has shadowed him?’ He was replied: ‘This is one of those who was not jealous of what Allah has bestowed upon others.’
source : a commentary on Kumayl supplication
