Greed: The Disease of Never Having Enough

Greed, the insatiable desire for material gain, is the lifeblood of the capitalist society we live in. A society where everything revolves around the selling and consumption of goods. Unfortunately, its relevance is so engrossing and constant that it feels almost impossible not to be affected by it.

That said, an important point is that wealth, in and of itself, is not evil. Allah refers to wealth in the Quran as “Khair” (good):

{ وَإِنَّهُۥ لِحُبِّ ٱلۡخَیۡرِ لَشَدِیدٌ }
“And indeed he is, in the love of “Khair"“ (wealth), intense.”
[Surah Al-ʿĀdiyāt: 8]

Likewise, Allah mentions that wealth is one of the means by which we establish ourselves:

{ وَلَا تُؤۡتُوا۟ ٱلسُّفَهَاۤءَ أَمۡوَ ٰ⁠لَكُمُ ٱلَّتِی جَعَلَ ٱللَّهُ لَكُمۡ قِیَـٰمࣰا وَٱرۡزُقُوهُمۡ فِیهَا وَٱكۡسُوهُمۡ وَقُولُوا۟ لَهُمۡ قَوۡلࣰا مَّعۡرُوفࣰا }
“And do not give the foolish your wealth which Allah has made for you a means of support, but provide for them from it and clothe them and speak to them kindly.”
[Surah An-Nisāʾ: 5]

In fact, Allah says that humans have a natural love for wealth:

{ زُیِّنَ لِلنَّاسِ حُبُّ ٱلشَّهَوَ ٰ⁠تِ مِنَ ٱلنِّسَاۤءِ وَٱلۡبَنِینَ وَٱلۡقَنَـٰطِیرِ ٱلۡمُقَنطَرَةِ مِنَ ٱلذَّهَبِ وَٱلۡفِضَّةِ وَٱلۡخَیۡلِ ٱلۡمُسَوَّمَةِ وَٱلۡأَنۡعَـٰمِ وَٱلۡحَرۡثِۗ ذَ ٰ⁠لِكَ مَتَـٰعُ ٱلۡحَیَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنۡیَاۖ وَٱللَّهُ عِندَهُۥ حُسۡنُ ٱلۡمَـَٔابِ }
“Beautified for people is the love of desires: women, children, heaped-up treasures of gold and silver, fine horses, cattle, and crops. That is the enjoyment of worldly life, but Allah has with Him the best return.”
[Surah Āli-ʿImrān: 14]

Thus, wealth is not the problem, but rather how humans perceive it, and whether their natural love for it is restrained and balanced by the laws and teachings of Islam. Hence why Allah reminds us that wealth is a trial:

{ إِنَّمَاۤ أَمۡوَ ٰ⁠لُكُمۡ وَأَوۡلَـٰدُكُمۡ فِتۡنَةࣱۚ وَٱللَّهُ عِندَهُۥۤ أَجۡرٌ عَظِیمࣱ }
“Your wealth and your children are but a trial, and Allah has with Him a great reward.”
[Surah At-Taghābun: 15]

In fact, Imam Ghazali mentions in Al-Ihyāʾ that wealth has three primary religious benefits:

• Wealth facilitates certain acts of worship that cannot be done without it, such as jihad and Hajj.

• It gives a person the ability to spend on others and hire people.

• It allows for the creation of public benefits such as mosques, bridges, and endowments.

That being said, wealth can easily cause harm to someone’s Deen. In fact, the Prophet ﷺ said:

قال رسول الله ﷺ:
«ما ذِئبانِ جائعانِ أُرسِلا في غنمٍ بأفسدَ لها من حِرصِ المرءِ على المالِ والشرفِ لدينِه»
“The Prophet ﷺ said: ‘Two hungry wolves sent among sheep are not more destructive to them than a person’s greed for wealth and status is to his religion.’”

And the reality is that when one is exposed to wealth and its pursuit, the chances of it consuming them are huge. Hence, why Ibn Taymiyyah said:
بل يجب أن يكون المال عند المؤمن بمنزلة المحل الذي يقضي فيه حاجته ولا يتعلق به قلبه نهائيا؛ لأنه إذا تعلق به القلب لابد أن يعمل من أجله، ثم يأخذ شعبة من قلبه فيصبح عنده شيء من العبودية لغير الله جل وعلا

"Rather, for a believer, wealth should hold the same status as a restroom—a place where one merely fulfills a need, without their heart ever becoming attached to it. For if the heart becomes attached to it, one will inevitably work solely for its sake; it will then occupy a portion of their heart, resulting in a degree of servitude to other than Allah, the Almighty and Sublime."

Based on this, we find narrations of the Prophet ﷺ that encourage us to only take from wealth what is necessary:

“لو كان لي مثل أحد ذهبًا ما يسرني أن لا يمر علي ثلاث وعندي منه شيء إلا شيء أرصده لدين”
“If I had gold equal to Mount Uhud, it would not please me that three days pass while I still have any of it, except what I set aside for a debt.”
[Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 2389]

Likewise, the Prophet ﷺ advised Salman al-Fārisi:

“ليكن بلغة أحدكم من الدنيا كزاد الراكب”
“Let the provision of one of you in this world be like the provision of a traveller.”

The Prophet ﷺ would even make dua to specifically have provision that is just sufficient for his needs, not more nor less:

“اللهم اجعل رزق آل محمد قوتًا”
“O Allah, make the provision of the family of Muhammad just sufficient sustenance.”
[Ṣaḥīḥ]

We also find him ﷺ informing his Ummah of the keys to true success:

“قد أفلح من أسلم ورُزق كفافًا وقنّعه الله بما آتاه”
“He has succeeded who submits (becomes Muslim), is given sufficient provision, and Allah makes him content with what He has given him.”

Greed usually stems from placing too much value on the fleeting things of this world, such as wealth, prestige, or fame. Likewise, it can stem from سوء الظن (having a bad opinion) that someone lacks certainty in Allah’s promise to provide for His servants. Hence why some spiritual masters mentioned that Zuhd (asceticism, the opposite of greed, which will be covered in a separate article) is for someone to have more certainty in what is in the Hands of Allah than in his own pocket:

وقال الفضيل بن عياض: أصل الزهد الرضا عن الله - عز وجل -. وقال: القنوع هو الزهد وهو الغنى
Al-Fudayl ibn ʿIyāḍ said: “The foundation of Zuhd is being content with Allah, Mighty and Majestic.” And he said: “Contentment is Zuhd, and it is true richness.”

قال الحسن: إن من ضعف يقينك أن تكون بما في يدك أوثق منك بما في يد الله - عز وجل -.
Al-Ḥasan said: “Indeed, from the weakness of your certainty is that you are more confident in what is in your own hand than in what is in the Hand of Allah, Mighty and Majestic.”

وروي عن ابن مسعود قال: إن أرجى ما أكون للرزق إذا قالوا ليس في البيت (١) دقيق. وقال مسروق: إن أحسن ما أكون ظنا حين يقول الخادم: ليس في البيت قفيز من قمح ولا درهم. وقال الإمام أحمد: أسر أيامي إلي يوم أصبح وليس عندي شيء
It is narrated from Ibn Masʿūd that he said: “The time when I am most hopeful for provision is when they say: ‘There is no flour in the house.’” Masrūq said: “The time when I have the best opinion (of Allah) is when the servant says: ‘There is not a qafīz of wheat nor a dirham in the house.’” And Imam Aḥmad said: “The dearest of my days to me is the day I wake up with nothing in my possession.”

What these narrations indicate is that the more someone is certain in Allah's promise to provide, the less greed and financial anxiety they will face. Another major cause of greed is simply the love of worldly life and letting yourself be exposed to the marketing industries and social media influencers, who are constantly seeking to make you want more in order to exploit you and your desires to the best of their abilities. As Abū al-Ḥasan ʿAlī al-Nadwī wrote: “Godless states are, in fact, trade societies or cartels whose real job is to extort, not to confer, benefits. They have no spiritual roots, no ethical ideals, and they are supremely unconcerned with the inner selves of their peoples and the welfare of humanity at large. Their attention is focused only on material gain. Whenever there is a clash between morality and economic gain, these states will always give preference to the latter… Prostitution is, for example, a legal trade; usury is practiced by governments; gambling flourishes under respectable names; alcohol is freely available and the industry is extolled as a source of national wealth. Radio, cinema and television function solely as an instrument of entertainment. Instead of educating the masses and refining them morally, it perverts their tastes and makes them frivolous.” (Islam and the World)

You are constantly craving more and more, even putting yourself in debt to maintain a certain appearance. Likewise, you find yourself focusing only on what you do not have, forgetting all that Allah has given you. Another sign or symptom is an individual becoming willing to engage in haram dealings to make money. Similarly, a person's thoughts, conversations, and thinking may become completely consumed with money and wealth.

Allah summarizes our success in the Quran as being saved and protected from our شُحّ (greed and stinginess):

{ وَمَن یُوقَ شُحَّ نَفۡسِهِۦ فَأُو۟لَـٰۤىِٕكَ هُمُ ٱلۡمُفۡلِحُونَ }
“ And whoever is protected from the greed of his own soul—it is they who are the successful.”

[Surah Al-Ḥashr: 9]

The reason for this might be seen in Adam’s sin. The thing that caused him to be sent down from Paradise was his greed, which led him to eat from the tree when Shayṭān promised him dominion and eternity if he did so:

{ فَوَسۡوَسَ إِلَیۡهِ ٱلشَّیۡطَـٰنُ قَالَ یَـٰۤـَٔادَمُ هَلۡ أَدُلُّكَ عَلَىٰ شَجَرَةِ ٱلۡخُلۡدِ وَمُلۡكࣲ لَّا یَبۡلَىٰ }
“Then Shayṭān whispered to him, saying: ‘O Adam, shall I direct you to the tree of eternity and a kingdom that never decays?’”

[Surah Ṭā-Hā: 120]

The Prophet ﷺ also warned us of the destructive effect this characteristic has on a society and nation:

اتَّقُوا الظُّلْمَ، فإنَّ الظُّلْمَ ظُلُماتٌ يَومَ القِيامَةِ، واتَّقُوا الشُّحَّ، فإنَّ الشُّحَّ أهْلَكَ مَن كانَ قَبْلَكُمْ، حَمَلَهُمْ علَى أنْ سَفَكُوا دِماءَهُمْ واسْتَحَلُّوا مَحارِمَهُمْ.
“Beware of ظلم (oppression), for oppression will be darkness on the Day of Resurrection. And beware of greed/stinginess, for greed destroyed those before you, driving them to shed blood and make unlawful things lawful.”

الراوي : جابر بن عبدالله | المحدث : مسلم
| المصدر : صحيح مسلم

When we ponder the state of the Ummah, we see the practical reality of this hadith: how the love of money has divided us and led us to kill one another and even commit genocide among Muslims. Let alone the reality of colonialism and the capitalist world we live in, which places profit before human lives, the environment, and the future of humanity. This sad reality is from the signs of the Day of Judgment, as the Prophet ﷺ said:

٣٩ - عن أبي هريرة - رضي الله عنه - أن رسول الله - صلى الله عليه وسلم - قال:((يتقارب الزمان، وينقص العمل، ويلقى الشح، ويكثر الهَرْج))، قالوا: وما الهرج؟ قال: ((القتل القتل))؛ متفق عليه
“Time will draw near, good deeds will decrease, greed/stinginess will be cast into hearts, and killing will increase.” They asked, “What is al-harj?” He replied, “Killing, killing.”

Due to this, the Prophet ﷺ said that the worst characteristics an individual can have are greed and cowardice:

شرُّ ما في الرجلِ شُحٌّ هالِعٌ وجُبنٌ خالِعٌ
“The worst qualities in a man are crippling greed and severe cowardice.”

خلاصة حكم المحدث : إسناده صحيح

الراوي : أبو هريرة | المحدث : السفاريني الحنبلي |

And that greed goes against the reality of true faith:

لا يجتمعُ غبارٌ في سبيلِ اللَّهِ ودُخانُ جَهَنَّمَ في جوفِ عبدٍ أبدًا ، ولا يجتَمعُ الشُّحُّ والإيمانُ في قلبِ عبدٍ أبدًا
“The dust raised in the path of Allah and the smoke of Hellfire will never gather in a servant’s body, and greed/stinginess and faith will never gather in the heart of a servant.”

خلاصة حكم المحدث : صحيح

الراوي : أبو هريرة | المحدث : الألباني | المصدر : صحيح النسائي

1. Training the Soul Through Consistent Generosity

Forcing yourself to be generous. Similar to a muscle, the more you work on your character, more specifically, your generosity, the easier it will be to give. Even something as simple as giving two dollars every day can help develop the tendency to give instead of withhold.

2. Rejecting Shayṭān’s Whisper of Poverty

Do not believe in Shayṭān’s false promises of poverty:

{ ٱلشَّیۡطَـٰنُ یَعِدُكُمُ ٱلۡفَقۡرَ وَیَأۡمُرُكُم بِٱلۡفَحۡشَاۤءِۖ وَٱللَّهُ یَعِدُكُم مَّغۡفِرَةࣰ مِّنۡهُ وَفَضۡلࣰاۗ وَٱللَّهُ وَ ٰ⁠سِعٌ عَلِیمࣱ }
“Shayṭān threatens you with poverty and commands you to immorality, while Allah promises you forgiveness from Him and bounty. And Allah is All-Encompassing and All-Knowing.”

[Surah Al-Baqarah: 268]

From this verse, we can understand that one of Shayṭān’s tools is anxiety concerning rizq (provision) and our livelihood in the future. He will try to keep you awake at night, thinking about money, how to pay bills, and may push you toward haram in pursuit of “financial stability.” Of course, we should plan and take the necessary means, but at the same time, we should focus on the present:

كان ابنُ عمرَ رضِي اللهُ تعالَى عنه يقولُ : إذا أصبحتَ فلا تنتظِرِ المساءَ ، وإذا أمسيْتَ فلا تنتظِرِ الصَّباحَ ، وخُذْ من صِحَّتِك لمرضِك ، وفي حياتِك لموتِك
“Ibn ʿUmar (رضي الله عنه) used to say: ‘When you reach the morning, do not expect the evening, and when you reach the evening, do not expect the morning. Take from your health for your sickness, and from your life for your death.’” Thus, understanding that the future is not promised, while being certain that as long as one is alive, Allah will provide for him as predestined by Allah Himself:

{ ۞ وَمَا مِن دَاۤبَّةࣲ فِی ٱلۡأَرۡضِ إِلَّا عَلَى ٱللَّهِ رِزۡقُهَا وَیَعۡلَمُ مُسۡتَقَرَّهَا وَمُسۡتَوۡدَعَهَاۚ كُلࣱّ فِی كِتَـٰبࣲ مُّبِینࣲ }
“And there is no creature on earth except that its provision is upon Allah, and He knows its dwelling place and resting place. All is in a clear record.”

[Surah Hūd: 6]

أيُّها النَّاسُ اتَّقوا اللَّهَ وأجملوا في الطَّلبِ فإنَّ نفسًا لن تموتَ حتَّى تستوفيَ رزقَها وإن أبطأَ عنْها فاتَّقوا اللَّهَ وأجملوا في الطَّلبِ خذوا ما حلَّ ودعوا ما حَرُمَ
“O people, fear Allah and be moderate in seeking provision, for no soul will die until it has received all of its provision, even if it is delayed. So fear Allah and be moderate in seeking provision. Take what is lawful and leave what is unlawful.”

خلاصة حكم المحدث : صحيح

الراوي : جابر بن عبدالله | المحدث : الألباني

3. The Illusion of Wealth: When Dunyā Becomes a Punishment

Do not be seduced by the enjoyment of this worldly life by comparing the life of the best of humanity—the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ—to the lives of the millionaires and billionaires of this world. A person will quickly realize that the Prophet ﷺ found peace in contentment and closeness to Allah, while these material things are merely a distraction and, many times, a means of punishment:

{ فَلَا تُعۡجِبۡكَ أَمۡوَ ٰ⁠لُهُمۡ وَلَاۤ أَوۡلَـٰدُهُمۡۚ إِنَّمَا یُرِیدُ ٱللَّهُ لِیُعَذِّبَهُم بِهَا فِی ٱلۡحَیَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنۡیَا وَتَزۡهَقَ أَنفُسُهُمۡ وَهُمۡ كَـٰفِرُونَ }
“So do not let their wealth or children impress you. Allah only intends to punish them through these things in worldly life, and that their souls depart while they are disbelievers.”

[Surah At-Tawbah: 55]

ʿAbd al-Raḥmān al-Saʿdī said:

“Allah only intends to punish them through these things in the worldly life” — the intended meaning of punishment here is the hardship they experience in acquiring wealth, the intense striving for it, the preoccupation of the heart with it, and the exhaustion of the body.

“If the pleasures they gain from it were compared to the hardships they endure for it, those pleasures would be insignificant in comparison. Since these things distracted them from Allah and His remembrance, they became a source of misery and burden upon them even in this worldly life.

“One of their gravest harms and dangers is that hearts become attached to them, and one’s desires do not go beyond them. They become the ultimate objective and the highest aspiration, leaving no share in the heart for the Hereafter. As a result, a person departs from this world while ‘their souls leave them while they are disbelievers’ [Qur’an 9:55].

“What punishment could be greater than a punishment that leads to lasting misery and unending regret?”

4. True Wealth Is Wealth of the Soul, Not Possessions

Another important tool to fight greed is to make a cognitive shift in our perception of “richness.” The generous person is truly free because he owns his money, while the stingy one is a prisoner because money controls him:

ليسَ الغنى عن كثرةِ العَرَضِ ولَكنَّ الغِنى غنى النَّفسِ
“Richness is not having many possessions; rather, true richness is the richness of the soul.”

خلاصة حكم المحدث : صحيح

الراوي : أبو هريرة | المحدث : الألباني | المصدر : صحيح ابن ماجه

5. Breaking the Prison of Comparison

Likewise, staying away from the thief of joy, comparison, is crucial, especially in these times when we do not merely compare ourselves to our friends and neighbours, but to the entire world through social media: a curated world that often shows beautiful illusions rather than difficult realities. Hence why the Prophet ﷺ told us:

انظروا إلى من هو أسفلَ منكم ولا تنظروا إلى من هو فوقَكم ، فإنه أجدَرُ أن لا تزدَروا نعمةَ اللهِ عليكم
“Look at those below you and do not look at those above you, for that is more likely to prevent you from belittling Allah’s blessings upon you.”

خلاصة حكم المحدث : صحيح

الراوي : أبو هريرة | المحدث : الترمذي

6. Remembering That All Wealth Returns to Allah

A person should realize the fleeting nature of money and wealth. As Allah says in the Quran, He will inherit everything in the end:

{ وَمَا لَكُمۡ أَلَّا تُنفِقُوا۟ فِی سَبِیلِ ٱللَّهِ وَلِلَّهِ مِیرَ ٰ⁠ثُ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَ ٰ⁠تِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِۚ لَا یَسۡتَوِی مِنكُم مَّنۡ أَنفَقَ مِن قَبۡلِ ٱلۡفَتۡحِ وَقَـٰتَلَۚ أُو۟لَـٰۤىِٕكَ أَعۡظَمُ دَرَجَةࣰ مِّنَ ٱلَّذِینَ أَنفَقُوا۟ مِنۢ بَعۡدُ وَقَـٰتَلُوا۟ۚ وَكُلࣰّا وَعَدَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلۡحُسۡنَىٰۚ وَٱللَّهُ بِمَا تَعۡمَلُونَ خَبِیرࣱ }
“And why should you not spend in the cause of Allah while to Allah belongs the inheritance of the heavens and the earth…”

[Surah Al-Ḥadīd: 10]

7. Give Before It Is Taken From You

So we should realize that we are going to leave this money, so it might as well leave us while we are in a good state:

جاءَ رَجُلٌ إلى النَّبيِّ صلَّى اللهُ عليه وسلَّم، فقال: يا رَسولَ اللهِ، أيُّ الصَّدَقةِ أعظَمُ أجرًا؟ فقال: أما وأبيكَ لَتُنَبَّأنَّه: أن تَصَدَّقَ وأنتَ صَحيحٌ شَحيحٌ، تَخشى الفَقرَ، وتَأمُلُ البَقاءَ، ولا تُمهِلَ حتَّى إذا بَلَغَتِ الحُلقومَ، قُلتَ: لفُلانٍ كَذا، ولفُلانٍ كَذا، وقد كان لفُلانٍ. [وفي روايةٍ]: غيرَ أنَّه قال: أيُّ الصَّدَقةِ أفضَلُ.
“A man came to the Prophet ﷺ and asked: ‘O Messenger of Allah, which charity is greatest in reward?’ He replied: ‘That you give charity while you are healthy and stingy, fearing poverty and hoping for a long life, and not delay until death reaches your throat and then say: this is for so-and-so and that is for so-and-so.’”

خلاصة حكم المحدث : [صحيح]

الراوي : أبو هريرة | المحدث : مسلم | المصدر : صحيح مسلم

8. Let Death Put the Dunyā in Perspective

Reflect on the reality of death and that everything will come to an end. In reality, this wealth is insignificant in your true life in the Hereafter. As Imam Ghazali mentioned in Ayyuhā al-Walad:

“I saw every individual among mankind exerting himself in accumulating the fleeting things of the world, then clutching at them and holding tightly to them. I reflected upon His saying (the Exalted): ‘What is with you will perish, but what is with Allah will remain.’ So I sacrificed the gains I acquired from the world for Allah the Exalted and distributed them among the poor so that they might become a treasure for me with Allah the Exalted.”

9. The Ruins of Past Nations: A Warning Against Hoarding Wealth

Look at the wealth of those who came before, the nations that Allah destroyed who possessed much more, yet now their dwellings are silent and serve as reminders for those who come after:

{ فَكَأَیِّن مِّن قَرۡیَةٍ أَهۡلَكۡنَـٰهَا وَهِیَ ظَالِمَةࣱ فَهِیَ خَاوِیَةٌ عَلَىٰ عُرُوشِهَا وَبِئۡرࣲ مُّعَطَّلَةࣲ وَقَصۡرࣲ مَّشِیدٍ }
“And how many a town did We destroy while it was unjust, and now it lies in ruins, with abandoned wells and lofty palaces.”

[Surah Al-Ḥajj: 45]

10. Struggling Against the Ego to Purify Desire

Purposefully go against some of your desires and wishes to train and restrain the النفس. As Imam Ghazali says in Ayyuhā al-Walad:

“I saw mankind being guided by their pleasures and hurrying toward what their egos desired, so I reflected on His saying (the Exalted): ‘But as for he who feared standing before his Lord and restrained the soul from vain desires, then Paradise will be his abode.’ I became certain that the Quran is the truth, so I opposed my ego and strove to restrain it until it became content with obedience to Allah.”

11. Guarding Your Environment: The Influence of Companionship

Choose your company wisely, avoiding those who are attached to worldly life and make it their primary topic of conversation. Allah says:

{ وَٱصۡبِرۡ نَفۡسَكَ مَعَ ٱلَّذِینَ یَدۡعُونَ رَبَّهُم بِٱلۡغَدَوٰةِ وَٱلۡعَشِیِّ یُرِیدُونَ وَجۡهَهُۥۖ وَلَا تَعۡدُ عَیۡنَاكَ عَنۡهُمۡ تُرِیدُ زِینَةَ ٱلۡحَیَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنۡیَاۖ وَلَا تُطِعۡ مَنۡ أَغۡفَلۡنَا قَلۡبَهُۥ عَن ذِكۡرِنَا وَٱتَّبَعَ هَوَىٰهُ وَكَانَ أَمۡرُهُۥ فُرُطࣰا }
“And keep yourself patiently with those who call upon their Lord morning and evening, seeking His Face…”

[Surah Al-Kahf: 28]

The Arabs say: الصاحب ساحب (“Your companion pulls you along”). If you surround yourself with those whose goals are restricted to this dunya, your aspirations will similarly become low.

12. Fasting as a Tool to Detach the Heart from Dunyā

Make sure to fast a couple of days each month, since one of the primary benefits of fasting is detaching oneself from worldly life:

عن يزيد بن عبد الله بن الشخير، عنالأعرابي رضي الله عنه قال: سمعت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يقول: ((صومُ شهرِ الصبر، وثلاثة أيام من كل شهر، يُذهبن وحرَ الصدر))، رواه أحمد

“From Yazīd ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn al-Shikhkhīr, from al-Aʿrābī (رضي الله عنه), who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say: ‘Fasting the month of patience (Ramadan), and three days from every month, removes the resentment of the chest (wahar al-ṣadr).’” رواه أحمد (Reported by Aḥmad)

قال ابن بطال رحمه الله في “شرح البخاري” (7/ 472): الوَحَرَة: دُويبة حمراء كالعضاة تُلزق بالأرض، ومنه قيل: وَحِرَ الصدر يُوحَرُ وحْرًا، ذهبوا إلى لزوق الحقد بالصدر، فشبهوه بإلزاق الوحرة بالأرض؛ اهـ.

Ibn Baṭṭāl رحمه الله said in Sharḥ al-Bukhārī (7/472):

“Al-waḥarah is a small red creature resembling a lizard that clings to the ground. From this comes the expression ‘waḥira al-ṣadr’ (the chest became afflicted with wahar), meaning resentment or rancour sticking to the chest. They likened the way hatred clings to the heart to how this creature clings to the earth.”

13. Lowering the Gaze from the Glitter of the World

Avoid looking at unnecessary worldly possessions. In the Quran, Allah tells us to lower our gaze from two things: the opposite gender and the adornments of worldly life:

{ قُل لِّلۡمُؤۡمِنِینَ یَغُضُّوا۟ مِنۡ أَبۡصَـٰرِهِمۡ وَیَحۡفَظُوا۟ فُرُوجَهُمۡۚ ذَ ٰ⁠لِكَ أَزۡكَىٰ لَهُمۡۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ خَبِیرُۢ بِمَا یَصۡنَعُونَ }
“Tell the believing men to lower their gaze and guard their chastity…”

[Surah An-Nūr: 30]

{ وَلَا تَمُدَّنَّ عَیۡنَیۡكَ إِلَىٰ مَا مَتَّعۡنَا بِهِۦۤ أَزۡوَ ٰ⁠جࣰا مِّنۡهُمۡ زَهۡرَةَ ٱلۡحَیَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنۡیَا لِنَفۡتِنَهُمۡ فِیهِۚ وَرِزۡقُ رَبِّكَ خَیۡرࣱ وَأَبۡقَىٰ }
“And do not extend your eyes toward what We have given some groups of them to enjoy—the splendour of worldly life…”

[Surah Ṭā-Hā: 131]

14. Learning Generosity from the Salaf

Likewise, reflect on the lives of the salaf and their generosity:

‘Urwah said: “I saw ʿĀʾishah (the Prophet’s wife, may Allah be pleased with her) distributing seventy thousand while patching her garment.”

It was also reported that once ʿĀʾishah distributed one hundred and eighty thousand in a single day. By evening, she asked her servant to bring something to break her fast with, and she was brought bread and oil. Umm Darrah said to her: “Could you not have kept a single dirham from what you distributed today to buy some meat for us to break our fast?” ʿĀʾishah replied: “Had you reminded me, I would have done so.”

Greed is not merely the desire for wealth, but the domination of the heart by worldly attachment. Wealth itself is neither evil nor blameworthy; rather, it is a test, a trust, and a tool that can either elevate a person or destroy him depending on how he relates to it. The believer is not commanded to abandon wealth, but to master it—to hold it in his hand without allowing it to settle in his heart.

Sources:

• Imam al-Ghazali, Ihya’ ‘Ulum al-Din.

• Ibn al-Jawzi, At-Tib al-Ruhani (الطيب الروحاني).

• Ibn Qudamah, Muratkhasar Minhaj al-Qasidin.

• Abu ‘Umar, Diseases of the Hearts.

• Ibn Daud, A Handbook of Spiritual Medicine.

• Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali, The Compendium of Knowledge and Wisdom (Jami' al-Ulum wal-Hikam)