Chapter VII: Intention, Sincerity and Truth
BENEFITS OF WEALTH: God has mentioned wealth in the Quran in many places as Khair (good). God says: If anybody leaves khair (weath)-2: 180Q. God says: This disclosed their secret wealth out of mercy of your Lord, he says: he will help you by your wealth and children. The Prophet said: lawful wealth is good for the pious people. He said: Poverty was about to become near infidelity. Wealth is good from one point and bad from another point. When it is good, it is praiseworthy and when it is bad, it is condemned. Wealth is not wholly bad or wholly good, but it is an instrument of good and bad. The Prophet was once asked: Who is the most honourable and wise? He replied: he who remembers death much and becomes most prepared for it.
THREE MODES OF SPIRITUAL FORTUNE
(1) Gift of soul is knowledge and good conduct. (2) Gift of body is health and safety. (3) Gift of the world outside the body and soul, is wealth, air, light Of all the above three gifts, the gifts of soul is greatest, the gift of body is less than that and the gift of the outer world is bad. Out of these gifts, the worse is the gift of wealth and the still more worse is the gift gold and silver as they are slaves and they have got not value. Gold and silver have got no value of their own. They are utilized for gaining other gifts.
Soul is the most invaluable gift. Its object is to attain virtues and good conduct and knowledge of God. Body is the carrier and slave of soul. Body perfects the soul and the purity of soul is possible owing to knowledge and good conduct. He who knows this mode knows the function of wealth which is necessary for upkeep of the body and the body necessary for upkeep of soul.
WEALTH IS GOOD AND BAD ACCORDING TO INTENTION: As. is the intention, so is the condition of wealth. If the intention is good, wealth is also good. If it is bad, wealth is bad. The Prophet said: He who takes wealth in excess of what in necessary for him draws his own destruction, but he does not
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[ Vol-III Love of wealth 179
know it'. Wealth supplies materials to a man who follows his evil desires. For that reason, the prophets used to seek refuge to Cod from excessive wealth. Our Prophet used to pray: O God, supply the provision of the family of Muhammad according to their requirements. He used to pray: O God, keep me alive as a poor man, take my life as a poor man and resurrect me in the company of the poor.