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

306 - الغُلُوّ

306. EXTREMISM (IN RELIGION)¹

1440 - التَّحذيرُ مِن الغُلوِّ فِي الدِّين‏

1440. Caution Against Extremism IN RELIGION

(يا أهْلَ الْكِتابِ لاتَغْلُوا في دِينِكُمْ وَلا تَقُولُوا عَلَى اللَّهِ إلَّا الْحَقَّ إنَّما الْمَسِيحُ عِيسَى ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ وَكَلِمَتُهُ) .²

“O People of the Book! Do not exceed the bounds in your religion, and do not attribute anything to Allah except the truth. The Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, was only an apostle of Allah, and His Word that He cast toward Mary and a spirit from Him. So have faith in Allah and his apostles, and do not say, ‘[God is] a trinity.”³

4851.رسولُ اللَّهِ صلى اللَّه عليه وآله : لا تَرفَعُونِي فَوقَ حَقِّي ؛ فإنّ اللَّهَ تعالى‏ اتَّخَذَني عَبداً قبلَ أن يَتَّخِذَني نَبِيّاً .⁴

4851.The Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘Do not elevate me above my rightful position, for verily Allah has made me a servant before He made me a prophet.’⁵

4852.رسولُ اللَّهِ صلى اللَّه عليه وآله : صِنفانِ لا تَنالُهُما شَفاعَتي : سُلطانٌ غَشومٌ عَسُوفٌ ، وغالٍ فِي الدِّينِ مارِقٌ مِنهُ غيرُ تائبٍ ولانازعٍ .⁶

4852.The Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘Two types of people will not be included in my intercession: the tyrannical and iniquitous ruler, and the heretical extremist in matters of religion, who has digressed from it and who is neither repentant nor willing to give up [his heresy].’⁷

4853.رسولُ اللَّهِ صلى اللَّه عليه وآله - لعليّ عليه السلام - : ياعليُّ ، مَثَلُكَ في هذهِ الاُمَّةِ كَمَثَلِ عيسَى بنِ مَريمَ ؛ أحَبَّهُ قَومٌ فَأفرَطوا فيهِ ، وأبغَضَهُ قَومٌ فَأفرَطوا فيهِ ، قالَ : فَنَزَلَ الوَحيُ : (ولَمّا ضُرِبَ ابنُ مَريمَ مَثَلاً إذا قَومُكَ مِنهُ يَصِدُّونَ)⁸ . ⁹

4853.The Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘O Ali, your example in this community is as the example of Jesus son of Mary – one group of people loved him and exceeded the bounds in their love for him, and one group of people hated him and exceeded the bounds in their hatred. The following verse was therefore revealed: “When the son of Mary was cited as an example, behold, your people raise an outcry.”¹⁰¹¹

4854.الإمامُ عليٌّ عليه السلام : هَلَكَ فِيَّ رَجُلانِ : مُحِبٌّ غالٍ ، ومُبغِضٌ قالٍ .¹²

4854.Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘Two types of people will perish in my name: the one who is an extremist in his love for me, and the one who loathes me with a vengeance.’¹³

4855.الإمامُ عليٌّ عليه السلام : اللّهُمّ إنّي بَرِي‏ءٌ مِنَ الغُلاةِ كَبَراءَةِ عيسَى بنِ مَريمَ مِنَ النَّصارى‏ ، اللّهُمّ اخذُلْهُم أبَداً ، ولاتَنصُرْ مِنهُم أحَداً .¹⁴

4855.Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘O Allah, verily I disclaim association with the extremists as Jesus son of Mary’s disassociation with the Christians. O Allah degrade them forever, and do not ever help any of them.’¹⁵

4856.الإمامُ عليٌّ عليه السلام : إيّاكُم والغُلُوَّ فِينا ، قُولُوا إنّا عَبِيدٌ مَربُوبُونَ ، وقُولوا في فَضلِنا ما شِئتُم .¹⁶

4856.Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘Beware of going to extremes with respect to us. Instead take us as servants that have been endeared [by Allah], and say whatever you wish about our virtues.’¹⁷

4857.الإمامُ عليٌّ عليه السلام : لا تَتَجاوَزوا بنا العُبوديَّةَ ثُمّ قُولوا ماشِئتُم ولن تَبلُغُوا ، وإيّاكُم والغُلُوَّ كَغُلُوِّ النَّصارى‏ ؛ فإنّي بَري‏ءٌ مِن الغالِينَ .¹⁸

4857.Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘Do not exceed in considering us more than divine and say what you want and you will not be exaggerating, and beware of extremism like the extremism of the Christians, as I have renounced myself from the extremists.’¹⁹

4858.الإمامُ الصّادقُ عليه السلام : اِحذَرُوا على‏ شَبابِكُمُ الغُلاةَ لايُفسِدُونَهُم ؛ فإنَّ الغُلاةَ شَرُّ خَلقِ اللَّهِ ، يُصَغِّرُونَ عَظَمَةَ اللَّهِ ، ويَدَّعُونَ الرُّبوبِيَّةَ لِعِبادِ اللَّهِ ، واللَّهِ إنَّ الغُلاةَ شَرٌّ مِن اليَهودِ والنَّصارى‏ والمَجوسِ والذينَ أشرَكُوا ، ثُمّ قالَ : إلَينا يَرجِعُ الغالي فلا نَقبَلُهُ ، وبنا يَلحَقُ المُقَصِّرُ فَنَقبَلُهُ ، فقيلَ لَهُ : كيفَ ذلكَ يا بنَ رسولِ اللَّهِ ؟ قالَ : لأنَّ الغالِيَ قدِ اعتادَ تَركَ الصَّلاةِ والزكاةِ والصيامِ والحَجِّ فلا يَقدِرُ على‏ تَركِ عادَتِهِ وعلَى الرُّجوعِ إلى‏ طاعَةِ اللَّهِ عَزَّوجلَّ أبَداً ، وإنّ المُقَصِّرَ إذا عَرَفَ عَمِلَ وأطاعَ .²⁰

4858.Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said, ‘Be on your guard that the extremists do not corrupt your youth, for verily the extremists are the most evil of Allah’s creation for they belittle the Greatness of Allah, and falsely attribute divinity to the servants of Allah. The extremist may return to us but we do not accept him again, whereas we do accept he who is incapable when he tries to adhere to us. At this, he was asked, ‘How can that be O son of the Prophet (SAWA)?’ to which he replied, ‘Because the extremist has become accustomed to abandoning the prayer, the alms-tax, fasting, the pilgrimage, and cannot give up his habit and return to Allah’s obedience ever again, whereas he who is incapable, when he attains inner knowledge, begins to act and carry out acts of obedience.’²¹

4859.أبو بصيرٍ : قلتُ لأبي عبدِاللَّهِ علَيهِ الصَّلاةُ والسلامُ : إنّهم يقولونَ ! قالَ : وما يَقولونَ ؟ قلتُ : يقولونَ : يَعلَمُ قَطْرَ المَطَرِ ، وعَدَدَ النُّجومِ ووَرَقَ الشَّجَرِ ، ووَزنَ ما في البَحرِ ، وعَددَ التُّرابِ ، فَرَفَعَ يَدَهُ إلَى السماءِ وقالَ : سبحانَ اللَّهِ سبحانَ اللَّهِ ، لا واللَّهِ ما يَعلمُ هذا إلّا اللَّهُ .²²

4859. Abu Basir narrated, ‘I told Abu Abdillah [i.e. Imam al-Sadiq] (AS): ‘Verily they are saying things [about you]!’ He asked, ‘What are they saying?’ to which I replied, ‘[They are saying], ‘He knows the number of drops of rain, the number of stars and the leaves on the trees, and the weight of all that is in the sea, and the number of grains of sand.’ So he raised his hands to the sky, saying, ‘Glory be to Allah, Glory be to Allah. No, by Allah, no one knows this except Allah.’²³

4860.الإمامُ الرِّضا عليه السلام : الغُلاةُ كُفّارٌ ، والمُفَوِّضَةُ مُشرِكونَ ... .²⁴

4860.Imam al-Rida (AS) said, ‘The extremists are disbelievers and the mufawwida²⁵ are polytheists…’²⁶

4861.الإمامُ الرِّضا عليه السلام : مَن تَجاوَزَ بأميرِ المؤمنينَ عليه السلام العُبوديَّةَ فهُو مِن المَغضوبِ علَيهِم ومِنَ الضالِّينَ .²⁷

4861.Imam al-Rida (AS) said, ‘Whoever exceeds the bounds [of their love] for the Commander of the Faithful Ali (AS) into worship [of him] is indeed among those who incur Allah’s wrath and are astray.’²⁸