Enemy of earthly goods 5 letters crossword. What is the meaning of human life? Such and such a life filled with work on oneself, the purpose of which is the eradication of one's passions: fornication, self-love, envy, gluttony, laziness, and filling the soul with the spirit of chastity, humility
Moving away from God does not go unnoticed for our spiritual life. It weakens our soul, makes it incapable of religious impulses, becomes at any moment - when we become attached to some earthly good - an obstacle, even if very thin and imperceptible to us, between us and God.
Through predilection for the earthly - even the slightest one, according to which the soul has moved away - Satan enters our soul, and makes the virtues devastated, and instills in the soul all sorts of sinful thoughts. And the further this downward inclination continues in a Christian, the more a person becomes entangled in his earthiness, the harder it is for him to hear everything spiritual, as our Savior Himself pointed out: Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, and they do not understand; and the prophecy of Isaiah comes true over them, which says: hear with your ears - and you will not understand, and you will look with your eyes - and you will not see, for the heart of these people is hardened and they hear with difficulty with their ears, and they close their eyes ... but they will not turn so that I heal them(Matthew 13:13-15)…
The ever-memorable Archpriest Father John of Kronstadt, who lived in the same world among people and knew about how earthly blessings attract a Christian, speaks beautifully about all this.
“The vile enemy (Satan), - notes Father John, - is trying to destroy love with love: love for God and neighbor - love for the world, its fleeting blessings, love of wealth, honors, pleasure, various games. Therefore, let us extinguish in ourselves in every possible way the love for this world, and let us kindle love for God and neighbor through self-sacrifice.”
“Our heart,” writes Father John in another place in his diary, “is simple, singular, and therefore cannot work for two masters - God and mammon, that is, wealth: it means that it is impossible to sincerely serve the Lord and at the same time have an addiction to earthly things, for it refers to mammon. All earthly things, if we become attached to them with our hearts, remove it from both God and the Mother of God, and all the saints - from everything spiritual, heavenly and eternal, they turn us away and bind us to the earthly, corruptible, temporal, and also from love for turn away neighbors.
On top of all that has been said, it must also be said that the spirit of attachment to earthly things, sparing and pity for earthly things, is the spirit of the devil, and the devil himself instills in a person through his attachment to earthly things: he often enters our hearts as an impudent conqueror through an instant addiction to earthly things, not rejected immediately, darkening, suppressing, mortifying our spirit and making it incapable of any work of God, infecting it with pride, blasphemy, grumbling, contempt of the holy and neighbor, resistance, despondency, despair, malice.
Hence, the current cruelty and moral licentiousness and blasphemy of many formerly good (...) people become psychologically understandable. Earthly blessings distracted them from God, Satan took possession of their souls and planted in them evil seeds of hatred and envy, blasphemy and other evil deeds.
Truly, one must have deep wisdom, constant spiritual caution, be sober and vigilant, have a heart flaming with love for God and neighbor, so as not to worry about earthly blessings: wealth, power, sciences and any earthly well-being. Therefore, other Christians, being rich and noble of this world, gave up all their earthly advantages and became poor and inglorious, fearing that earthly blessings would deprive them of their main joy - Christ the Savior, so as not to destroy their souls, carried away by earthly blessings. It was as if the words of the Savior sounded in their hearts: What is the use of a man if he gains the whole world and loses his soul?(Matthew 16:26)
... Earthly life for an Orthodox Christian is not a feast of cheerful earthly pleasures, but a feat, a struggle to fill the Kingdom of God. The kingdom of heaven is taken by force, and those who use force take it by force(Matthew 11:12).
Such and such a life filled with work on oneself, the purpose of which is the eradication of one's passions: fornication, self-love, envy, gluttony, laziness, and filling the soul with the spirit of chastity, humility, patience and love - such a life is called asceticism, or spiritual asceticism.
It is clear that every Orthodox Christian, not only a monk, but also a layman, must be precisely an ascetic, an ascetic, if he does not want to hear the terrible voice of God: I never knew you; depart from Me, you who do iniquity(Matthew 7:23)
The worldly is the enemy of man. Know that love for the blessings of worldly life (dunya) is condemned in all revealed Shariahs (divine laws), because it is the basis of all sin and the cause of every turmoil. Therefore, the servant of Allah needs to renounce the beauties of transient life, freeing his heart from the desire and love for a high position in society. Indeed, the love of high position is more harmful to a person than the love of wealth. And the presence of both of these qualities in a person indicates his love for the blessings of worldly life, which are the enemy of man.
To explain all the contempt and stench of this fleeting world, it is enough to give the following example. When Almighty Allah brought the Prophet Adam (peace be upon him) and his wife Hava from Paradise to earth, they, having ceased to smell Paradise, lost consciousness from the stench of this mortal world. They remained in this unconscious state for forty days.
It is also reported that when Allah Almighty created this world, he turned to him:“O mortal world, serve the one who serves Me, and turn those who will serve your blessings into your servants!”
When we talk about the blessings of this world, we mean by this wealth, property, food, speech and sleep. And you, oh murid, beware that your heart is occupied by any of the transient charms and pleasures. And knowworldly goods are like hair growing in the heart:if even one hair grows in a man's heart, he will immediately die. That is why, by the will of Allah Almighty, human hair grows on the surface of the skin, and not vice versa. This is the wisdom that believers enter Paradise without hair on their bodies and on their faces, with eyes as if tinted with antimony and with the same hearts, not harboring envy and hatred for each other. And if hair grew on their bodies, then this would lead to death, because in the next world people are physically and spiritually like hearts, and there is no veil or barrier for them from the Lord.
Know how much a murid will love the pleasures of worldly life, how much he will be hated by Allah. After all, everything that distracts you from Allah refers to worldly life (dunya), and everything that contributes to your conversion to Allah Almighty refers to eternal life (akhira).
The hadeeth of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) says:Indeed, Allah has not created a creature more hateful to Him than the mortal world.Allah never looked at him(As something of value to Him—Ed.)after its creation.
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) also said:“Cursed is this passing world and everything in it, except for the remembrance of Allah and everything that leads to this.”
Worldly love and worship are incompatible
Imam Abul-Hasan al-Shazali (may his soul be holy) said: “The servant of Allah will not be able to achieve an approach to Allah Almighty as long as there is an inclination in his heart to something from this and the other world. Approximation to the Almighty can be rewarded only by a sincere servant of Allah in worship. The rest will remain with what their hearts from this and the other world were inclined to, and they will not rise above this.
Also from Abul-Hasan Ali ibn al-Mazin (may his soul be holy) it is transmitted: “If you praise a person very much, at the same time attributing to him a high level of siddiq (the righteous of the highest degree), Allah Almighty will still not pay attention to him until as long as there is at least some love for worldly life in the heart of this slave. I swear by Allah, on the path of knowing the Almighty, those travelers who experienced sweetness in their souls from any material wealth died.
Imam al-Shazali (may his soul be holy) said: Worship of Allah, coupled with a feeling of love for worldly life, is only anxiety, anxiety for the heart and fatigue for the body, it becomes like a body without a spirit. (ruh). The essence of asceticism and detachment from worldly goods lies in the lack of love for them, and not in depriving oneself of any property. Indeed, therefore the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) did not forbid us to engage in trade or any craft.
Worldly Goods
boon (ni'mat)they call conveniences, a beautiful and happy life, and all that worldly life is famous for. The plural of this word is the word "goods". Everything that Allah endowed his servants with, such as sight, hearing, etc., is also good.Ghazzali also included among the benefits also pleasures, everything good and useful. At the same time, he says that the happiness of eternal life is called the true good, and all other blessings are relative.
And as it says in the verse:
وَإِن تَعُدُّواْ نِعْمَتَ اللّهِ لاَ تُحْصُوهَا
“... If you tried to count the favors of Allah, then you would not be able to count them ...”.
There are many blessings for a person, from among those that are allowed to him by Allah. It is for this reason that the Prophet Daoud said: “How can I count all Your blessings, because everything that I own is good.” Ghazzali, on the other hand, counting sixteen separate chapters dealing with worldly goods, concludes by saying that none of the goods can compare with the good of health.
Raghib al-Isfahani (died 503/1108) divided all blessings and happiness into two varieties, pointing out that the first group includes the endless blessings of eternal life, and the second includes all worldly blessings that tend to change and end. He also notes that any good that does not lead to happiness in the next life is a deception, trial and even punishment, which, like a mirage, seems to a person in the desert of this worldly life, which is also mentioned in the Holy Quran:
“Life in this world [with its flourishing and fading] is like water, which We poured out from the sky and which was then absorbed by the plants of the earth, which are food for people and animals. When the earth was covered with dressing [herbs and cereals] and embellished and its inhabitants imagined that it was they who were in power over it, [suddenly] at night or in the daytime Our command comes, and Our Will has already reaped [the harvest], as if it did not exist at all. Thus do We explain the signs to a people who think.”
Raghib al-Isfahani also says that everyone in this life is trying to get what he considers happiness for himself, making every effort to do so. But what people consider happiness is not really such, and they believe and hope for falsehood, as the verse says: but when he approaches, he gains nothing. But he finds Allah near him, who demands from him a full retribution. Indeed, Allah is quick to pay.
This verse indicates that only when a person correctly uses the benefits of this life, that is, according to their purpose, they will give a person true happiness and joy. And in order to achieve the benefits and happiness of eternal life, a person must understand well how he should use these benefits, without contradicting or going contrary to Sharia.
Almighty Allah, calling the life of a person the greatest blessing, speaks of this in the Holy Quran as follows: “How do you [dare] not believe in Allah? You were dead and He made you alive. Then He will kill you [again], revive you again, and then you will be returned to Him.”
Another of the blessings with which Allah endowed man is the faith of Islam. Through these two blessings, a person brings the hearts of even two people at war with each other closer, rescuing both from the quagmire of ignorance and the fire of Hell. In the Holy Quran, the religion of Islam is called the main and last of the blessings with which Allah endowed a person: “... Today I have completed [sending down] your religion to you, completed My mercy and approved for you Islam as a religion …». The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said that a person can consider only “Paradise and deliverance from the punishment of Hell” as the main happiness and good for himself, and often asked in his prayers: "O Lord, I ask You that You give me in full of Your good things," “We worship only You. All blessings belong to you, "All goodness, excellence, glory and honor belong to You, O Allah," pointing out what good means in a person's life. Giving praise to Allah and setting an example for all people in this, he said: “Let there be eternal praise to Allah, who feeds us and gives us water, and gives us from His blessings.” He also said that there are two goods, the value of which people do not fully understand. This is health and free time. And the caliph Umar said that both the Messenger of Allah and his sending down to people in themselves are the blessing of Allah for mankind.
And since “the blessings of Allah are so many that it is impossible to enumerate them,” in this chapter we will not talk about each of the blessings, because this is a topic that requires separate study. Our goal is to consider the main of the benefits of worldly life, which are mentioned in the Holy Quran and the Sunnah, as well as how zuhd (ascetic worldview) looks at them and how a person should properly behave in dealing with the benefits of this life. Therefore, we will consider here only property, offspring, and that which most of all attracts a person from the goods of the world - these are women, food, drink and clothing.
1. Property (material values)
Here we will try to talk about property, which is the most valuable thing that a person can only have from worldly goods, listing some of them.
The word "property" lexically means everything that a person can have, what he can own. Human nature has a tendency to own something, so property is called that way. Indeed, the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said: "The soul of man is most inclined towards possessions."
Ibn al-Athir (died 606/1209) said that property can be gold and silver, but in some cases it can be any other property. Among the Arabs, camels were called property, because it was their most valuable and most salable commodity.
The word "property", mentioned in the Holy Quran in various forms 95 times, means everything that a person can own in this life, not counting his offspring.
The whole universe and, in particular, the earth, were created for man, and therefore he must use them. For this reason, property in the Holy Qur'an is called "good" in many cases. Good is everything that is pure, beautiful and good. In some cases, property is called "good", which indicates that, despite the fact that it can sometimes serve evil, in its essence it only brings good and good.
The Messenger of Allah forbade "wasting and spoiling property." This also shows that property is not just a means - it contains good. The Messenger of Allah always insisted that people value their property. So, one day, when they were passing by a dead sheep, he ordered the Sahaba to take off the skin from it and, having tanned it, use it. The Sahaba were surprised because it was dead. To which the Prophet replied: "Only its meat is forbidden for consumption."
He also said: "Whoever was killed while protecting his property is a martyr" pointing out that the property really has its value. Well, the fact that property is also called “state” in the Quran leaves no doubt that it carries good in itself.
It is also noteworthy that in many hadiths, worldly life with its benefits is called property. Thus, the Messenger of Allah once said: “Life is sweet and ready for use. Therefore, do not doubt that Allah will give you the opportunity to rule over it, to see how you will act ... " pointing out that what is worldly is property.
Hussein bin Muhammad at-Tibi (died 743/1342) said that the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) replaced the word worldly life with the word property, explaining that the most important asset and charm of worldly life is precisely property, and cited as evidence of these words of the verse:
“Wealth and sons are the ornaments of life in this world, but righteous deeds, [the fruits of which] are eternal, your Lord will appreciate more, and it is better to place hopes on them.”
Yes, and life, which in most cases the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) speaks of in his hadiths, is property, possessions and well-being. Indeed, the Messenger of Allah once said “I swear by the Almighty, I am not afraid for your poverty, I am afraid that the worldly will spread before you, as it was with those who were before you” pointing to that.
“O sons of Adam! Put on your robes wherever you make prostrations. Eat and drink, but do not overdo it, for Allah does not like those who are overbearing.” , the same verse indicates that the property should be used for some good purpose, and not just for food and drink. The goal in using any blessings of this life is to obtain happiness in eternal life. Indeed, what Allah requires is the search for the blessings of eternal life with what He endowed a person, while not forgetting his share in worldly life. Therefore, we can safely say that property is a means by which a person is tested on his path to eternal life. Indeed, the Quran points to this:
“Know that your property and your children are a test for you and that Allah has a great reward in store for [the believers].”
This is also evidenced by the fact that believers who were forced to move to Medina had to leave their property, about which they spoke more than once with their brethren from Medina. It was then that the verses of the Holy Quran descended, indicating that both property and even offspring are only a test of this life.
Elmalily, interpreting the words "Your property and your offspring are only a test for you," says: “Property and offspring, distracting you from everything that Allah has commanded, often makes you do sinful things, and therefore all this is a test for you. Although the most valuable reward is undoubtedly with Allah. And therefore, a person should not exchange love for his Lord for love for his well-being and descendants, forgetting about His praise and remembrance. Just as it is impossible for him, taking care of his property and children, to lag behind the worship of Allah, to stay away from him.
It should be noted that Allah endows some of His servants with more property than others, and completely deprives some of them. This speaks of the same test that a person undergoes in this life. The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said about this: “Every nation is subjected to its test. My community will be tested in everything that concerns property.” And: “On the Day of Judgment, a person will not move from his seat until he answers four questions.” and named among them the question of how a person made his wealth in this life and how he disposed of it. This also indicates that property is nothing but a test.
In his statements, we see that it is not the property itself that is called pernicious, but the greediness of a person before it. So, he once said: “The harm that a pair of wolves can do when they fall into a herd of sheep is incomparable with the harm that a man’s passion for property, his desire for position and fame causes to the religiosity.” Here we see that it is not the state that is condemned, but the greed of a person for hoarding.
The Prophet (PBUH) also said: “May the servant of gold, silver, silk and luxury be cursed. He is only happy when he sees it. If all this does not happen, he shows dissatisfaction with the Will of Allah. pointing out the deplorable state of those who are greedy for the worldly. Camille Miras, interpreting the words "slave of gold, silver and luxurious clothes", names those who, having lost their freedom from material things and luxury, became attached to them, moving away from charity, from public support and help.
The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), as it is transmitted from Anas bin Malik (radiyallahu anhu) (died 93/711) once said a prayer: “O Allah, increase this child’s property and offspring, make good everything that You endowed him with.” which indicates that property in itself cannot be harmful.
The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) forbade cursing anyone's property. It is reported that in the Battle of Badr, one of the askhabs cursed an animal that moved too slowly. Then the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), forcing him to get off the animal, said: “Now don’t stay among us on an animal that is cursed. And let none of you curse your souls, do not curse your children or your animals.
Human nature is prone to hoarding. Property is also what he most desires. Thus, the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) once said: "The heart of even an elderly person will never leave love for two things: for property and for life itself." In another hadith it is said that he named a great fortune and a long life. He also said: “If a man has two valleys full of wealth, he will wish for a third. And only the earth will saturate him. Allah remains forgiving to all who repent.” pointing out in the last sentence that endless worldly desires are sinfulness, which should be abandoned by repentance.
He also said that a person, if there is some material interest in this, can neglect even big commands and spoke about those who miss the night prayer-isha in the mosque: “If any of them had known that they would find a fat bone with meat here, they would certainly have come.”
The Messenger of Allah also said that, despite the fact that worldly goods are sweet and affordable, they will not bring satisfaction to one who is greedy for them and desires more, while one who knows the measure and rightly approaches everything that life provides will receive and her blessings.
From all that has been said, it is obvious that evil does not come from property, and even good does not lie in it - it all depends on how a person behaves towards him. The value of property is determined by how a person acquires the blessings of eternal life through it, that is, it is valuable only as a means. The Prophet (PBUH) said: “Only in relation to two categories of people can one feel envy. One of them is the one who skillfully sacrifices what Allah has endowed him with from the property. The other is the one whom Allah has endowed with knowledge and wisdom, and he acts in accordance with it and teaches it to others.
A very peculiar statement on this subject belongs to Sufyan al-Sauri (died 161/778): “The doctor of this community will (always be) the one who knows, and her medicine will always be property.” Of his property, only that which he was able to send into eternal life will remain for a man, doing good deeds through it.
A person who truly loves his possessions will do everything to take it with him into eternal life or to make it a means to this good end. Therefore, sacrificing property in the way of Allah is a good deed. However, we are all witnesses to the fact that in most cases a person does not find the right use for his well-being. After all, being in the hands of a person, it remains a test for him and often becomes the cause of his fall, debauchery and outrage. Property has always had the ability to liberate a person, opening doors for him to a sense of impunity. And therefore, one should not envy the fact that a person has a large fortune, but what deeds he creates through it.
And here is Abu Dharr al-Ghifari (died 32/653) saying: “There are many who are rich materially, but it does not bring them any benefit. Except for those who donate it there and for that. Although there aren't many." The Messenger of Allah pointed out that every property can become a means to achieve both good and sinful. There are two possibilities as to why a person's property or wealth may become a temptation for a person. Firstly, because he will not sacrifice it because of his greed or stinginess, and secondly, acting, on the contrary, very wastefully, he will spend it as he pleases on sinful things. In both cases, property remains a test.
It should also be said that the goodness of any property or its perniciousness also depends on the intentions of its owner. Indeed, the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said about a man who keeps a horse: “If a person keeps a horse, which he keeps in order to wage jihad on the path of Allah, and leaves it to graze in one of the meadows, then every blade of grass eaten by this horse is recorded for him in the book of deeds as a boon. If the horse runs away, then for each trace left by its hoof, a good deed will also be written to its owner. And whatever happens to the horse, which the owner keeps in order to use it in the path of Allah, is only good for him. If a person keeps a horse in order to move on it, and does not need anyone at the same time, then for the one who does not forget about Allah at the same time and does not begin to load on the animal that which is beyond his power, for that horse become a remedy for his personal poverty. But if a person keeps a horse in order to boast about it or use it against Islam, then both his horse and its maintenance are only a sin.
The Messenger of Allah also said that it is not good for a person not to give alms from what remains of his necessary property, and that no one will hear a reproach if he leaves in his hands as much property as he needs.
At the head of many good deeds in Islam is a donation in the way of Allah from what is superfluous. And it is this blessing that is much more important and difficult to implement than many other types of worship, because through this a person opens up in society and overcomes himself. And even if this feature is present in all types of worship, then in such worship as the payment of zakat on property and alms, which serves as a means of restoring balance in society, it is even greater.
About what is almsgiving, the Messenger of Allah said: “Some of you, bringing with your own hands, give all the money to alms, then sit and wait to be helped. Whereas the best alms are those that do not leave their owner in need. But it should be remembered that Islam does not encourage a person to accumulate a large amount of property, retaining it and not spending it where there is a need for it. These are mentioned in the Holy Quran:
“Calling those who turned away [from obedience to Allah] and turned away [from the truth], who made [a fortune] and took care of it,”
"... And for those who accumulate gold and silver and do not spend them on the cause of Allah, erect [Muhammad, who awaits them] a painful punishment."
In other verses, Allah says that He never and never supports those who are stingy and greedy, not sacrificing their property in the name of Islam and not parting with it, and this will not bring them any benefit.
Kurtubi (died 671/1273) noted that the acquisition, saving and spending of any property in order to protect and provide for the needs of oneself and one's family, to ensure security from troubles and hardships, to help one's loved ones, brothers and to supply the poor with the necessary things are charitable deeds and even worship. . To prove his words, he cites the statements of many pious predecessors, who, in order to warn themselves against troubles and misfortunes and to help the poor, also engaged in savings. The benefits of wealth that is used for the right purpose cannot be calculated.
One of these benefits is the disposition of the hearts of some people towards Islam. Skillful use of means either neutralizes the harm that a non-Muslim can bring to Islam, or encourages him to accept this faith. So, Anas bin Malik (radiyallahu anhu) says that during the time of the Messenger of Allah and the four righteous caliphs, there were those who accepted Islam, only wanting to acquire material wealth. Subsequently, they, imbued with love for Islam, became the most ardent followers of this religion, not wanting anything more than serving it.
For example, Safwan bin Umayya (died 41/661) fought against the believers on the side of the polytheists. When distributing the trophies that the Muslims got in the battle of Hunayn, the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) gave an unthinkable amount of gold and silver to those whom he did not want to see as enemies. Among them was Safwan bin Umayya, who later said: “Despite the fact that the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) was the most hated person to me, on the day of the battle of Hunayn he gave me so much that after that he became the closest, and even the person I love the most.
It should also be said: what is the degree of a person before his Lord, so is his attitude towards property. The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said that there are four categories of people. The highest degree of them is occupied by a person whom Allah has endowed with wealth and knowledge, and who, in turn, treats this faithfully and conscientiously, doing everything that is entrusted to him. And in continuation of the hadith it is said that the lowest degree in life is occupied by the one to whom Allah has not given either knowledge or property. And he spends what life gives him at his own discretion, knowing nothing about what Allah wants, nor about what He forbade.
From the hadith it is clear that knowledge, like property, is a blessing from the blessings of Allah. It is through it that a person can know - how he should deal with property, evaluate - what life is and its blessings. In other words, property, even being good in its essence, can also become a cause of crime and sinfulness if it is not used for its intended purpose.
Another evil that property can hide in itself is that it makes a person proud and arrogant. Ibn Abbas (radiyallahu anhu), speaking about the fact that the word "Takasur" in the surah "At-Takasur" means "boasting and rivalry in the number of children and property", cites the ayat:
“Know that the life of this world is only a game and amusement, bragging and boasting between you, a competition to gain more property and children ...”
It should be clear to everyone that neither the number of descendants nor the amount of property should be a reason for arrogance, but, on the contrary, are a blessing that requires the praise of Allah. After all, often, reading Surah At-Takasur, the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said: “What a stupid person. He keeps repeating: “My property! My fortune! ”, but have you, O son of Adam, any other property than the food that you ate, the water that you him in your next life?
Property that belongs entirely to Allah requires that it be acquired in accordance with what He has ordained, as well as spent as He willed. And since property, being the adornment of worldly life, which, more than anything else, distracts a person from what he needs in this life and the next life, the Holy Quran says:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تُلْهِكُمْ أَمْوَالُكُمْ وَلَا أَوْلَادُكُمْ عَن ذِكْرِ اللَّهِ وَمَن يَفْعَلْ
ذَلِكَ فَأُوْلَئِكَ هُمُ الْخَاسِرُونَ
“O you who believe! Let neither your property nor your children distract you from the remembrance of Allah. And those who insist on this - they are the victims of damage.
Nafs never knows the measure, he always wants more. Although the condition in itself is not something bad, as we have already said about it before, the wrong thing is ignorance of the measure, desire and love for a luxurious and comfortable life. For this can lead to neglect and frivolous attitude to some of the instructions of Allah, to unwillingness to sacrifice when Allah commands, for fear of impoverishment. The believer, on the other hand, must always remember that his desire to earn and acquire goodness and prosperity, along with everything that he manages to acquire, with all the embellishments of worldly life, is doomed to disappear. And only the good deeds that he does for the sake of gaining the pleasure of Allah are eternal.
In conclusion, let us say that one should always keep in mind the verses of the Holy Quran and the hadiths of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), which speak of worldly goods as something to beware of. This will not allow the believer to become attached to the worldly, to lose caution and sensitivity. That is, believers should have prosperity, but should not become its slaves.
Ibn Manzur, Lisanul-Arab, paragraph "n'am".
See Ihya, 4/106.
Ibrahim 14/34.
Hannad bin Sari, Kitabuz-Zuhd, 2/400; Abu Nuaim, Hilya, 5/36.
See Ihya, 4/105.
Yunus 10/24.
An-Nur 24/39.
See Tafsilun Nashatain, pp. 128-130.
Al-Baqara 2/28. Elmalyli, giving an interpretation of this verse "Guide us to the straight path, the path of those whom you have favored"(Al-Fatiha, 1 / 5-6), says that the greatest blessing is that which leads to the true path and knowledge of it. He says that "the path that leads to good things" is the greatest of all good things. Because knowledge of the path, canon or method leading to the benefits, contributes to the use of them not once, but many times. For there is a great difference between asking another for ten lire, and knowing a profitable place, which each time can bring the same amount. And therefore, to ask the Almighty: “Oh, Allah, give me this and that” is to ask for almost nothing. And even asking Him to bestow all blessings is also insignificant. After all, if this request is answered, it will not mean that a person has this blessing. But if a person asks “grant me the path to such and such good and make me firm on it”, and if he is answered, then the person will be able to possess this good and use it not once, but as much as he wants. (See Hak Dini, I, 130)
See Ali Imran 3/103.
Al-Maida 5/3.
See Tirmidhi, Daavat, 93.
Tirmizi, Daavat, 93.
Abu Dawud, Witr, 25.
Muslim, Masajid, 139.
Muwatta, Sifatun-Nabi, 34.
See Bukhari, Rikaq, 1; Tirmizi, Zuhd, 1; Ibn Maja, Zuhd, 15.
See Bukhari, Magazi, 8.
See Ibrahim 14/34; an-Nahl 16/18.
Ibn Manzur, Lisanul-Arab, point "mvl".
Majalla gives the following definition of property: “Property is everything that is useful in a person’s life, it can be accumulated, and therefore it can be both movable and immovable” (see Berki, Majalle with interpretation, ch. 126). Khairetdin Karaman says that property has two features: thus, “only that to which a person can be inclined and shows interest can be called property. Therefore, what a person has no interest and inclination for, cannot be called his property ”(see Islamic Law in Comparisons, III, 12).
Nasai, Nikah, 40.
See An-Nihaya, 4/373.
See M. Abdulbaki, al-Mujam, pp. 682-683.
See Al-Mulk 67/15; al-Hajj 22/65.
See Al-Baqarah 2/57, 172, 267; al-A'raf 7/32.
Earthly blessings: quotes about earthly blessings from sources of spiritual literature and scriptures.
The honor, pleasures and riches of the world are nothing but the vanity and death of the soul... (St. Nicodemus the Holy Mountaineer).
There is nothing better in the world than to have nothing from the blessings of this world and not to desire anything superfluous, except for what is necessary for the body (St. Simeon the New Theologian0).
The [earthly] blessings of this world are obstacles that do not allow us to love God and please Him (St. Simeon the New Theologian).
Deliver bliss not in a plentiful meal, not in cheerful singing, not in wealth flowing from everywhere, but in small contentment, in not having a shortage of the necessary: the first makes the soul a slave, and the last - a queen (St. Isidore Pelusiot).
When [God] sees that we do not want earthly (goods), then he allows us to use them, because then we own them as free and as men, and not as children (St. John Chrysostom).
Those who say that they have received everything in the present, completely deprive themselves of everything in the future (St. John Chrysostom).
Smoke and dust - such are all human blessings... (St. John Chrysostom).
Let us not love the charms of this world, which, becoming, as it were, a heavy burden for the ship of the soul, sink it (St. John Chrysostom).
If you take here, then, without a doubt, you will receive the perishable, and if you wait for the future time, then the Lord will give you the incorruptible and immortal (St. John Chrysostom).
He who despises earthly blessings already finds a reward for himself in that he is free from anxiety, hatred, slander, deceit and envy (St. John Chrysostom).
If you nail yourself to the ground, while heavenly blessings are offered to you, then think what an insult this is for the Giver of them (St. John Chrysostom).
Through attachment to temporal blessings, we are deprived of future ones, and we cannot immaculately enjoy the present ones (St. John Chrysostom).
Those in particular are ... slaves of everything, who are surrounded by great blessings, and every day they are afraid of the very shadows. From here come deceit, slander, strong envy and thousands of other evils (St. John Chrysostom).
Those who hope for the blessings of life are no better than a bird, which, hoping for the desert, becomes easily perceptible to everyone (St. John Chrysostom).
Let's not be surprised by the blessings of the present, in order to be surprised by the future, or better, let's be surprised by the future, so as not to be surprised by the present (St. John Chrysostom).
When we, possessing goods, do not feel this, then God tears them out of our hands, so that what possession did not do, deprivation did (St. John Chrysostom).
Look for the blessings of the future - and you will get the real ones; do not seek the visible - and you will certainly receive them (St. John Chrysostom).
It is impossible for one who is attached to the present to cherish in himself love for ... indescribable blessings [future and true]: in him, addiction to the present darkens the mind, just as some impurity closes up the bodily eyes and does not allow him to see, what is needed (St. John Chrysostom).
He who promised inexpressible blessings in the future to people who spend this life in virtue, does not He grant all the more temporal blessings, especially if, striving for the former, we desire the latter less? (St. John Chrysostom).
What in the world [this] seems to you the most blessed and most desirable? Of course, you say, power, wealth, fame among people. But what is more pitiful than this, if compared with the freedom of Christians? (St. John Chrysostom).
In real life there is no good, except for virtue alone (St. John Chrysostom).
... [Since] many people preferred sensual goods to spiritual goods, then [God] assigned transience and short duration to these goods, in order to distract them from the present, to bind people with strong love to future blessings (St. John Chrysostom).
Glory and power ... honors and power are one-day and short-lived, people who possess them die sooner; in a word, we see that [they] perish every day, just like the bodies (human) (St. John Chrysostom).
Wealth, fame, power, [carnal] love and all that for the reason and it is pleasant that we love our life excessively and, so to speak, are nailed to the real life (St. John Chrysostom).
For this [the Lord] has given us much here, so that, enlightened by the blessings of this place, we firmly hope in those there too (St. John Chrysostom).
Our philanthropic Lord, when he sees that we do not care about present blessings, and gives them to us with generosity, and prepares the enjoyment of future blessings (St. John Chrysostom).
Everything here is worthless dust and smoke for those who preferred the heavenly life (St. Gregory the Theologian).
Gather up a treasure for the never-ending age, and the present age becomes impoverished even before its end (St. Gregory the Theologian).
Get away from me with them [earthly blessings]! They are not my companions, because I hasten from now on to another life, and all these local benefits will perish either now, or along with the fickle course of the world (St. Gregory the Theologian).
Climb to the height and you will see that everything earthly is low and insignificant; and if you come down from a height, you will marvel at the small whitewashed house (St. Ephraim the Syrian).
Nothing is permanent in this world. Why do we torment ourselves by serving the world? All his blessings are a sleepy dream, all his wealth for us is one shadow (St. Ephraim the Syrian).
The blessings of life are like a dream, and wealth has only a ghostly brilliance, unfaithful and short-lived (St. Anthony the Great).
Whoever labors for the perishable is like a vineyard that nurtures trunks, leaves, and climbing vines, but does not produce wine that produces joy and is worthy of royal storehouses (St. Basil the Great).
All the pleasures of this life are subject to vicissitudes here and prepare only the substance for eternal fire, and they themselves soon pass ... (St. Basil the Great).
