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v Miserliness (bukhl)
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Almighty
Allah says in the Qur’an:
And in their wealth
was appointed a due share for the beggars and the destitute (i.e. all the
needy).►{Chapter 51 : Verse 19}
Al-Hasan Al-Basri(Radiyallahu Anhu) was asked: “Who is going to cry more than the
others on the Day of Resurrection?”
He answered: “A
man on whom Allah has bestowed His Grace and who uses that for Allah’s
disobedience.”
The refusal to give what is necessary either by sacred law or by
virtuous merit is the essence of miserliness that is mentioned [among the
diseases of the heart].
A bakhil is a miser. Bukhlun is miserliness. According to the shaykh, the refusal to give
what is necessary either by sacred law or by virtuous merit is at the essence
of miserliness. Thus, there are two aspects to bukhl, one
that relates to the sacred law (shari'a) and the other to muru'ah (virtuous
merit). Muru'ah is an important concept in Arabic, and it comes from the word
for "man." Its meaning has connotations of chivalry, manhood, and
virtue.
As for
the necessities of sacred law, they are such things at zakat, support of one's dependents, and similar rights due to
others, such as relieving one in distress.
An example of the first aspect of bukhl that is
related to shari'a is failure to give zakat. If
you are not giving zakat, you
are bakhil by shari'a, and
that bukhl is haram (forbidden). The same is true for a man who is not giving
support (nafaqat) for his wife and children because men are maintainers
and caretakers of women and children. If a man gets divorced, he must pay child
support because that is a shari'a right of the mother of his children.
Similarly, the shari'a demands that you fulfill the rights of other people and spend on
others where the need exists if you have been given the capacity to do so.
Allahsubhanahu wa ta'ala says,
"In their wealth there's a haq (right) to the beggar and to the one who doesn't have money and
so his needs are not taken care of."
The miser is the one who does not take care of
people even though he is able to do so. These examples are rel! ated to shari'a.
Examples of meritorious character are not giving people a hard time over some paltry matter or abandoning nitpicking over trivialities.
Avoiding
such things is even more important for a neighbor, a relative, or a wealthy
person or when hosting guests or concerning something in which such behavior is
simply inappropriate, such as purchasing a shroud. The same is true for one
buying a sacrificial animal or purchasing something one wants to donate to the
needy.
Not being bakhil by standards of muru'ah (virtuous merit) has to do with not constricting people or
making matters difficult for them. The shaykh's example of this is not giving
people a hard time over some paltry, insignificant, trivial matter. For
instance, if someone owes you ten dollars, and you give him a hard time over it
even though you have plenty of money and have no need for it, then you are
considered bakhil by the standards of muru'ah, not
by shari'a. You
have a right to that money by shari'a, but
bymuru'ah, such an attitude is despicable. The shaykh points out that
refraining from such an attitude is even more important when dealing with a
neighbor or a relative.
Furthermore, it is even worse to lack virtuous
merit if you are wealthy because a wealthy person should have a type of
magnanimity, a generosity that allows one to say, "don't worry about it"
to others.
According to a hadith:::
A man from among those who were before you was
called to account by Allah on the Day of Resurrection. No good was found in his
account except that he, used to mix with people and being a rich man, used to lend money to the people and
order his servants to let off the men who are unable to repay debt. The
Prophet (peace be upon him) said: Almighty Allah said to the angels: We are worthier than him
of that generosity. So let him off (enter Paradise). ►{Narrated by Imam Muslim}
Having this kind of muru'ah is not
insignificant: wealthy people are encouraged to let go of debts they really do
not need paid off. If the wealthy see the indebted are having a hard time, they
should just say "Bismillah. Don't worry ! about it;" such an
attitude is encouraged by the shari'a also.
Similarly, if you are
hosting a guest, and your guest spills something on the carpet, you should not
say, "Can't you watch yourself a little bit? That's a brand new carpet I
have;" saying such a thing is not showing muru'ah. On the contrary, you should try to keep them
from feeling bad, saying such things as, "Don't worry about it. I love tea
on my carpet. In fact, I heard a proverb that says, 'The best thing for a
carpet is spilt tea.'" Obviously, this proverb makes the guest feel good
when he spills tea. The point is that you do not show more concern for you
carpet than for your guest.
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