The Evil of Craving for Wealth and Status - Enjoy Islam

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Aboo Yazeed al-Bustaamee, rahimahullaah, said, “I have divorced this world finally and irrevocably three times and have turned to my Lord alone, and called upon Him for help, “O my Lord I supplicate to You with the supplication of one who has nobody left but You.’ He knew the truth of my supplication from my heart and my despairing of myself, then the first part of the answer to this supplication was that He caused me to forget my own self totally and He placed the creation in front of me despite my turning away from them.” He used to be visited from the various lands, and when he saw the people crowding to him he said, “Woe to me I have become something – Without preparing for that at all- I have become a master to them all – because I am a slave to You. And in the heart are matters – which cannot be counted. However concealing my condition – is more fitting for me and more correct.” Wahb ibn Munabbih wrote to Makhool, “To proceed. By what is apparent from your knowledge you have attained status and position with the people. But what is hidden from your knowledge seek position with Allaah and nearness to Him, and know that one of the two positions prevents from the other. The meaning of this is that the apparent knowledge – i.e. learning the duties, laws, rulings, religious verdicts, narrations and admonitions and so on – which is apparent to the people will cause a person to gain status and position with them. But the hidden knowledge which is stored in the heart – i.e. knowledge of Allaah, fear and love of Him, being wary of Him, being satisfied with Him, and longing to meet Him, placing reliance upon Him, being pleased with what he has decreed, turning away from worldly matters which will pass away and turning to the Hereafter which will remain. All of this causes a person to have position and nearness to Allaah. Each of these two positions prevents the other. So he who remains and stops at the position of worldly status he gains with the people and preoccupies himself with what he has attained with them due to his apparent knowledge. So his only concern is to preserve this station with the people and to remain in it and to cultivate it, and having fear that it will pass away. Then this will be all that he receives from Allaah the Most High, and he is therefore cut off from him. So he is just like the one about whom someone said, “Woe to the one who receives this world as his portion from Allaah.” As-Sariyy as-Saqatee used to be pleased by what he saw of knowledge of al-Junayd, and his fine speech and speed in answering, so he said to him one day after having asked him a question and receiving a good answer, “I fear that your share of the world has been given to you in your tongue.” So al-Junayd used to weep thereafter because of that. 38
But he who occupies himself with improving his position with Allaah, the Most High, through what we have mentioned of hidden knowledge, then he will reach Allaah – and he will be preoccupied with Him from all else. This will prevent him from seeking for position amongst the people, yet despite this Allaah will indeed give him position and status in the hearts of the people – even if he does not want that, does not settle for it and flees from it and runs away from it for fear that the creation will cut him off from Allaah, the Majestic. Allaah, the Most High, says, “Verily, those who believe and work deeds of righteousness, the Most Beneficient (Allaah) will bestow love for them.” Maryam (19):96 Meaning Allaah will put love for them in the hearts of His servants. There also occurs in the hadeeth, “When Allaah loves a servant He calls out, ‘O Jibreel! Indeed I love so and so, so love him.’ So Jibreel loves him [so Jibreel calls out to the inhabitants of the heavens, ‘Allaah loves so and so, so love him]’ so the inhabitants of the heavens love him and then he is granted acceptance upon the earth.” 55 The hadeeth is well-known and reported in the Saheeh. So in any case seeking after eminence in the Hereafter brings along with it honour in this world, even if the person does not want it and does not seek it. But seeking status in this world will not come together and be combined with honour in the Hereafter. So the fortunate one is he who prefers that which is everlasting to that which passes away, just as occurs in the hadeeth of Aboo Moosa, radiyallaahu `anhu, from the Prophet (salAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) that he said, “He who loves this world – then it will harm his Hereafter and he who loves the Hereafter then it will harm his worldly life. So prefer that which will remain to that which will pass away.” 56 It is reported by Imaam Ahmad and others. Abul-Fath al-Bustiyy indeed spoke well when he said: “Two matters will be separate, you will not see them both – Desiring one another’s company and meeting together, Seeking the good of the Hereafter along with leadership and eminence – 55 It is reported with close wordings by Maalik, Ahmad, al-Bukhaaree (transl.8/41/no.66) 56 It is reported by Ahmad (4/412), Ibn Hibbaan (2473: al-Mawaarid), al-Haakim (4/308) who declared it saheeh and al-Baghawee in Sharhus-Sunnah (14/239), Adh-Dhahabee said, “Its chain of narration is disconnected.” I say that is between Aboo Moosa and the narrator from him who is al-Muttalib ibn `Abdullaah. 39
Page 2 and 3: The Evil Of Craving For Wealth And
Page 4 and 5: Publisher’s Note All Praise is fo
Page 6 and 7: I hope from Allaah, the Most High,
Page 8 and 9: - Ta`yeer (printed), Sharh Jaami’
Page 10 and 11: The wording of the hadeeth of Jaabi
Page 12 and 13: It was said to a wise man, “So an
Page 14 and 15: “And whoever is saved from his co
Page 16 and 17: Craving for Status A person’s cra
Page 18 and 19: false interpretation in order to ra
Page 20 and 21: love that I should hear him calling
Page 22 and 23: He (salAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam)
Page 24 and 25: Imaam Ahmad, Aboo Daawood, Ibn Maaj
Page 26 and 27: “Do not learn knowledge for three
Page 28 and 29: necessity.” It was said to him,
Page 30 and 31: efuge a hundred times a day.” It
Page 32 and 33: were a youth you were wicked, and w
Page 34 and 35: “But as for him who will be given
Page 36 and 37: So whoever is granted that by Allaa
Page 40: emain.” So abandon that which wil

The Evil of Craving for Wealth and Status - Enjoy Islam

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