Al-Targhib
wal-Tarhib

الترغيب والترهيب

12

Book of Righteousness and Good Relations

كتاب البر والصلة

 

Chapter 36: Greed and miserliness

Al-Mundhiri records in his book al-Targhib wal-Tarhib:

التَّرْهِيب من الْبُخْل وَالشح وَالتَّرْغِيب فِي الْجُود والسخاء

Discouragement of miserliness and greed, and encouragement to generosity and magnanimity.

Source: al-Targhīb wal-Tarhīb 3/256

Anas ibn Malik reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ الْعَجْزِ وَالْكَسَلِ وَالْجُبْنِ وَالْهَرَمِ وَالْبُخْلِ

O Allah, I seek refuge in you from disability, sloth, cowardice, senility, and miserliness.

Source: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 6367, Grade: Muttafaqun Alayhi

Jabir ibn Abdullah reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

اتَّقُوا الظُّلْمَ فَإِنَّ الظُّلْمَ ظُلُمَاتٌ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ وَاتَّقُوا الشُّحَّ فَإِنَّ الشُّحَّ أَهْلَكَ مَنْ كَانَ قَبْلَكُمْ حَمَلَهُمْ عَلَى أَنْ سَفَكُوا دِمَاءَهُمْ وَاسْتَحَلُّوا مَحَارِمَهُمْ

Beware of committing oppression, for oppression will be darkness on the Day of Resurrection. Beware of greed, for greed ruined those before you. It caused them to shed their blood and to make lawful what was unlawful to them.

Source: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 2578, Grade: Sahih

Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

إِيَّاكُمْ وَالظُّلْمَ فَإِنَّ الظُّلْمَ ظُلُمَاتٌ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ وَإِيَّاكُمْ وَالْفُحْشَ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يُحِبُّ الْفُحْشَ وَالتَّفَحُّشَ وَإِيَّاكُمْ وَالشُّحَّ فَإِنَّهُ دَعَا مَنْ قَبْلَكُمْ فَاسْتَحَلُّوا مَحَارِمَهُمْ وَسَفَكُوا دِمَاءَهُمْ وَقَطَّعُوا أَرْحَامَهُمْ

Beware of committing injustice, for injustice will be darkness on the Day of Resurrection. Beware of obscenity, for Allah does not love obscenity and immorality. Beware of greed, for it tempted those before you and caused them to make lawful what is unlawful, to shed blood and sever their family ties.

Source: Musnad Aḥmad 9361, Grade: Sahih

Abdullah ibn Amr reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

إِيَّاكُمْ وَالشُّحَّ فَإِنَّمَا هَلَكَ مَنْ كَانَ قَبْلَكُمْ بِالشُّحِّ أَمَرَهُمْ بِالْبُخْلِ فَبَخِلُوا وَأَمَرَهُمْ بِالْقَطِيعَةِ فَقَطَعُوا وَأَمَرَهُمْ بِالْفُجُورِ فَفَجَرُوا

Beware of greed, for it was only greed that destroyed those before you. It commanded them to be miserly and they did so. It commanded them to sever their family ties and they did so. It commanded them to behave wickedly and they did so.

Source: Sunan Abī Dāwūd 1698, Grade: Sahih

Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

شَرُّ مَا فِي رَجُلٍ شُحٌّ هَالِعٌ وَجُبْنٌ خَالِعٌ

The worst evil within a man is his restless greed and his utmost cowardice.

Source: Sunan Abī Dāwūd 2511, Grade: Sahih

Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

لاَ يَجْتَمِعُ الشُّحُّ وَالإِيمَانُ فِي قَلْبِ عَبْدٍ أَبَدًا

Greed and faith can never be combined in the heart.

Source: Sunan al-Nasā’ī 3111, Grade: Sahih

In another narration, the Prophet said:

لا يَجْتَمِعُ فِي جَوْفِ عَبْدٍ مُؤْمِنٍ الإِيمَانُ وَالْحَسَدُ

Faith and envy are not combined within a believing servant.

Source: Sunan al-Nasā’ī 3109, Grade: Sahih

Abu Sa’id al-Khudri reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

خَصْلَتَانِ لَا تَجْتَمِعَانِ فِي مُؤْمِنٍ الْبُخْلُ وَسُوءُ الْخُلُقِ

Two qualities are never combined in a believer: miserliness and bad character.

Source: Sunan al-Tirmidhī 1962, Grade: Sahih li ghayrihi

Ibn Umar reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

ثَلَاثٌ مُهْلِكَاتٌ وَثَلَاثٌ مُنَجِّيَاتٌ وَثَلَاثٌ كَفَّارَاتٌ وَثَلَاثٌ دَرَجَاتٌ فَأَمَّا الْمُهْلِكَاتُ فَشُحٌّ مُطَاعٌ وَهَوًى مُتَّبَعٌ وَإِعْجَابُ الْمَرْءِ بِنَفْسِهِ وَأَمَّا الْمُنَجِّيَاتُ فَالْعَدْلُ فِي الْغَضَبِ وَالرِّضَى وَالْقَصْدُ فِي الْفَقْرِ وَالْغِنَى وَخَشْيَةُ اللَّهِ فِي السِّرِّ وَالْعَلَانِيَةِ وَأَمَّا الْكَفَّارَاتُ فَانْتِظَارُ الصَّلَاةِ بَعْدَ الصَّلَاةِ وَإِسْبَاغُ الْوُضُوءِ فِي السَّبَرَاتِ وَنَقْلُ الْأَقْدَامِ إِلَى الْجَمَاعَاتِ وَأَمَّا الدَّرَجَاتُ فَإِطْعَامُ الطَّعَامِ وَإِفْشَاءُ السَّلَامِ وَصَلَاةٌ بِاللَّيْلِ وَالنَّاسُ نِيَامٌ

Three deeds are destructive vices, three are salvific virtues, three are expiations, and three are a rise in ranks. As for destructive vices, they are greed that is obeyed, whims that are followed, and man being impressed with himself. As for salvific virtues, they are justice in a time of anger or pleasure, moderation in wealth or poverty, and fear of Allah in public and private. As for expiations, they are waiting for prayer in between prayers, thorough ablution on cold mornings, and walking to the congregations. As for rises in ranks, they are feeding the poor, spreading peace, and prayer at night while people sleep.

Source: al-Mu’jam al-Awsaṭ 5750, Grade: Hasan

Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

الْمُؤْمِنُ غِرٌّ كَرِيمٌ وَالْفَاجِرُ خِبٌّ لَئِيمٌ

The believer is innocently generous and the wicked one is deceitfully malicious.

Source: Sunan al-Tirmidhī 1964, Grade: Hasan