!!!Craving For Wealth!!!

:salam2:
this is a dictionary in case if you need to look up a word
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/hello


The first type of craving for wealth is that a person has extreme love for wealth and also relentlessly exerts efforts to attain it - via means which are lawful - being excessive in that, striving hard and making painstaking efforts and toiling in order to attain it.

It has been reported that this hadeeth was in response to the appearance of some elements of this, as at-Tabaraanee reports from `Aasim ibn `Adiyy, radiyallaahu `anhu, who said, `I bought a hundred shares from the shares of Khaybar and that reached the Prophet sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam so he said, "Two ravenous wolves remaining amongst sheep whose owner has lost them will not be more harmful than a Muslim`s seeking after wealth and status is to his Deen.” [It is quoted by al-Haithumee in Majma` uz-Zawaa`id (10/250) and he attributed it to at-Tabaraanee in al-Awsat and said, "Its isnaad is hasan (good)."]

There is nothing more to chasing after wealth than the wastage of a person's noble life for that which has no value. Instead he could have earned a high rank (in Paradise) and everlasting bliss, but he lost this due to his craving after provision - which had already been assured to him and allotted to him, and it was not possible for anything to come to him except what was decreed for him - then on top of this he does not benefit from that, but rather abandons it and leaves it for someone else.

He departs from that and leaves it behind so that he will be the one held accountable for it, yet someone else benefits from it. So in reality he is only gathering it for someone who will not praise him for that, whilst he himself goes on to One who will not excuse him for that - this itself would indeed be enough to show the blameworthiness of this craving.

The person who has this craving wastes his valuable time and engages himself in that which is of no benefit to himself - in journeying and exposing himself to dangers in order to amass that which will only benefit someone else, so it is as is said:

"So one who spends his days in gathering wealth
Out of fear of poverty - then he has achieved only poverty."

It was said to a wise man, "So and so has amassed wealth," so he said, "Then has he amassed days in which to spend it?" It was said, "No." So he said, "Then he has amassed nothing!"

It was also said in some narrations from the People of the Book, "Provision has already been allotted and the one greedy for wealth is deprived. Son of Aadam! If you spend your life in seeking after this world then when will you seek after the Hereafter?" "If you are unable to do good deeds in this world, then what will you do on the Day of Resurrection?"

Ibn Mas`ood, radiyallaahu `anhumaa, said, "Certain faith (yaqeen) is that you do not make the people happy by angering Allaah, and that you do not envy anyone for that which Allaah has provided, and that you do not blame anyone for something which Allaah has not given you - since provision will not be brought on by a person's craving after it, nor will it be repelled by a person's disliking it. Indeed Allaah through His Justice has made joy and happiness dependant upon having certain faith and contentment, and He has made worries and sorrow spring from doubt and displeasure."

One of the Salaf (predecessors) said: "Since predecree (qadr) is a reality then craving is futile. Since treachery exists in people's characters then trusting everybody is to expose oneself to humiliation. Since death awaits everybody, then being satisfied with this world is foolishness."

`Abdul-Waahid ibn Zayd (from the successors of the Taabi`een of Basrah, died after 150H) used to swear by Allaah that a person's craving after this world was more fearful to him than his worst enemy. He also used to say, “O my brothers! Do not grow up craving after his riches and increase in earnings or wealth, rather look upon him with the eye of one who detests that he is preoccupying himself with that which will cause his ruin tomorrow in the Place of Return - and is proud with that." He also used to say, "Craving is of two types: Craving which is an affliction and craving which is beneficial. As for the craving which is beneficial, then it is one's desire for that which is obedience to Allaah, and as for the craving which is an affliction then it is a person's craving after this world."

Craving after this world torments a person, he is preoccupied and does not attain joy or pleasure whilst amassing - since he is preoccupied. He does not find time - due to his love of this world – for the Hereafter, and is preoccupied with that which will perish and forgets that which will abide and remain.

In this regard a person said,

“Do not envy a brother who craves after riches –
rather look upon him with aversion.
Indeed the one who craves is preoccupied with his
wealth from having any happiness due to his belongings."

Someone else said in this regard:

“O gatherer and miserly one being watched closely by time
which is wondering which of its doors it should close.
You have gathered wealth, but think have you gathered for it -
O gatherer of wealth - days in which you can spend it.
Wealth is hoarded away with you for those who will inherit it -
The wealth is not yours except on the day when you spend it.
Satisfaction is for the one who settles in its neighbourhood
And in its shade he finds no worries to disturb him."

A wise person wrote to a brother of his who desired this world: "To proceed, you have become one who craves after this world. It will serve you whilst taking you away from it with accidents, illnesses, calamities and infirmity. It is as if you have not seen one who craves prevented from what he desires, nor one who shuns this world granted provision, nor one who died despite having great wealth, nor one who is fully satisfied in this world with a small amount."

A desert Arab rebuked a brother of his for covetousness, saying, "O my brother you are a seeker and one sought. You are being sought by One whom you cannot escape, and you are seeking that for which you have been sufficed. O brother, it is as if you have not seen one who craves being prevented, nor one who shuns the world being granted provision."

A wise man said, "The people who have the greatest degree of restlessness are the envious, those who have the greatest degree of happiness are the contented. Those who persevere most through suffering are those who are covetous. Those who have the simplest and most pleasant life are those who most strongly refuse this world. The one who will suffer the greatest regret is the scholar whose actions contradict his knowledge."

The second type of craving after wealth is that in addition to what has been mentioned in the first type, he also seeks wealth through unlawful means and withholds people's rights - then this is definitely blameworthy greed and covetousness. Allaah, the Most High, says:

“And whoever is saved from his covetousness, such are those who are successful.” [Soorah al-Hashr (59):9]

It is reported in Sunan Abee Daawood from `Abdullaah ibn `Amr, radiyallaahu 'anhu, from the Prophet sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam that he said, "Beware of greed (avarice) for indeed greed (avarice) destroyed those who came before you. It ordered them to cut off ties of relationship so they cut off ties of relationship, and it ordered them to be miserly so they were miserly, and it ordered them to commit sins so they committed sins." [Reported by Aboo Daawood (transl. vol.2, p.445, no.1694), and al-Haakim (1/415) who declared it saheeh and adh-Dhahabee agreed, and Ahmad reports it (2/159, 195) with similar wording. I (Badr `Abdullah al-Badr) say: Its isnaad is saheeh.]

It is reported in Saheeh Muslim from Jaabir, radiyallaahu 'anhu, that the Prophet sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam said, "Beware of greed (avarice), since greed (avarice) destroyed those who came before you. It led them to shed their blood and make lawful what was forbidden for them." [Reported by Muslim (transl. vol.4, p.1366, no. 6248) and others, an-Nawawee said in explanation of the hadeeth, "al-Qaadee `Iyaad said: It is possible that this destruction was the destruction of those whose blood was spilled who were mentioned here, and it is possible that it is destruction in the Hereafter - and this is more apparent, and it is possible that it means destruction in both this world and the Hereafter. A number of people have said that avarice/greed (shuhh) is more severe than miserliness (bukhl) and causes the person to withhold to a greater degree. Some say that it is miserliness combined with covetousness. Some say that miserliness is with reference to specific actions whereas avarice/greed is general. Some say that miserliness is in particular actions and avarice/greed is with reference to wealth and good actions. Others say that avarice/greed is desiring that which one does not possess and being miserly about what one does possess."]

Some of the scholars say, "Avarice is eager craving which causes a person to take things which are not lawful for him, and to withhold the rights of others. Its reality is that a person craves that which Allaah has forbidden and prohibited him from, and that one is not contented with the wealth and womenfolk and whatever else Allaah has made lawful for him. So Allaah, the Most High, has made lawful for us that which is good from foods, drinks, clothing and women and has forbidden us to acquire these things except by lawful means and He made lawful for us the blood and wealth of the Unbelievers and those fighting against us. He also forbade us from everything impure from foods, drinks, clothing and women, and He forbade us from seizing people's wealth and spilling their blood unjustly. So he who limits himself to that which is permitted for him is a Believer, and one who goes beyond that into what he has been forbidden - then this is blameworthy avarice which is inconsistent with Eemaan (true faith in belief, word and action).

Therefore the Prophet sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam informed that avarice causes a person to cut off relations, commit sins and to be miserly - and miserliness is a person's clinging on greedily to what he has in his hand. Whereas avarice is seeking to obtain that which does not belong to him unjustly and wrongfully - whether it is wealth or something else. It is even said that it is the head of all sins - this was how Ibn Mas`ood, radiyallaahu `anhu, and others from the Salaf explained avarice and greed.

So from this the meaning of the hadeeth of Aboo Hurairah, radiyallaahu 'anhu, will be understood. He reports that the Prophet sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam said, "Avarice (shuhh) and Eemaan will not combine in the heart of a Believer." [This is part of a hadeeth whose wording is, "Dust in the way of Allaah and the smoke of Hell-Fire will never combine in the belly of a servant, nor will avarice and Eemaan ever combine in the heart of a servant." It is reported by Ibn Abee Shaibah (5/344), Ahmad, an-Nasaa'ee (6/13,14)... and its chain of narration is hasan lighairihi (good due to supports).] Also in another hadeeth from the Prophet sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam he said "The best of Eemaan is self-restraint (sabr) and compliance/liberality (musaamahah)." [This hadeeth has been reported from four Companions: (i) `Umayr ibn Qataadah al-Laythee, by al-Bukhaaree in at-Taareekhul-Kabeer (3/2/530) and al-Haakim (3/ 626), (ii) Jaabir ibn `Abdillaah - by Ibn Abee Shaibah in al-Eemaan (no.43) and Ibn Hibbaan in al-Majrooheen (3/136), (iii) `Amr ibn `Abasah - by Ahmad (4/375) and (iv) `Ubaadah ibn as-Saamit - by Ahmad (5/319), and the hadeeth is saheeh due to these chains - and Allaah knows best.] Sabr here has been explained to be withholding oneself from forbidden things, and musaamahah as the carrying out of the obligatory actions.

Also the word shuhh (avarice) may sometimes be used to mean bukhl (miserliness) and vice-versa, however in origin they are different in meaning, as we have mentioned.

If the person's craving after wealth reaches this level then the deficiency it causes in a person's Religion is clear - since failing to fulfill what is obligatory and falling into what is forbidden reduce one's Religion and Eemaan without a doubt to the point that nothing but a little remains of it.

:salam2:
Seeking Halal Earning

a_brother said:

Seeking Halal Earning
By Khalid Baig
http://www.albalagh.net/​

According to Abdullah ibn Masud, Radi-Allahu unhu, The Prophet Muhammad, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam, said: 'Seeking halal earning is a duty after the duty.' In other words working to earn a halal living is itself a religious obligation second in importance after the primary religious obligations like prayers, fasting and hajj.

This brief hadith contains three very important messages. First, it points to the Islamic way out of the apparent dichotomy between the material and the spiritual worlds. We often see them working in opposite directions. Indulgence in the material world does lead one away from the spiritual world. Spiritual uplifting seems to accompany a tendency to distance oneself from the material pleasures. There is a conflict, but is there a contradiction also? Is it possible to resolve the conflict in a way that one can take care of both? Or are they mutually exclusive? This has been a central question for all religions and many in the past suggested the second answer, making hermits as the ideal for the humanity. Unfortunately not much humanity is left when one moves too far in this direction. One can read today the horror stories of Christian and Hindu monks, among others, who tried to seek spiritual purification this way.

As a reaction, others took the other course, making material pleasures the goal of this life. The western civilization today is the prime example of that. Its toll on human spirit and morality is well known and is a constant reminder that something is wrong here as well.

In between the two extremes Islam points out the Straight Path. Man is both a material and a spiritual being. The solution does not lie in denying the material needs and desires but in denying their claim to primacy. They are part of being but not the reason or goal of being. As long as they are kept in place, they are an important part of our life. The problem is not money but the love of it. Wealth itself is not bad. In fact Qur'an refers to it as ' ... your wealth which Allah has made for you a means of support.' [Al-Nisa, 4:5]. And another hadith praises the merits of 'the halal wealth of a pious person.' The effort to earn a living is not only not against spirituality, it is a religious obligation!

But this earning must be through halal means. This is the second message of this hadith. Our obligation is not just to make money but to make halal money. This is a broad statement that is the basis for Islamization of a society's economic life. Not every business idea or possible business enterprise is good for the society. And the decision regarding right and wrong here cannot be left to the so-called market forces. Right and wrong in the economic life, as in all life, must be determined by a higher source. Shariah guides us as to the halal and haram business enterprises and practices, and at both individual and collective levels we must follow that guidance.

At times that guidance may conflict with the prevailing practices. For example riba (interest), gambling, *!*!*!*!ography, and liquor are haram, and no matter how attractive the financial rewards of engaging in those enterprises may seem to be, a Muslim must refrain from them. This is the economic struggle of a believer, and it is obvious why it should be carried out as a religious obligation. At the individual level the obligation is to engage is halal professions and businesses. At the collective level the obligation is to establish a system that facilitates such individual efforts and discourages their opposite.

Sometimes we lose the balance between obligations at the two levels. Obviously our ultimate responsibility is at the individual level; in the hereafter we will be asked about what we did in our personal lives. At the same time, in the era of multi-national companies, CNN, IMF, World bank, and GATT, it is obvious that individual efforts alone cannot steer the economic life of a society in the direction of halal. Why avoiding interest has become so difficult today? Not because of its inherent merits as a healthy financial instrument but because it is entrenched in the system. Can we build an Islamic life style when the CNN is advertising a western life style in the most enticing ways 24 hours a day in our homes? Can we resolve the issues of halal and haram in taxation in Muslim countries when the national budgets and tax decisions are dictated to these countries by the IMF and the World Bank? (Jurists say that taxes may be permissible if they are necessary, reasonable, fair, within the ability of the payers, and if the means of collection are not harsh. Otherwise they are unjust and haram). Obviously the struggle to avoid haram individually must, of necessity, include the struggle to change the system that forces haram.

Third, all this effort for halal earning should not eclipse our primary religious obligations. Indulgence even in a purely halal enterprise should not make us miss our Salat, or hajj, for example.

This point is more important than we may realize at first. In this century, some Islamic movements made the error of suggesting that the primary acts of worship. like Salat were not meant for their own sake, but were there to prepare us for the real challenge of establishing an Islamic state. It was stated to persuade the audiences to join such movements but the speakers had gone carried away and in effect it would result in an inversion of the relationship between the two. The result is that those drawn to collective struggles, in political or economic arenas, sometimes may ignore their primary religious responsibilities, in favor of the 'bigger' struggle. This hadith may help us set our priorities right: The economic endeavor is a duty after the primary duties. And let us remember: In economics, as well as in religion, getting the priorities right is part of being right

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:salam2:

Jazak Allahu Khair Brother, a good reminder that this life here is short and we should avoid getting caught up in materialistic things I am sure we all know someone preoccupied with money, let us try to be proper Muslims and avoid this negative obsession, Insha Allah.

:salam2:

Scary stuff, I wish I hadn't read this, because I have to admit I do like money primarily because I have credit card bill to pay (which is not related to gambling, this occurred because I was out of work for 1 year and just used my credit cards like a silly teenager).
And the way I do attain most of my money is not halal however is lawful under American Laws. This has been killing me lately. I know it's haram, yet I still do it.

I work at starbucks, however I really don't make much there, and am I semi-pro poker player.
Errrr, I'm so lost!!





Shoaib

xSharingan01x said:

:salam2:

Scary stuff, I wish I hadn't read this, because I have to admit I do like money primarily because I have credit card bill to pay (which is not related to gambling, this occurred because I was out of work for 1 year and just used my credit cards like a silly teenager).
And the way I do attain most of my money is not halal however is lawful under American Laws. This has been killing me lately. I know it's haram, yet I still do it.

I work at starbucks, however I really don't make much there, and am I semi-pro poker player.
Errrr, I'm so lost!!





Shoaib

Click to expand...

:salam2: brother Shoaib

this is a beautiful Hadith

"Allah the Almighty has said: 'O son of Adam, so long as you call upon Me, and hope in Me, I shall forgive you for what you have done, and I shall not mind. O son of Adam, were your sins to reach the clouds in the sky and were you then to ask forgiveness of Me, I shall forgive you. O son of Adam, were you to come to Me with an earthful of sins and were you then to face Me, without having associated anything with Me, I shall grant you an earthful of pardon.'"

Mashallah brother, Jazakallahu Khair for posting this.

its a very good reminder for us muslim for this dunya will perish one day and we will be at our final destination so we should not waste on worldly things coz our time is limited.