Seerah

The Apostle of God said: 'The people who have least peace of mind are the misers.' 272 He asked his companions once: 'What is your definition of a vagabond?'

They said: 'A man who has no wealth.'

He said: 'No, the true vagabond is he who does not give away anything of his wealth [in order to] seek his reward from God even though he would be leaving a lot of wealth behind him.' 273

He also said: 'Surely God hates one who was miserly all his life and becomes generous near [the time of] his death.' 274 He also said: 'Never was wealth diminished by almsgiving, so give freely and do not be miserly.' 275

He also said: 'God has some servants whom He has favoured with His blessings and He will continue to do so as long as they spread them amongst the people. If they withhold them though then God will divert His blessings from them to others.' 276

He also said: 'Whoever refuses to give of his wealth to good people out of choice, God will divert his wealth to evil people by force.' 277 Im"m Ja!far al-Sadiq said: 'The Apostle of God never ever refused to give to one who asked from him. If he had something with him he would give him it and if he did not then he would say: 'God will provide it.' 278

Once the Apostle of God went to al-Ja!r"nah (a place between Mecca and al-?"'if) and there divided up the wealth (that had been taken as spoils after the battle of H{unayn). The people began to ask from him and he gave to them until he was forced to retreat to a tree. The people took his cloak and scratched his back so that they could take him from the tree and all the while they were asking him for the wealth. He said: 'O people, give me back my cloak. I swear that if I had sheep to the number of trees of Tuh"mah I would divide them amongst you, then you would not see me as cowardly or miserly.' 279

He also said: 'The one least like me amongst you is the miserly, the foul-mouthed and the indecent.' 280 He also said: 'The miser is far from God and far from the people, far from Paradise and near to Hellfire.' 281

Notes:

272. bihar al-anwar; vol.70, chap.136, p.300, 9ad:th 2.

273. tu9af al-!uqYl; p.33.

274. bihar al-anwar; vol.74, chap.7, p.173, 9ad:th 8.

275. ibid. vol.93, chap.14, p.131

276. ibid. vol.72, chap.81, p.352

277. ibid. vol.93, chap.14, p.352

278. ibid. vol.16, chap.9, p.269

279. ibid. p.226, 9ad:th 32.

280. tu9af al-!uqYl; p.31, 5th edition.

281. bihar al-anwar; vol.68, chap.87, p.355, 9ad:th 17.

Adopted from the book : "The Prophet Muhammad; a Mercy to the World" by : "Ayatullah Muhammad Sadiq al-Shirazi"