The consequences of negligence & the description some obscene qualities

Negligence

When humans are neglectful of the realities they are easily deluded by material issues, which is an obscene and dangerous deed.

Those who are deceived by the worldly wealth deny the fact that this world is transitory, that one day they would be placed in grave, their body be devoured by the insects, their soul be entangled by their wrongdoing in the purgatory and chastised in the Hereafter. These people consider this world as concrete and the Hereafter as abstract; they stick to the passing world and forget about the permanent one; they believe in the worldly pleasures and doubt about the heavenly rewards. They don’t accept Allah’s promise revealed to one hundred and twenty four thousand prophets (s.a) and the infallible Imams (a.s). They don’t want to be believer, to avoid the sins and do virtues.

The negligent individuals are heedless of the Qur’¡nic fact that the Hereafter is the consequence of apparent and hidden acts of this world. As the Prophet of Islam (s.a) states, this world is an action place the outcome of which is gained in the other world. This world and the other world are therefore not separate entities; the hereafter is, in other words, a reflection of this world. But alas the ignorant don’t understand.

The believers who are negligent of the Qur’¡nic verses are deluded by their conception of Allah’s Mercy, thinking that since Allah’s blessings and His Mercy are expanded for all beings there is no need to attempt in worshipping and serving Allah and no need to trouble in avoiding sins. They think that their sins are very little in proportion to Allah’s Forgiveness and Mercy, and think: ‘we would be saved due to our belief in Allah and affection to His prophets and the infallible Imams; our sins would not make us away from Allah’s Mercy and bring about His punishment’. These individuals are heedless that the Satan deceives people with such apparently true ideas.

The Messenger of Allah (s.a) stated:

اَلكَيِّسُ مَنْ دَانَ نَفْسَهُ وَعَمِلَ لِمَا بَعْدَ المَوْتِ. وَالأحْمَقُ مَنْ أتْبَعَ نَفْسَهُ هَواهَا وَتَمَنَّى عَلَى اللهِ.

A smart person is the one who opposes his carnal soul, and do well for his Hereafter. A foolish person is the one that follows his carnal soul and foolishly hopes Allah’s Mercy.[1]

Such people are negligent that the Generous Allah whose Mercy embraces all things, has promised to severely chastise habitual and arrogant sinners, and those who have no good deeds. Allah has given good tidings to the righteous and fighter Muslims that only they are subject to Allah’s Mercy.

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَالَّذِينَ هَاجَرُوا وَجَاهَدُوا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ أُوْلَئِكَ يَرْجُونَ رَحْمَةَ اللَّهِ.

Those who believe, and those who emigrate (to escape the persecution) and strive in the way of Allah, these have hope of Allah’s Mercy. (2:218)

Hope of Allah’s Mercy, at the same time as continuous wrongdoing and leaving duties, is actually deluding oneself and is an erroneous hope.

Imam Sadiq (a.s) was said: “Some people are polluted with a variety of sins and they are still hopeful of Allah’s Mercy. They continue wrongdoing until their death.” He (a.s) answered:

هَؤُلاءِ قَوْمٌ يَتَرَجَّحُونَ فِي الأمَانِيِّ، كَذِبُوا، لَيْسُوا بِرَاجِينَ، مَنْ رَجَا شَيْئاً طَلَبَهُ وَمَنْ خَافَ مِِْن شَيءٍ هَرَبَ مِنْهُ.

These are people who have fluctuating wishes. They are not really hopeful. One who is hopeful follows his hope, and one who is afraid of something escapes from it.[2]

Imam `Ali (a.s) says:

سُكْرُ الغَفْلَةِ وَالغُرُورِ أبْعَدُ إفَاقَةً مِنْ سُكْرِ الخُمُورِ.

Recovering from intoxication of negligence is much harder than recovering from intoxication of wine.[3]

He also said:

إنَّ مِنَ الغِرَّةِ بِاللهِ أنْ يُصِرَّ العَبْدُ عَلَى المَعْصِيَةِ وَيَتَمَنَّى عَلَى اللهِ المَغْفِرَةَ.

Deluding by Allah’s Mercy is insistence on committing sins and still hoping Allah’s Forgiveness.[4]

The Messenger of Allah (s.a) told Ibn Mas’ud:

لاَ تَغْتَرَّنَّ بِاللهِ وَلا تَغْتَرَّنَّ بِصَلاحِكَ وَعِلْمِكَ وَعَمَلِكَ وَبِرِّكَ وَعِبَادَتِكَ.

Don’t get negligence of Allah and deceived by your own worship, knowledge, and good deeds.[5]

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.[6]

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.[7]

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.[8]

Imam Sadiq (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?[9]

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.[10]

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.[11]

Also the Prophet (s.a) advised Imam `Ali (a.s):

يَا عَلِيُّ! أنْهَاكَ عَنْ ثَلاَثِ خِصَالٍ عِظَامٍ: الحَسَدُ وَالحِرْصُ وَالكَذِبُ.

I prohibit you from three obscene characters; jealousy, greed, and lying.[12]

Imam Sadiq (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.’[13]

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.[14]

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.[15]

Sa’dan asked Imam Sadiq (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.’[16]

Imam Hadi (a.s), the tenth infallible Imam, stated:

الطَّمَعُ سَجِيَّةٌ سَيِّئَةٌ.

Cupidity is a very obscene quality.[17]

Imam Sadiq (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.[18]

Imam `Ali (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.[19]

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 Sadiq (a.s) stated:

إنَّ الحَسَدَ يَأكُلُ الإيمَانَ كَمَا تَأكُلُ النَّارُ الحَطَبَ.

Surely, jealousy removes belief as the fire burns wood.[20]