Saying 3 - Traits That Hinder Progress [Part One]

﷽

In the Name of Allah, the All-Beneficent, the All-Merciful

In order to surge ahead successfully in life, Amīrul Muʾminīn (ʿa) guides us with the following four points: 

 الْبُخْلُ عَارٌ وَ الْجُبْنُ مَنْقَصَةٌ وَ الْفَقْرُ يُخْرِسُ الْفَطِنَ عَنْ حُجَّتِهِ وَ الْمُقِلُّ غَرِيبٌ فِي بَلْدَتِهِ

Amir al-mu'minin (a) said: “Miserliness is shame; cowardice is a defect; poverty disables an intelligent man from arguing his case; and a destitute person is a stranger in his home town.” (Saying 3, Nahj al-Balāghah) 

In order to understand this statement better, let us look at each point individually. 

Unveiling the Shame of Stinginess: The Cost of Hoarding and its Impact on Community

Imam (a) starts off this with the following statement: 

الْبُخْلُ عَارٌ

Miserliness is shame

Miserliness occurs when someone refuses to share any of the blessings they have received from God, even when they have more than enough to meet their own needs. Conversely, generosity and kindness involve giving, to help others.

Ayatullah Makarim presents the five reasons of why ‘Miserliness Is Shame’:

1. The miser is disliked by people 

2. Close and distant people choose to avoid the miser. 

3. Greed causes many economic resources to be taken out of healthy commercial circulation and get hoarded, while some groups in the society may need them.

4. This trait leads the miser to be cruel to his own family 

5. The miser is incapable of thinking rationally, his attachment to wealth and material things in itself is a cause of shame.

Miserliness, or refraining from giving things to others and collecting wealth and riches for oneself, is one of the signs of love for the world. It impedes one from adorning oneself with several praiseworthy virtues like charity, munificence, self-sacrifice and helping others. It is for this reason that the holy Prophet (S) has said: “No miser shall enter Paradise.”

Miserliness is such a repugnant vice that if a person gets afflicted with it, he keeps his family in poverty, detests guests coming to his house, abstains from visiting others in order that none visit him, withholds himself from associating with generous persons and feels uneasy about other people’s generosity. The Holy Prophet (S) sought refuge in God from this deadly vice.

In saying 126 of Nahj al-Balāghah, Amīrul Muʾminīn (ʿa) says: 

عَجِبْتُ لِلْبَخِيلِ يَسْتَعْجِلُ الْفَقْرَ الَّذِى مِنْهُ هَرَبَ وَ يَفُوتُهُ الْغِنَى الَّذِى إِيَّاهُ طَلَبَ فَيَعِيشُ فِى الدُّنْيَا عَيْشَ الْفُقَرَاءِ وَ يُحَاسَبُ فِى الْآخِرَةِ حِسَابَ الْأَغْنِيَاءِ.

“I wonder at the miser who is speeding towards the very destitution from which he wants to run away and misses the very ease of life which he covets. Consequently, he passes his life in this world like the destitute, but will have to render an account in the next world like the rich.”

Agha Qara’ati ¹ presents several instances where we might be bakheel (miserly):

• Bukhl in ilm. Not sharing resources.

• Bukhl in a skill that I have .. not sharing know-how. 

• Bukhl in lending books.

• Bukhl in forgiving (eg. I will never forgive you, until qayamat)

• Bukhl in salam (example: “Me say salam first? I am the mother in law, or Me say salam? I am the grandfather, kids should be first”)

• Bukhl in encouragement

Eight Points on How We Can Battle the Illness of Bukhl (lessons from Quran) 

1.Know the advantages of being open-handed and generous:

وَمِنَ الْأَعْرَابِ مَن يُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ وَيَتَّخِذُ مَا يُنفِقُ قُرُبَاتٍ عِندَ اللَّهِ وَصَلَوَاتِ الرَّسُولِ ۚ أَلَا إِنَّهَا قُرْبَةٌ لَّهُمْ ۚ سَيُدْخِلُهُمُ اللَّهُ فِي رَحْمَتِهِ ۗ إِنَّ اللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ

Yet among the Bedouins are [also] those who believe in Allah and the Last Day, and regard what they spend as [a means of attaining] nearness to Allah and the blessings of the Apostle. Now, it shall indeed bring them nearness, and Allah will admit them into His mercy. Indeed Allah is all-forgiving, all-merciful. (9:99)

2.Know the disadvantages of ‘bukhl’ 

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِنَّ كَثِيرًا مِّنَ الْأَحْبَارِ وَالرُّهْبَانِ لَيَأْكُلُونَ أَمْوَالَ النَّاسِ بِالْبَاطِلِ وَيَصُدُّونَ عَن سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ ۗ وَالَّذِينَ يَكْنِزُونَ الذَّهَبَ وَالْفِضَّةَ وَلَا يُنفِقُونَهَا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ فَبَشِّرْهُم بِعَذَابٍ أَلِيمٍ

O you who have faith! Indeed many of the scribes and monks wrongfully eat up the people’s wealth, and bar [them] from the way of Allah. Those who treasure up gold and silver, and do not spend it in the way of Allah, inform them of a painful punishment 

يَوْمَ يُحْمَىٰ عَلَيْهَا فِي نَارِ جَهَنَّمَ فَتُكْوَىٰ بِهَا جِبَاهُهُمْ وَجُنُوبُهُمْ وَظُهُورُهُمْ ۖ هَٰذَا مَا كَنَزْتُمْ لِأَنفُسِكُمْ فَذُوقُوا مَا كُنتُمْ تَكْنِزُونَ

On the day when these shall be heated in hellfire and therewith branded on their foreheads, their sides, and their backs [and told]: ‘This is what you treasured up for yourselves! So taste what you have treasured!’(9:34-35) 

3. Force oneself to be open handed (even if initially, one does it for a good reputation among people), after a while, this becomes a habit and the intention can change to ‘qurbatan ilallah’

قُلْ إِنَّ رَبِّي يَبْسُطُ الرِّزْقَ لِمَن يَشَاءُ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ وَيَقْدِرُ لَهُ ۚ وَمَا أَنفَقْتُم مِّن شَيْءٍ فَهُوَ يُخْلِفُهُ ۖ وَهُوَ خَيْرُ الرَّازِقِينَ

Say, ‘Indeed my Lord expands the provision for whomever of His servants that He wishes and tightens it, and He will repay whatever you may spend, and He is the best of providers.’ (Sura Saba, 34:39)

لَّيْسَ عَلَيْكَ هُدَاهُمْ وَلَٰكِنَّ اللَّهَ يَهْدِي مَن يَشَاءُ ۗ وَمَا تُنفِقُوا مِنْ خَيْرٍ فَلِأَنفُسِكُمْ ۚ وَمَا تُنفِقُونَ إِلَّا ابْتِغَاءَ وَجْهِ اللَّهِ ۚ وَمَا تُنفِقُوا مِنْ خَيْرٍ يُوَفَّ إِلَيْكُمْ وَأَنتُمْ لَا تُظْلَمُونَ

It is not up to you to guide them; rather, it is Allah who guides whomever He wishes. Whatever wealth you spend, it is for your own benefit, as you do not spend but to seek Allah’s pleasure, and whatever wealth you spend will be repaid to you in full and you will not be wronged. (Baqarah,2:272) 

4. Understand what causes this illness. Main one as pointed out by the Quran is Satan’s insinuations and his instilling fear of poverty. 

الشَّيْطَانُ يَعِدُكُمُ الْفَقْرَ وَيَأْمُرُكُم بِالْفَحْشَاءِ ۖ وَاللَّهُ يَعِدُكُم مَّغْفِرَةً مِّنْهُ وَفَضْلًا ۗ وَاللَّهُ وَاسِعٌ عَلِيمٌ

Satan frightens you of poverty and prompts you to [commit] indecent acts. But Allah promises you His forgiveness and bounty, and Allah is all-bounteous, all-knowing. (Baqarah, 2:268) 

5. Know that Allah (swt) will definitely return and reward whatever is spent in His Way. (multifold times) 

مَّثَلُ الَّذِينَ يُنفِقُونَ أَمْوَالَهُمْ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ كَمَثَلِ حَبَّةٍ أَنبَتَتْ سَبْعَ سَنَابِلَ فِي كُلِّ سُنبُلَةٍ مِّائَةُ حَبَّةٍ ۗ وَاللَّهُ يُضَاعِفُ لِمَن يَشَاءُ ۗ وَاللَّهُ وَاسِعٌ عَلِيمٌ

The parable of those who spend their wealth in the way of Allah is that of a grain which grows seven ears, in every ear a hundred grains. Allah enhances severalfold whomever He wishes, and Allah is all-bounteous, all-knowing. (Baqarah, 2:261)

6.By being generous, we can ensure a ‘husn ul-aaqibat’ for ourselves. 

وَالَّذِينَ صَبَرُوا ابْتِغَاءَ وَجْهِ رَبِّهِمْ وَأَقَامُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَأَنفَقُوا مِمَّا رَزَقْنَاهُمْ سِرًّا وَعَلَانِيَةً وَيَدْرَءُونَ بِالْحَسَنَةِ السَّيِّئَةَ أُولَٰئِكَ لَهُمْ عُقْبَى الدَّارِ ‎﴿٢٢﴾‏ جَنَّاتُ عَدْنٍ يَدْخُلُونَهَا وَمَن صَلَحَ مِنْ آبَائِهِمْ وَأَزْوَاجِهِمْ وَذُرِّيَّاتِهِمْ ۖ وَالْمَلَائِكَةُ يَدْخُلُونَ عَلَيْهِم مِّن كُلِّ بَابٍ ‎﴿٢٣﴾‏ سَلَامٌ عَلَيْكُم بِمَا صَبَرْتُمْ ۚ فَنِعْمَ عُقْبَى الدَّارِ

—those who are patient for the sake of their Lord’s pleasure, maintain the prayer, and spend secretly and openly out of what We have provided them, and repel evil [conduct] with good. For such will be the reward of the [ultimate] abode: the Gardens of Eden, which they will enter along with whoever is righteous from among their forebears, their spouses, and their descendants, and the angels will call on them from every door: ‘Peace be to you, for your patience.’ How excellent is the reward of the [ultimate] abode! (Sura Ra’ad, 13:22-24)

7. Understand that all that we own is from Allah (swt).  

لَّهُ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الْأَرْضِ ۗ وَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لَهُوَ الْغَنِيُّ الْحَمِيدُ

To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth, Indeed Allah is the All-sufficient, the All-laudable. (Sura Hajj, 22:64)

8. If I continue being miserly, Allah can replace me!

هَا أَنتُمْ هَٰؤُلَاءِ تُدْعَوْنَ لِتُنفِقُوا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ فَمِنكُم مَّن يَبْخَلُ ۖ وَمَن يَبْخَلْ فَإِنَّمَا يَبْخَلُ عَن نَّفْسِهِ ۚ وَاللَّهُ الْغَنِيُّ وَأَنتُمُ الْفُقَرَاءُ ۚ وَإِن تَتَوَلَّوْا يَسْتَبْدِلْ قَوْمًا غَيْرَكُمْ ثُمَّ لَا يَكُونُوا أَمْثَالَكُم

Ah! There you are, being invited to spend in the way of Allah; yet among you there are those who are stingy; and whoever is stingy is stingy only to himself. Allah is the All-sufficient, and you are all-needy, and if you turn away He will replace you with another people, and they will not be like you. (Sura Muhammad 47:38)

The Effects of Bukhl (from Hadith) 

• Least at ease 

• Stores wealth for inheritors 

• Lacks friends 

• Gets Humiliated 

• His family lives uncomfortably 

• Soo’ dhan with Allah swt

• Lack of Tawakkul on Allah swt

• Constantly needs to justify his stinginess 

• Result of Ignorance (so his ignorance is manifested, his honour diminishes)

Instructive Anecdote: The Miser’s Sin²

The man explained, “O’ Prophet of God! I am a wealthy person, but whenever a poor man approaches me for help, I feel as if a bolt of fire has approached me.”

On hearing this, the Holy Prophet (S) warned:

“Stay away from me and do not burn me in your fire! By He, Who has sent me with Guidance and Honour, if you were to offer prayers between al-Rukn and al-Maqaam (around the Ka’bah) for two thousand years and weep in such a measure that your tears flow as rivers and quench the trees, and after all this, if you were to die while still possessing the vice of stinginess, God would hurl you into Hell. Woe be unto you!

But do you not know that Allah has said:

وَ مَنْ يَبْخَلْ فَإِنَّما يَبْخَلُ عَنْ نَفْسِهِ

and whoever is stingy is stingy only to himself. (47:38) 

وَ مَنْ يُوقَ شُحَّ نَفْسِهِ فَأُولئِكَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ

And those who are saved from their own greed—it is they who are the felicitous. (59:9) 

We conclude this post by imploring Allah swt to rid us of the affliction of miserliness and grant us the virtue of generosity, as we are the followers of the Holy Ahlul Bayt (as), who exemplified boundless generosity. Our discussion on this will continue in the next post, inshāʾAllāh.

1. YouTube Link: youtube.com/watch?v=UBHaTTQG1kA

2. https://www.al-islam.org/anecdotes-reflection-part-1/16-stinginess