Contentment

قَالَ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ ع‌ إِيَّاكَ أَنْ تُطْمِحَ بَصَرَكَ‌[5] إِلَى مَنْ فَوْقَكَ فَكَفَى بِمَا قَالَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ- لِنَبِيِّهِ ص‌ فَلا تُعْجِبْكَ‌ أَمْوالُهُمْ‌ وَ لا أَوْلادُهُمْ‌[1] وَ قَالَ- وَ لا تَمُدَّنَّ عَيْنَيْكَ‌ إِلى‌ ما مَتَّعْنا بِهِ أَزْواجاً مِنْهُمْ‌ زَهْرَةَ الْحَياةِ الدُّنْيا[2] فَإِنْ دَخَلَكَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ شَيْ‌ءٌ فَاذْكُرْ عَيْشَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ص فَإِنَّمَا كَانَ قُوتُهُ الشَّعِيرَ وَ حَ

“I heard abu Ja’far (a.s.) saying, ‘You must never allow your eyes aim for one who is above you (in worldly matters that may tempt you wish for his opportunity). The words of Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, to His Messenger are enough evidence to support it. “Let not their property and children tempt you. . .

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص‌ مَنْ سَأَلَنَا أَعْطَيْنَاهُ وَ مَنِ اسْتَغْنَى أَغْنَاهُ اللَّهُ.

“The Messenger of Allah has said, ‘Whoever asks us for help, we help, and whoever shows himself as rich, even though not so in reality, Allah will make him rich.”’

مَنْ رَضِيَ مِنَ اللَّهِ بِالْيَسِيرِ مِنَ الْمَعَاشِ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ مِنْهُ بِالْيَسِيرِ مِنَ الْعَمَلِ.

“Whoever is happy with the little sustenance (that Allah has given him), Allah becomes happy with his little good deeds.”

مَكْتُوبٌ فِي التَّوْرَاةِ ابْنَ آدَمَ كُنْ كَيْفَ شِئْتَ كَمَا تَدِينُ تُدَانُ مَنْ رَضِيَ مِنَ اللَّهِ بِالْقَلِيلِ مِنَ الرِّزْقِ قَبِلَ اللَّهُ مِنْهُ الْيَسِيرَ مِنَ الْعَمَلِ وَ مَنْ رَضِيَ بِالْيَسِيرِ مِنَ الْحَلَالِ خَفَّتْ مَئُونَتُهُ وَ زَكَتْ مَكْسَبَتُهُ وَ خَرَجَ مِنْ حَدِّ الْفُجُورِ.

“It is written in the Torah: ‘O sons of Adam, be as you like to be. You shall reap as you sow. Whoever becomes happy with Allah for a little amount of sustenance, Allah will accept his little good deeds. Whoever becomes happy with the little but lawful, his expenses become light, his earnings pure and he will be out of

مَنْ لَمْ يُقْنِعْهُ مِنَ الرِّزْقِ إِلَّا الْكَثِيرُ لَمْ يَكْفِهِ مِنَ الْعَمَلِ إِلَّا الْكَثِيرُ وَ مَنْ كَفَاهُ مِنَ الرِّزْقِ الْقَلِيلُ فَإِنَّهُ يَكْفِيهِ مِنَ الْعَمَلِ الْقَلِيلُ.

“Whoever is not satisfied with anything but a large quantity of sustenance, his deeds will not be enough unless they are a great deal. Whoever is comfortable with little amount of sustenance, even little good deeds will be sufficient for him.”

كَانَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ص يَقُولُ‌ ابْنَ آدَمَ إِنْ كُنْتَ تُرِيدُ مِنَ الدُّنْيَا مَا يَكْفِيكَ فَإِنَّ أَيْسَرَ مَا فِيهَا يَكْفِيكَ وَ إِنْ كُنْتَ إِنَّمَا تُرِيدُ مَا لَا يَكْفِيكَ فَإِنَّ كُلَّ مَا فِيهَا لَا يَكْفِيكَ.

“Amir al-Mu’minin (Ali ibn abu Talib) (a.s.) would say, ‘O sons of Adam, if you want from the world that much that is sufficient for you, the little that is there will suffice you. However, if you are not satisfied with basic necessities but want more than the basic needs, then the whole thing that is there will not be

اشْتَدَّتْ حَالُ رَجُلٍ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ النَّبِيِّ ص فَقَالَتْ لَهُ امْرَأَتُهُ لَوْ أَتَيْتَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ص فَسَأَلْتَهُ‌[1] فَجَاءَ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ ص فَلَمَّا رَآهُ النَّبِيُّ ص قَالَ مَنْ سَأَلَنَا أَعْطَيْنَاهُ وَ مَنِ اسْتَغْنَى أَغْنَاهُ اللَّهُ فَقَالَ الرَّجُلُ مَا يَعْنِي غَيْرِي فَرَجَعَ إِلَى امْرَأَتِهِ فَأَعْلَمَهَا فَقَالَتْ إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ص بَشَرٌ فَأَعْلِمْهُ‌[2] فَأَتَاهُ فَلَمَّا رَآهُ رَس

“At one time, among the companions of the Messenger of Allah, the financial conditions of one man became very difficult and his wife suggested that he see the Messenger of Allah about it. He went to the Holy Prophet and, when the Holy Prophet saw him, he said, ‘Whoever asks us for help, we help, but whoever appears to

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص‌ مَنْ أَرَادَ أَنْ يَكُونَ أَغْنَى النَّاسِ فَلْيَكُنْ بِمَا فِي يَدِ اللَّهِ أَوْثَقَ مِنْهُ بِمَا فِي يَدِ غَيْرِهِ.

“The Messenger of Allah has said, ‘Whoever wants to be the richest among the people, what is with Allah should be more reliable to him than what is in the hands of others.’”

مَنْ قَنِعَ بِمَا رَزَقَهُ اللَّهُ فَهُوَ مِنْ أَغْنَى النَّاسِ.

“Whoever is content with what Allah has given him for his sustenance is the richest person of the people.”

شَكَا رَجُلٌ إِلَى أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع‌ أَنَّهُ يَطْلُبُ فَيُصِيبُ وَ لَا يَقْنَعُ وَ تُنَازِعُهُ نَفْسُهُ إِلَى مَا هُوَ أَكْثَرُ مِنْهُ وَ قَالَ عَلِّمْنِي شَيْئاً أَنْتَفِعْ بِهِ فَقَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع إِنْ كَانَ مَا يَكْفِيكَ يُغْنِيكَ فَأَدْنَى مَا فِيهَا يُغْنِيكَ وَ إِنْ كَانَ مَا يَكْفِيكَ لَا يُغْنِيكَ فَكُلُّ مَا فِيهَا لَا يُغْنِيكَ.

“A man complained before Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) that he works and earns but is not content and his soul’s desires compel him to find more. The man asked the Imam to teach him something to benefit him. Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) said, ‘If it (earnings) is enough for your necessities then it should make you rich. Thus, the mini

قَالَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ع‌ مَنْ رَضِيَ مِنَ الدُّنْيَا بِمَا يُجْزِيهِ كَانَ أَيْسَرُ مَا فِيهَا يَكْفِيهِ وَ مَنْ لَمْ يَرْضَ مِنَ الدُّنْيَا بِمَا يُجْزِيهِ لَمْ يَكُنْ فِيهَا شَيْ‌ءٌ يَكْفِيهِ.

“Whoever is content, with worldly matters, with bare necessities, the minimum suffices him. Whoever is not content. with worldly matters, with bare necessities, then nothing will be able to suffice him.”