Aslam

oneself from the attack of the fools, to uproot the cutting of jokes, etc. The Prophet said : One act of charity is written for one who saves his honour by spending money. The benefit of payment of wages and remunerations is a kind of charity. Zikr is the highest stage of a religious traveller. He who has got no wealth has got to do many things by his own hand for which a great deal of time which could be engaged in Zikr is spent uselessly.
He who is rich can engage others to do these and other works.
Another benefit of wealth is the ever running charity. It is not spent for a particular man but for the good of the general public, such as construction of mosque, bridge, rest house, orphanage, house for deatitutes and helpless, charitable hospitals and other good works of public utility. For these works soul gets benefits even after death. These are the religious benefits of wealth. Besides these, one having wealth can save himself from humiliation of begging and poverty and gets honour and help from the people.

The harms of wealth are of two kinds — wordly and religious.
The religious harms are of three kinds. (1) Wealth leads to sins and opens the doors of sins and thus one is ruined. (2) It leads to the happiness of enjoying lawful things which is the first stepjo the path of sin. Does a rich man use coarse cloth and rice^Can he give up the various kinds of delicious food? Hazrat Solaiman was able to give up the fineries of the world inspite of his rule over vast territories. Another harm of wealth is to be forgetful of - God and. nobody is free from this danger. Man forgets God in his engagement of maintaining his fortunes and wealth. The thing . which keeps a man- forgetful of God is harmful. Jesus Christ said: Wealth has gOfc thsee-harms-^-O) it is taken even if if is not lawful. (2) He w.as asked': H wealth is taken from lawful things?
He replied '. feyen then he spends 'it in an illegal way. 4$) He was asked : If/hie. spends ij in<a legaPway ? He replied :Eyen then-it keeps him forgetful of" God, beeause be ertgagep himself in maintaining and guardingit. This i&a serious disease, 'a* the root and life of divine "Service* is the remembrance of God and to ponder over His glory, arnd His wonderful creations. For this, mind should be free, from thot-ghb ofher than God. A man having wealth thinks of Che success of his disputes, of his accounts, guarrels with co-shares regarding the boudaries, clash with government officials and peasants and" workers and thousand other things of his properties and businesses arid industries.

Vol-III Love of wealth 181

HARMS OF GREED FOR WEALTH