307 - الغِنى‏

307. RICHES

1441 - الغِنى‏ وَالطُّغيانُ‏

1441. RICHNESS AND REBELLION

(كلّا إنَّ الْإنْسانَ لَيَطْغَى‏ * أنْ رَءاهُ اسْتَغْنَى‏) .¹

“Indeed man becomes rebellious when he considers himself without need.”²

4862.رسولُ اللَّهِ صلى اللَّه عليه وآله : إنَّ الشَّيطانَ قالَ : لن يَنجُوَ مِنّي الغَنِيُّ مِن إحدى‏ ثلاثٍ : إمّا أن اُزَيِّنَهُ في عَينِهِ فَيَمنَعَهُ مِن حَقِّهِ ، وإمّا أن اُسَهِّلَ علَيهِ سبيلَهُ فَيُنفِقَهُ في غيرِ حَقِّهِ ، وإمّا أن اُحَبِّبَهُ إلَيهِ فَيَكسِبَهُ بغيرِ حَقِّهِ .³

4862.The Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘Verily Satan says, ‘The rich man is not safe from me in either one of three situations: either I embellish his riches in his eyes such that he deprives it to whoever has a right to it, or I facilitate its way so that he squanders it in the wrong place; or I make it so beloved to him that he earns it unlawfully.’⁴

4863.الإمامُ عليٌّ عليه السلام - في صفةِ أعجَبِ ما فِي الإنسانِ وهُو القَلبُ - : إن أفادَ مالاً أطغاهُ الغِنى‏ ، وإن أصابَتهُ مُصيبَةٌ فَضَحَهُ الجَزَعُ .⁵

4863. Imam Ali (AS), in his description of the most wonderful thing in man, which is the heart, said, ‘If it comes across riches, freedom from need makes it rebellious. If calamity befalls it, it is humbled by anguish.’⁶

4864.الإمامُ الصّادقُ عليه السلام: جاءَ رجُلٌ مُوسِرٌ إلى‏ رسولِ اللَّهِ صلى اللَّه عليه وآله نَقِيُّ الثَّوبِ فَجَلَسَ إلى‏ رسولِ اللَّهِ صلى اللَّه عليه وآله ، فجاءَ رَجُلٌ مُعسِرٌ دَرِنُ الثَّوبِ فَجَلَسَ إلى‏ جَنبِ المُوسِرِ ، فَقَبَضَ المُوسِرُ ثيابَهُ مِن تَحتِ فَخِذَيهِ ، فقالَ لَهُ رسولُ اللَّهِ صلى اللَّه عليه وآله : أخِفتَ أن يَمَسَّكَ مِن فَقرِهِ شَي‏ءٌ ؟! قالَ : لا ، قالَ : فَخِفتَ أن يُصيبَهُ مِن غِناكَ شَي‏ءٌ ؟! قالَ : لا ، قالَ : فَخِفتَ أن يُوَسِّخَ ثِيابَكَ ؟! قالَ : لا ، قالَ : فما حَمَلَكَ على‏ ما صَنَعتَ ؟ فقالَ : يا رسولَ اللَّهِ ، إنَّ لي قَريناً يُزَيِّنُ لي كُلَّ قَبيحٍ ، ويُقَبِّحُ لي كُلَّ حَسَنٍ ، وقد جَعَلتُ لَهُ نِصفَ مالي !
فقالَ رسولُ اللَّهِ صلى اللَّه عليه وآله للمُعسِرِ : أتَقبَلُ ؟ قالَ : لا ، فقالَ لَهُ الرَّجُلُ : ولِمَ ؟! قالَ : أخافُ أن يَدخُلَني ما دَخَلَكَ !⁷

4864.Imam al-Sadiq (AS) narrated, ‘A rich man, clad in a clean robe, once came to the Prophet (SAWA) and sat near the Prophet (SAWA). Then a poor man clad in dirty clothes came and sat next to the rich man, at which the rich man grabbed his clothes from under his thighs. So the Prophet (SAWA) asked him, ‘Do you fear that some of his poverty will rub off onto you?!’ so he replied, ‘No.’ Then he asked, ‘Then perhaps you fear that some of your riches will fall upon him?!’ to which he replied, ‘No.’ So he asked, ‘Then do you fear that he will make your clothes dirty?!’ to which he again replied no. So the Prophet (SAWA) asked him, ‘Then what made you do what you just did?’ to which he replied [remorsefully], ‘O Prophet of Allah, verily I have an associate [i.e. Satan] who embellishes every ugly act to me, and who makes every good act appear ugly to me. Indeed I will give him [the poor man] half my wealth!’ So the Prophet (SAWA) asked the poor man, ‘Do you accept it?’ and he replied, ‘No’, so the rich man exclaimed, ‘But why not?!’ so he replied, ‘I fear that the same thing that has affected him will affect me!’⁸