Love of and Greed for Worldly Things

رَأْسُ كُلِّ خَطِيئَةٍ حُبُّ الدُّنْيَا.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) has said, ‘The head of all sins is love of this world.’”

سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع يَقُولُ‌ مَا ذِئْبَانِ ضَارِيَانِ فِي غَنَمٍ قَدْ فَارَقَهَا رِعَاؤُهَا أَحَدُهُمَا فِي أَوَّلِهَا وَ الْآخَرُ فِي آخِرِهَا بِأَفْسَدَ فِيهَا مِنْ حُبِّ الْمَالِ وَ الشَّرَفِ فِي دِينِ الْمُسْلِمِ.

“I heard Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) saying, ‘No two fierce wolves in a flock of sheep in the absence of their shepherd, one wolf on either side is as destructive to them as the love of property and honor is to the religion of a Muslim.”

مَا ذِئْبَانِ ضَارِيَانِ فِي غَنَمٍ لَيْسَ لَهَا رَاعٍ هَذَا فِي أَوَّلِهَا وَ هَذَا فِي آخِرِهَا بِأَسْرَعَ فِيهَا مِنْ حُبِّ الْمَالِ وَ الشَّرَفِ فِي دِينِ الْمُؤْمِنِ.

“No two fierce wolves in a flock of sheep without a shepherd, one wolf on either side is as quick (to destroy them) as the love of property and honor (popularity) is to destroy the religion of a believer.”

إِنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ يُدِيرُ ابْنَ آدَمَ فِي كُلِّ شَيْ‌ءٍ فَإِذَا أَعْيَاهُ جَثَمَ لَهُ‌[2] عِنْدَ الْمَالِ فَأَخَذَ بِرَقَبَتِهِ.

“Satan circles around the children of Adam in every (evil) matter (to make him sin), when he is frustrated (man did not sin) he ambushes him through his (love of) property and holds him (man) through such love by his neck.”

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص‌ مَنْ لَمْ يَتَعَزَّ بِعَزَاءِ اللَّهِ تَقَطَّعَتْ نَفْسُهُ حَسَرَاتٍ عَلَى الدُّنْيَا وَ مَنْ أَتْبَعَ بَصَرَهُ مَا فِي أَيْدِي النَّاسِ كَثُرَ هَمُّهُ وَ لَمْ يُشْفَ‌ غَيْظُهُ وَ مَنْ لَمْ يَرَ لِلَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ عَلَيْهِ نِعْمَةً إِلَّا فِي مَطْعَمٍ أَوْ مَشْرَبٍ أَوْ مَلْبَسٍ فَقَدْ قَصُرَ عَمَلُهُ وَ دَنَا عَذَابُهُ‌[1].

“The Messenger of Allah has said, ‘One who is not comforted and satisfied with relief from Allah, his soul will be torn in pieces due to his sorrow for the world. One who follows his eyes to what is in the hands of the people, his depressed condition will increase and his anguish will not cease. One who does not apprec

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص‌ إِنَّ الدِّينَارَ وَ الدِّرْهَمَ أَهْلَكَا مَنْ كَانَ قَبْلَكُمْ وَ هُمَا مُهْلِكَاكُمْ.

“The Messenger of Allah has said, ‘The world and dirham (money) have destroyed those who lived before you and they will destroy you also.’”

قَالَ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ ع‌ مَثَلُ الْحَرِيصِ عَلَى الدُّنْيَا مَثَلُ دُودَةِ الْقَزِّ كُلَّمَا ازْدَادَتْ مِنَ الْقَزِّ عَلَى نَفْسِهَا لَفّاً كَانَ أَبْعَدَ لَهَا مِنَ الْخُرُوجِ حَتَّى تَمُوتَ غَمّاً[2] وَ قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع أَغْنَى الْغِنَى مَنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ لِلْحِرْصِ أَسِيراً وَ قَالَ لَا تُشْعِرُوا قُلُوبَكُمُ‌[3] الِاشْتِغَالَ بِمَا قَدْ فَاتَ فَتَشْغَلُوا أَذْهَانَكُمْ عَنِ الِاسْتِعْدَادِ لِمَا لَمْ يَ

“Abu Ja’far (a.s.) has said, ‘A person greedy of the worldly things is like a silkworm, the more silk it produces around itself the more difficult it becomes to come out, until it dies in sorrow.’ Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) then said, ‘The richest person is one who is not a captive of greed.’ The Imam has said, ‘Do not allo

أَنَّ أَكْثَرَ مَا يَطْلُبُ ابْنُ آدَمَ مَا لَا حَاجَةَ بِهِ إِلَيْهِ ثُمَّ الْحَسَدُ وَ هِيَ مَعْصِيَةُ ابْنِ آدَمَ حَيْثُ حَسَدَ أَخَاهُ فَقَتَلَهُ فَتَشَعَّبَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ حُبُّ النِّسَاءِ وَ حُبُّ الدُّنْيَا وَ حُبُّ الرِّئَاسَةِ وَ حُبُّ الرَّاحَةِ وَ حُبُّ الْكَلَامِ وَ حُبُّ الْعُلُوِّ وَ الثَّرْوَةِ فَصِرْنَ سَبْعَ خِصَالٍ فَاجْتَمَعْنَ كُلُّهُنَّ فِي حُبِّ الدُّنْيَا فَقَالَ الْأَنْبِيَاءُ وَ الْعُلَمَاءُ بَع

“Ali ibn al-Husayn (a.s.) was asked, ‘Which deed is more excellent before Allah?’ The Imam said, ‘No deed, after knowing Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, and knowing the Messenger of Allah, is more excellent than hating the world. It has many branches, and the sins have branches also. The first sin committed wa

فِي مُنَاجَاةِ مُوسَى ع يَا مُوسَى إِنَّ الدُّنْيَا دَارُ عُقُوبَةٍ عَاقَبْتُ فِيهَا آدَمَ عِنْدَ خَطِيئَتِهِ وَ جَعَلْتُهَا مَلْعُونَةً مَلْعُونٌ مَا فِيهَا إِلَّا مَا كَانَ فِيهَا لِي يَا مُوسَى إِنَّ عِبَادِيَ الصَّالِحِينَ زَهِدُوا فِي الدُّنْيَا بِقَدْرِ عِلْمِهِمْ وَ سَائِرَ الْخَلْقِ رَغِبُوا فِيهَا بِقَدْرِ جَهْلِهِمْ وَ مَا مِنْ أَحَدٍ عَظَّمَهَا فَقَرَّتْ عَيْنَاهُ فِيهَا وَ لَمْ يُحَقِّرْهَا أَحَدٌ إِلَّا

“It is in the conversations of Moses: ‘O Moses, the world is the home of suffering. I caused Adam to suffer in it when he made a mistake and 1 have condemned it. Everything in it is condemned except what is for Me. O Moses, My virtuous servants reduce their interests in the world proportionate to the degree of their kn

مَا ذِئْبَانِ ضَارِيَانِ فِي غَنَمٍ قَدْ فَارَقَهَا رِعَاؤُهَا وَاحِدٌ فِي أَوَّلِهَا وَ هَذَا فِي آخِرِهَا بِأَفْسَدَ فِيهَا مِنْ حُبِّ الْمَالِ وَ الشَّرَفِ فِي دِينِ الْمُسْلِمِ‌[1].

“No two fierce wolves in a flock of sheep without a shepherd, one wolf on either side is as quick (to destroy them) as the love of property and fame is to destroy the religion of a Muslim.”

مَرَّ عِيسَى ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ ع عَلَى قَرْيَةٍ قَدْ مَاتَ أَهْلُهَا وَ طَيْرُهَا وَ دَوَابُّهَا فَقَالَ أَمَا إِنَّهُمْ لَمْ يَمُوتُوا إِلَّا بِسَخْطَةٍ[2] وَ لَوْ مَاتُوا مُتَفَرِّقِينَ لَتَدَافَنُوا فَقَالَ الْحَوَارِيُّونَ يَا رُوحَ اللَّهِ وَ كَلِمَتَهُ ادْعُ اللَّهَ أَنْ يُحْيِيَهُمْ لَنَا فَيُخْبِرُونَا مَا كَانَتْ أَعْمَالُهُمْ فَنَجْتَنِبَهَا فَدَعَا عِيسَى ع رَبَّهُ فَنُودِيَ مِنَ الْجَوِّ أَنْ نَادِهِمْ فَقَا

“Once Jesus, son of Mary, passed by a town, in which people, birds and animals had all died. Jesus said, ‘They all have died from violence. Had they died individually they would have buried each other.’ The disciples said, ‘O Spirit of Allah and His word, pray to Allah to bring them to life so we may ask about their de

مَا فَتَحَ اللَّهُ عَلَى عَبْدٍ بَاباً مِنْ أَمْرِ الدُّنْيَا إِلَّا فَتَحَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ مِنَ الْحِرْصِ مِثْلَهُ.

“With every door to the worldly affairs that Allah opens to a servant. He also opens a door of greed to him.”

قَالَ عِيسَى ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ ص تَعْمَلُونَ لِلدُّنْيَا وَ أَنْتُمْ تُرْزَقُونَ فِيهَا بِغَيْرِ عَمَلٍ وَ لَا تَعْمَلُونَ لِلْآخِرَةِ وَ أَنْتُمْ لَا تُرْزَقُونَ فِيهَا إِلَّا بِالْعَمَلِ وَيْلَكُمْ عُلَمَاءَ سَوْءٍ الْأَجْرَ تَأْخُذُونَ وَ الْعَمَلَ تُضَيِّعُونَ يُوشِكُ رَبُّ الْعَمَلِ‌[2] أَنْ يُقْبَلَ عَمَلُهُ وَ يُوشِكُ أَنْ يُخْرَجُوا مِنْ ضِيقِ الدُّنْيَا إِلَى ظُلْمَةِ الْقَبْرِ كَيْفَ يَكُونُ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْعِل

13. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from al-Qasim ibn Muhammad from al-Minqari from Hafs ibn Ghiyath from Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) who has said the following: “Jesus, son of Mary, peace be upon him, has said, ‘You work for the worldly things while your sustenance is there without work. Y ou do not work for the

أَبْعَدُ مَا يَكُونُ الْعَبْدُ مِنَ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ إِذَا لَمْ يُهِمَّهُ إِلَّا بَطْنُهُ وَ فَرْجُهُ.

“The farthest that a servant can be from Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, is the condition wherein one has no other concern but his stomach and his genitals.”

مَنْ أَصْبَحَ وَ أَمْسَى وَ الدُّنْيَا أَكْبَرُ هَمِّهِ جَعَلَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى الْفَقْرَ بَيْنَ عَيْنَيْهِ وَ شَتَّتَ أَمْرَهُ وَ لَمْ يَنَلْ مِنَ الدُّنْيَا إِلَّا مَا قَسَمَ اللَّهُ لَهُ وَ مَنْ أَصْبَحَ وَ أَمْسَى وَ الْآخِرَةُ أَكْبَرُ هَمِّهِ جَعَلَ اللَّهُ الْغِنَى فِي قَلْبِهِ وَ جَمَعَ لَهُ أَمْرَهُ.

“Whoever passes the nights and days with the world as his biggest concern, Allah places poverty between his eyes, makes his affairs chaotic and he will receive of the world only what Allah has made his allocated share of the world. Whoever passes nights and the days with the next life as his biggest concern, Allah plac

مَنْ كَثُرَ اشْتِبَاكُهُ بِالدُّنْيَا كَانَ أَشَدَّ لِحَسْرَتِهِ عِنْدَ فِرَاقِهَا.

“Whoever’ s entanglement with the world is greater his sorrow to leave this world becomes more intense.”

سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع يَقُولُ‌ مَنْ تَعَلَّقَ قَلْبُهُ بِالدُّنْيَا تَعَلَّقَ قَلْبُهُ بِثَلَاثِ خِصَالٍ هَمٍّ لَا يَفْنَى- وَ أَمَلٍ لَا يُدْرَكُ وَ رَجَاءٍ لَا يُنَالُ.

“I heard Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) saying, ‘Whoever’s heart is lodged with the world is ensnared with three things: a concern that never vanishes, a wish that never comes true and a hope that never materializes.’”