LOVE FOR WEALTH

There are many dangers and difficulties in the world and the greatest danger is that of wealth. One of the dangers of wealth is that it cannot satisfy anybody and nobody is safe even if he possesses enormous wealth and riches. If he loses his wealth, he becomes poor and povety leads to infidelity. If his wealth become enormous, it leads him to irreligiousness. Its ultimate result is loss. In short wealth has got benefits and harms. Its benefits lead him to salvation and its harms lead him to destruction. It is very difficult to distinguish its good and evil, its good and bad. Only those who are experienced know them. Man is tried by two conditions, solvency and poverty. He who has got no wealth meets with two conditions, satisfaction or greed. Satisfaction is good and greed is bad. Greed also has got two conditions-(1) to be greedy for what people have got and (2) to engage oneself in different businesses and industries. The rich man meets also with two conditions, hoarding wealth or spending it. The former is bad and the latter is good. He who spends wealth with two conditions, is either extravagant or moderate. The former is bad and the latter is good. We shall describe below these conditions in detail.

CONDEMNATION OF LOVE OF WEALTH

God says: 0 believers, let not your weath and children divert you from the remembrance of God. Those who do that are indeed the losers. God says : Your riches and children are a trial. God says : I will give full rewards for the actions of those who desire the world's life and its adornments. God says : Surely man is inordinate as he thinks himself free from wants-96: 7Q. God says Exessive wealth will destroy you. The Prophet said : Love for wealth and greed for power breed hypocrisy as rain grows grass in the earth. He also said : As two hungry tigers cause harms to the goats by entering their fold, so also love of riches and greed for power and for name and fame make destruction by entering into the religion of a Muslim. The Prophet said: Those who have got enormous riches are ruined, but those who spend them for the good of the people are happy. Their numbers are few. The Prophet was once asked : 0 Prophet of God, who among your followers are bad? He said : The rich. The Prophet said : Such ٣:١٧٥people will appear after you who will eat various delicious dishes, ride on different good conveyances, marry beautiful women, put on valuable dreses. Their bellies will not be satisfied' with little of food and will not be satisfied even with sufficient food. They will spend their energies in earning and they will worship deites other than God and they will follow their low desires. By Muhammad, son of Abdullah, if your successors or those who will run after them will meet them, they shall not salute them, nor treat them in their illness, nor attend their funeral prayer, nor honour their elders. He who does the above will help the destruction of Islam.

The Prophet said : Leave the world to the worldly addicted man. He who takes from the world in excess of what is necessary for him, takes the path of destruction without his knowledge. The Prophet said: The son of Adam says : My wealth, my wealth. What connection have you got with your wealth? You have destroyed what you have eaten. You have rendered old what you have put on. What you have given in charity has gone and became permanent. One day a man said to the Prophet : 0 Prophet of God, I don't love wealth. What is its reason? He said Have you got any wealth. He said : 0 Prophet of God, I have got. The Prophet said: Send your wealth in advance, as the heart of a believer keeps attached with his wealth. If he leaves that wealth in this world, his mind will wish to remain with it in this world.

The Prophet said : The son of Adam has got three kinds of friends-(1) one kind of friend remain with him till his death, (2) another kind of friend go with him upto his grave, (3) and the third kind of friend remain with him up to the Resurrection Day. The friend which remains with him up to his death is his wealth, and the friend who goes with him upto his grave is his relatives and the friend which will remain with him upto the resurrection day is his good works. The disciples of Jesus Chirst asked him What is the matter that you can walk upon water? He asked What value do'you.attach to gold and silver? They said : To us they are most valuable? He said : To me gold and silver are the same as earth.

Hazrat Salman Faresi wrote to Hazrat Abu Darda'a : 0 dear brother, don't accumulate such thing from the world for which you will not be able to express gratefulness, as I have heard the prophet say : The worldly man who spends wealth in obedience ٣:١٧٦to God, will be brought on the Resurrection Day with his wealth. When he will be hanging to and for on the bridge, his wealth will tell him.: You may go as you have paid God's dues. Then the worldly man who did not spend wealth according to the injunction of God will be brought and his wealth will be placed around his neck. When he, will be hanging on the bridge, his wealth will say to him Woe to you. You did not pay God's dues. You will remain in such condition. His wealth will then lead him to destruction.

The Prophet said : When any man dies, the angels say: What wealth has he sent in advance? But the people say: What wealth has he left behind? The Prophet said: Don't acquire landed properties. If you do it, you will love the world.

A certain man treated badly with Hazrat Abu Darda'a who said: 0 God, keep the body of the man who illtreats me sound, give him long life and increase his wealth. If these three things are united in a person, disaster befalls an him. Hazrat hasan Basari said: By God, God makes him loud and humiliatd who loves wealth. He said: When gold and silver are perpared, the devil lifted them, placed them on his forehead and kissed them out of love and said: He who loves you will be truly my slave. Thya-b-Ma'az said: Gold and silver come to one like a snake. Don't go to catch it without learning beforehand its charms, because when it touches you, its poison will destroy you. He was asked: What is its charms? He said: Earning it in a lawful manner and spending it moderately for God.

Mosallamah, son of Abdullah Malek, went to the Caliph Omar-b- Abdul Aziz at the time of his death and said to him: 0 Commander of the Faithful, you have done such good works as nobody did before. You are leaving 13 sons and daughters but you have left no property for them. Omar said: Bring them to me. When they came to him, he said to Mosallamah: You have said to me that I am leaving no property for my sons and daughters. I have not prevented them to take what is their dues and have not given them what is due to others. My issues belong to either of the two classes. (1) If they are obedient to God, God is sufficient for them. God gives power to the pious. (2) If they are disobedient to God, I don't care to whatever condition they fall.

Mohammad-b-Ka'ab got once enormous wealth. people requested him to leave it for his sons, but he refused and said: I ٣:١٧٧will hoard it for myself with God and leave God for my sons. Ihya-b-Ma'az said: Two conditions appear before a rich man at the time of his death. The predecessors and successors will find no more danger than these two, He was asked: What are these two calamities? He said: (1) all his wealth are separated from him, (2) and he understands that he shall have to render accounts for all his wealth.

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 know it'. Wealth supplies materials to a man who follows his evil desires. For that reason, the prophets used to seek refuge to God from excessive wealth. Our Prophet used to pray: 0 God, supply the provision of the family of Muhammad according to their requirements. He used to pray: 0 God, keep me alive as a poor man, take my life as a poor man and resurrect me in the company of the poor.

The Prophet Abraham prayed: 0 God, save me and my successors from idol worship-14 : 35Q. By this he meant the worship of gold and silver, as gold and silver are deities of people. The status of prophethood is so high that he had no fear of idol worship but it is possible here of the worship of gold and silver. The Prophet said : The owners of gold are ruined and the owners of silver are ruined. So it appears that he who loves gold and silver, worships stones and idols. There are two kinds of Shirk. One kind is secret shirk 'for which Hell is not the permanent abode and the other kind is open Shirk for which there is the abode of permanent Hell.

BENEFITS AND HARMS OF WEALTH

Know, 0 dear readers, that wealth is like snake in which there is both honey and poison. He who knows its honey and poison becomes careful of its harms and enjoys its benefits. The benefit of wealth is worldly and next worldly. Worldly benefits are known to all and the next worldy benefits are of three kinds (1) Benefit of divine service. It means wealth spent for pilgrimage sand Jihad as without money, these virtuous acts cannot be performed. A poor man is deprived of these virtues. The strength that is required for divine service is gained from food, dress, abode, marriage and other necessaties of life. These things without which divine service is not possible are also actions of worship and divine service. This is up to the limit of necessity. (2) Beneift of spending it in good works. Good works are of four Kinds-(1) charity, (2) expense for gentlemanliness, (3) expense for preserving honour and (4) to pay remuneration for works. The benefits of charity are not secret. It appeases the wrath of God. Expense for gentlemanliness means entertainments, feeding, presents, helps, and expense for giving satisfaction to the minds of the honourable men. By this expense, brotherhood and fiendship are established and the attribute of generosity is born. The benefit of preserving honour is to save Vol-III Love of wealth ٣:١٧٨٣:١٠٣:١٧٩oneself 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 step-la, the path of sin. Does a rich man use coarse cloth and rice 2Can 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.nobodyis free from this danger. Man forgets God in his engagement of maintaining his fortunes and wealth. The thing which keeps a marn forgetful of God is harmful. Jesus Christ said: Wealth has sob thtee-harms =(1) it is taken even if it is not lawful. (2) He was asked*:. If wealth is taken from lawful things? He replied : Even theq he spends'it in an illegal way. -43) He- was asked : If he spends 1t ina legal'way ? He replied.: 'Exen then-it.. keeps him forgetful of God, .because be edgagee .himself inmaintainingaw4 gadrdingit. Tbis.i&a serious disease,'asthe coot and life of divine service' iS -the remembrance of'-God and to ponder over His. glory. am! His winndelful creations. For this, mind should be. free, from thoyghts, other .than God. A mail having wealth'thinks of fhesuccessof his disputes, of his accounts, guarrels with co•shares regarding the boudaraes, clash with government officials and peasants and worgers and thousand other things of his properties and businesses and industries.

Love of wealth 181 HARMS OF GREED FOR WEALTH We have mentioned in the chapter of poverty that poverty is good provided one remains content with it and not look to the greed to earning wealth. The Prophet sajd : Had the son of Adam had two mountains full of gold, he would have surely searched for a third. His belly cannot be filled up except wiht earth. God accepts the repentance of one who repents. Abu Musa Ashari said : A chapter like the chapter Bara'at was revealed and it was deleted later on, but the verse remained in the memory of men God will surely help this religion through such men as have got no share therein. If a son of Adam has got two mountains full of gold, he would have searched for the third one full of gold, Nothing can fill up the belly of man except earth. God accepts the repentance of one who repents. The Prophet said : There is no satisfaction of two coveted things-desire of knowledge and greed for wealth. He also said : The son of Adam gets old but his two things remain young-hope for long life and greed for wealth.

MERITS OF SATISFACTION WITH POVERTY: God and His Prophet praised one who remains satisfied with pverty. The Prophet said : Thanks to him who is guided to Islam and remains satisfied with necessary provision for removing his wants. The Prophet said : There is no such man, rich or poor, who will no like to say on the Resurrection Day that only necessary food was sufficient for him in the world. The Prophet said: There is no real contentment in enormous wealth. The real contentment is that of mind. He said : 0 people, take care, search for power in a legal manner, as man will get nothing except what has been decreed for him. No man will leave the world till he enjoys fully the provision which God prescribed for him.

Moses once asked God: 0 Lord, who is the richest man among Thy servants ? He said : The man who remains satisfied with what has been given to him. Moses asked : Who among them is the best judge ? He said : The man who is the best judge for himself (Meaning he takes utmost measures against him for his sins). The Prophet said : Gabriel inspired in my soul : No man will die til he fully enjoys his provision. Abu Hurairah reported that the Prophet said to him : 0 Abu Hurairah, when you are extremely hungry, take a piece of bread and a cup of water and strike the world away with your feet. The Prophet said : Fear ٣:١٨١God, you will then become the most religious man. Remain satisfied with little, you will then become the best greatful man. Love for others what you love for yourself, you will then become a real believer.

The Prophet said : When you pray, pray in such a manner that you are leaving the world. Don't utter such word for which you shall have to offer excuse on the Resurrection'.Day. Don't greed for the things in possession of men. The Prophet said : Will you not take allegiance to the Prophet of God? The companions said : Yes, He said : Do divine service and don't set up partner with Him. Pray five times a day, hear and obey. Then he secretly said : Don't beg to people. The narrator said : After that day, nobody amongust us required anybody to lift even a stick when it fell down.

Wise sayings: Hazrat Omar said : Greed is poverty and despair is wealth. He who does not wait to get from the people is not deprived. A wise man was asked : What is wealth? He said Little hope and satisfaction with necessary things. Mohammad-b- Wase used to eat dry bread soaked in water and say : He who is satisfied with this food does not rely on others. Sufiyan Saori said : The world is good for you till you do not fall in dangers and calamities in the world. What goes out of your hands is the best of things as trial over you. Hazrat Ibn Mas'ud said : There is no such a day on which an angel does not proclaim : 0 son of Adam, necessary little provision is better for you than misguidance by enormous wealth. God said : 0 son of Adam, if the whole world is given to you, nothing remains belonging to you except what is necessary for you. When I giveyou necessary food therefore and I entrust your accounts on others, you will consider that I am merciful on you A certain sage said : I see an envious man the most distressed, a contended man the most happy, a greedy man the most impatient at the time of distress, a worldly renunciated man the most happy and a transgressing learned man the most repentant.

Once a desert Arab rebuked his brother for greed and said : 0 brother, what do you search and who scraches you? You have got no way from him who searches you (death) The necessary things which you search must come to you. The thing which is concealed from your eyes is not secret to you now (death), rather it is open. The condition in which you are now must change. You ٣:١٨٢have thought that a greedy man is never despendent and a sage who has renunciated the world does not get provision. It is only your conjecture.

The saint Shibli reported that a hunter caught a bird which said : What will you do with me? He sail : I shall eat your meat. The bird said : Will you be satisfied if you eat my meat ? I am teaching you three words which will be better for you than my meat. I can tell one word while I am in your hand. I will tell. you the second word if you let me off. I will tell you the third word when I shall be sitting in the valley. He said : Tell me the first word. The bird said : Don't repent what goes out of your hand. Then the hunter releas'd the bird which took shelter to a tree and said : Don't believe an', mpossible thing. The bird then sat on the valley and said : Woe co you. If you would have killed me, you would have found two jewels in my belly, each weighing 20 tolas. The man became much grieved and said : Tell me your third word. The bird said: How can I tell you the third word? Have I not told you that you should not grieve for what goes out of your hand and you should not believe an imposible thing ? My blood, meat and wings are not more than 20 tolas. How can I have two jewels of 20 tolas each in my belly ? Then the bird flew away. The story is narrated in order to convince a man how he becomes blind when he has got greed and believes impossible things. The sage Abdul Wahed said : I was passing once by a Christain monk. I asked him : Wherfrom do your provision come ? He said : He who created crushing wheel in me brings wheat therein for crushing. Then he hinted at his teeth.

MEDICINE FOR GREED: The medicine of greed has been prepared by three ingredients - patience, knowledge and action. During the use of this medicine, the ingredients come through the following five prescriptions. (1) The first prescription for removing greed is to adopt middle path to earn provision and to cut short the expenditure. He who wishes to get the honour of contentment should shut up all the doors of expenses as far as possible and spend what is absolutely necessary for him. If the expense is too much, it is impossible for him to earn the quality of contentment. If he remains single, he should remain content with a coarse cloth, with whatever food he gets and with little curry If he has got family, each should take the like proportion of things. The middle coarse is the root of getting contetment for ٣:١٨٣livelihood. The Prophet said : God loves the middle course in all affairs. He also said : He who incurs just expense does not fall in want. The Prophet said : There is salvation in three things-(1) to fear God openly and secretly, (2) to adopt middle course in expense in poverty and solvency, (3) and to be just in happiness and wrath, The Prophet said : Adoption of middle course, good - treatment and true guidance are a little over one- twentieth part of prophethood. He also said : Expense with good arrangement is half of livelihood. He said : God saves one from depending on others who spends moderately and He throws one in want who is extravagant. God loves one who remembers the Almighty. He said : Make delay if you wish to do a thing till God makes out for you a way and means. To make delay in expense is very necessary.

The second prescription of removing greed is that one should not be anxious for fortune if he gets his present necessary things at ease. He should curtail his hope. He shoulkd have this much of faith that the provision which has been pre-decreed must come to him. Greed cannot take provision. He should put faith in the following verses of the Quran - There is not a single animal in the earth whose provision is not upon God -11: 6Q. God says : The devil threatens you with poverty and enjoins on you to do indecent things-2:218Q A sage said: Once two sons of Khaled came to the Prophet who said to them : Don't be despaired of livelihood till your heads move (till you live). Man is born sound from his mother's womb without any defect, and before his birth God prescribed his provision. The Prophet once passed by Ibn Mas'ud and finding him troubled in mind said Don't increase your thoughts. What has been decreed must come to pass. The Prophet said : 0 people, search for your livelihood in a just manner, as nobody will get except what has been decreed for him. Nobody will leave the world till he enjoys fully the provision that has been decreed for him, while the world is an object of hatred. Nobody will be free from .greed till he believes firmly in the good arrangement of God regarding the measure of . provisions. That can be earned in good search after it. He should know that God provides one with provision from where he does not even conceive. God says : Whoever fears God, He finds out a way for him and provides him from where he does not even conceive- 65 : 3Q. When one door of his livelihood is closed, another door is opened up for him. The Prophet said : God provides the provision of a believer from a place which he cannot even conceive. Sufiyan Saori said : Fear God. I have never found a God-fearing man to fall in want. In other words, God gives the necessary things to the God-fearing man and does not leave him. God instils in the minds of the Muslims such feeling that they are led to take their provisions to him.

The saint Abu Hazem said : I see two things about the world. One of the these two is that the combined strength of the heavens and earth will not be able to bring before time and has been decreed for me. The other thing is for others. I did not get it in the past, nor can I hope to get it in future. I will never get what has not been decreed for me. What has been decreed for me must come to me. I don't know in which of these two things my life will end.

The third prescription of removing greed is to know what merits there are in contenment, what honour there is in not depending on other and what disgrac there is in greed. When knowledge of these things will grow, eagerness for contentment will grow, as there is difficulty in greed buyt there is no difficulty in contentment except patience. The Prophet said : The honour of a believer lies is not depending on others but there is freedom and honour in contentment. A certain sage said : You will become an ideal for one from whom you hope unless you depend on him and you will be confined to one from whom you hope if you depend on him. If you do benefit to one from whom you hope, you will become his master.

The fourth prescription of removing greed is to think about the wealth of the irreligious people of the Jews, Christians, Beduins and then to look to the prophets and friends of God and their sayings and wise counsels and then adopt a way for yourself. You will then say to your intellect: Will you be like the prophets and the friends of God or like the irreligious and low class people ? If you feel happiness in getting your belly full of dishes, an ass is more happy than you in that respect as it eats more than you. If you feel happiness in copulation, a swine is more happy than ;you in that respect. If you feel happiness in dresses, buildings and conveyances, the Jews are more happy than you in those respects. If you feel happy in having little, you will get on less status than others expect the prophets and friends of God.

٣:١٨٤٣:١٨٥The fifth Prescription of removing greed is not to hoard wealth and riches. If wealth is hoarded, there is fear of theft and looting. If the hands remain empty, there is security and leisure. A rich religious man will enter Paradise 500 years after a poor religious man. One should look to those who are superior in religion than him and to those who are inferior to him in worldly riches Hazrat Abu Zarr said that the Prophet had given him this instruction : Look to your inferiors in worldly matters and don't look to your superiors. The root of all affairs is to have patience, to curtail hopes and to have this knowledge that he will enjoy for long if he keeps patience for a few days in this world.

MERITS OF GENEROSITY: If a man has got no wealth, he should remain contended and curtail his greed. If anybody has got wealth, he should adopt Isar (sacrifice for other) generosity and benevelence and should keep away from an narrowmindedness and miserliness, as generosity is the conduct of the prophets and it is root of salvation. The Prophet illustrated it by saying : Generosity is a tree of Paradise. Its branches are hanging towards the earth. If a man catches a branch thereform it will take him to Paradise. The Prophet said: Gebriel told me that God said : This religion (Islam) I have proposed for Myself. Generosity and good conduct increase its grandeur. So honour Islam by these two qualities. The Prophet said : God does not accept one as His friend who has not got generosity and good conduct. The Prophet was once asked ; 0 Prophet of God, which action is good ? He said : Patience and generosity. He said : God loves two qualities - good conduct and generosity. God hates two conducts - Bad conduct and miserliness. When God wishes good of a man, He engages him in good works of public utility. The Prophet was once asked : Give me clue to such action for which I can go to Paradise. He said : The actions which give power is feeding food, spreading peace and sweet talks. The Prophet said : Generosity is a tree of Paradise. He who is generous takes hold of one of its branches. He does not give it up till he enters Paradise. Miserliness is a tree of Hell. He who is m'ser takes hold of one of its branches and he does not leave it till he enters Hell. The Prophet said : God says : Search good from My kind people, you will then live under their care, as I have placed My mercy among them. Don't search good of those who are hard-hearted, as I have placed My displeasure a.nong them. The Prophet said : Forgive the faults of the benevolent man as ٣:١٨٦God keeps his faults concealed by His hands. The Prophet said: Mercy descends on a man who gives food so soon that a knife cannot be inflicted on the neck of a camel with greater speed. The Prophet said : God is benevolent and He loves good conduct and hates bad conduct. Hazrat Anas reported that if any person begged anything of the Prophet in the name of Islam, he gave it to him. One day a man bagged something of the Prophet who ordered goats for him. The open space between two valleys was filled up with goats of Zakat. He gave all the goats to him. He came back to his clan and said : 0 my clan, accept Islam. Mohammad gives such charity that he does not fear poverty. The Prophet said : God makes some men prosperous with riches, so that they may do good to the people. He who shows miserliness in doing good to the people. God takes it from him and gives it to others.

The Prophet said : Everything has got its fruit. The fruit of beneveloence is salvation. He said : The food of a benevolent man is cure. The food of a miser is disease. He said : He who is a giver of excess gift bears the sufferings of many people. He who cannot bear them loses that gift. Jesus Christ said : Take such thing in excess which cannot be destroyed by the fire of Hell. He was asked : What is it ? He said : To do good. The prophet said Paradise is an abode of charity. He also said : The charitable man is near God, near people, near paradise and distant from Hell. The miser is distant from God, distant from people, distant from Paradise and near Hell. The Prophet said : Do good to all whether in want or not. If you do good to the people, you will remove really your wants.,If you do not do it, you will fall in want. The Prophet said : Those who are included within 'Abdal' pious men, will not enter paradise for only prayer and fasting but will enter Paradise for their generosety, purity of heart and for the benefit, of advising the people. The Prophet said : God created some matters for the good of the people- (1) He made dear to the people doing good to others, (2) He made dear to the people those who do good to others, (3) He turned the faces of those who want good to those who do good. They give charity to them without difficulty as rain-water falling in some dry place brings it back to life and its inhabitants.

The Prophet said: Every good act is an act of charity. What a man spends for himself and his family is regarded as an act of ٣:١٨٧clia rity. He who saves his honour is an act- of charity. It becomes the duty of God to give rewards to one who spends. The Prophet said : Every good act is charity. He who guides to a good act will get the rewards of one who does that good act. The Prophet said To good to a man, rich or poor is an act of charity. Moses got revelation: Don't kill Sagiras he is a charitable man.

Wise sayings: A sage said : spend worldly riches when they come to you, as they will not come to an end. Hazrat Hasan said on a question of Caliph Muwayiah : The meaning of manhood is to save one's life and religion, to treat well with a guest, to argue in a good manner and to proceed to one's duty. The meaning of courage is to remove the sufferings of a neighbour and to have patience in place of patience. The meaning of gererosity is to do good before asking, to give charity in time and to treat well with a beggar along with charity. Zainal Abedin, son of Hazrat Hussain, said : He is not a benevolent, man who gives in charity when asked for. The benevolent man is he who, in obedience to God's command, pays the dues of those to whom they are due before asking and he is not eager to get their gratefulness, as he believes firmly that he will get fully rewards from God. Hazrat Hasan Basari was asked : What is generosity ? He said : Your charity of wealth in the way of God is called gnerosity. He was asked : What is miserliness ? He replied : Not to spend your wealth in the way of God is miserliness. He was asked : What is misuse of morey ? He said : To spend for greed of passion is misuse. The saint jafar Sadeq said : There is no greater wealth than wisdom, no greater danger than ignorance and no greater helper than mutual consolation. Beware, God says, I am the great giver, honorable. No miser can come near Me'. Miserliness is included within infidelity and the infidels are. in Hell. Benevolence and honour appertain to faith and the believers are in Paradise. Hazrat Hasan Basari said :' It is the height of generosity to give in charity of one's hard earned money.

SOME ILLUSTRATIONS OF BENEVOLENCE

(1) Once the Caliph Muwayiah sent two loadfull of silver coins numbering one lac and eighty thousand to Ayesha as present. She accepted them and distributed all to the people. When there was dusk, she said to her maid servant : Bring my meal. She took a piece of bread and some olive oil and said to Hazrat Ayesha : We could have broken our fast with meat if you ٣:١٨٨had kept one dirham out of those you distributed to day. Hazrat Ayesha said : If you had reminded me, I could have given something to you therefrom.

Once the Caliph Muwayiah went on a pilgrimage. When he was passing by Madina, Hazrat Hossain told his elder brother Hazrat Hasan not to meet him and not to salute him. When Muwayiah went out of Medina, Hazrat Hasan informed him that they were in debt. His people paid him eighty thousand dinars. Before this, the people of Muwayiah went in advance. Only a camel was left. That was given to Imam Hasan along with the money it was carrying.

The Prophet once said to Jabair-b-Awam : 0 Jabair, know that the key to the provisions of men is placed before the Throne. God gives to every man in proportion to his expenditure. He gives him more of provisions whose expense is much. He gives him less of provision whose expense is less. Once a man complained of his wants to Hazrat Hasan who said : I have got no such wealth as can remove your wants. If I give much in charity, it seems little to me. He said : I will accept whatever you give me. He ordered his officer to count the money he has got. That amounted to three lac dirhams and five hundred gold coins. He gifted away all the sums he had at that time to him.

Hazrat Ibn Abbas was governor of Basra. One day some learned men of Basra said to him: One of our neighbors prays all night and fasts all days long. He has got a daughter to be given in marriages but for want of money, he cannot give her in marriage. Then Hazrat Ibn Abbas got up and gifted six bags full of coins to him and said : I will not give him so much money as can divert him from his prayer and fasting.