Chapter VII: Evils of Wealth and Miserliness
EXPENSE IN GOOD WORKS: He who spends in good works can be called philanthropic provided he gives in charity with contended mind and under no pressure or hopeful of any service or reward. A female saint went to Habban-b-Helal who was at that time surrounded by his disciples. The woman asked them : What is sakhawat or philanthropy ? They said : Charity expense and self- sacrifice. The woman said : It is worldly charity with satisfaction of mind without being dissatisfied in divine service. The woman asked : Don't you hope for reward therefor ?
They replied : God promised to give ten rewards for one act of charity. The woman said : If you get merits in exchange of an act of charity, how can it be called philanthropy ? The woman said :
The meaning of philanthropy to me is to give charity with pleasure of mind in obedience to God's commands without hoping for reward. Another female said that philanthropy means sacrifice of life along with expenses of money. The saint Mohasshi said : The meaning of charity in religion is to sacrifice one's life for God voluntarily and not under compulsion without hoping any reward.
MEDICINE FOR MISERLINESS: Know, O dear readers, that miserliness arises out of love for wealth which again comes to pass for two reasons — (i) to satisfy passions and desires which cannot be fulfilled without wealth and hope for long life. Hope for long life is conjoined with the existence of children and it is also a cause of miserliness. The Prophet said : Children are the cause of a man's miserliness, cowardice and ignorance. The
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second cause of love of wealth is love for wealth itself. There are rnen whose habit is to hoard money and not to spend even though they have got sufficient wealth to meet the necessary things during the rest of their lives. It is seen that one has got no children in his old age but he has got enormous wealth. Still he does not pay Zakat and does not undergo treatment for his diseases. Rather he worships money and loves it for itself. Even he buries money under the ground although he knows that after his death his money will be destroyed. This is extreme misguidance.