WE ARE STINGY TO OURSELVES Today, we are not only stingy to others; we are stingy to our own selves. We are stingy to our souls by not spending time and money in the way of Allah SWT, which in the end is for our own benefit. If we are generous to ourselves and spend what it takes to develop a strong relationship with Allah SWT, He will be for us and change conditions in our favor. The power of reliance in Allah SWT is evident in the following narration: There was once an oppressive king who while looking out of his palace window noticed a small house which was an eyesore among the beautiful scenery. He ordered for it to be demolished. This house belonged to an old widow who was away when the king’s men confiscated her property. When she found out what had happened, she raised her hands to the sky and said to Allah, “I left this house believing in you, give it back to me.” That night Allah SWT caused the earth to swallow the king’s palace and she heard a voice assuring her, “We didn’t forget your house.” The old lady didn’t go anywhere seeking help. She turned to the Most Powerful One who is able to put all affairs in order. Her belief in Allah got her the help and victory she needed and saved her the humiliation of begging from others. This belief takes time and effort to develop which requires a person to be generous to himself. Allah SWT says in the Qur’an: And whoever is protected from the stinginess of his soul - it is those who will be the successful. (Taghabun 64:16) Stinginess is a disease of the heart which destroys a person in this life and the hereafter. A stingy person is greedy, selfish, is only concerned with his own accumulation of wealth. He neglects the society and his moral and ethical duty towards others. Every wealthy person is the custodian of his money and he is responsible to spend it for sabeeillah, and take care of the needs and affairs of the society. When they deprive themselves of that, they become worthless people in front of Allah SWT who cause humiliation to themselves in this life and the next. Their stinginess has far reaching consequences—for them and the society. They will be disgraced and tortured due to it in the next life; and in this life their stinginess contributes to spreading mischief, poverty, hardship and oppression. Thus, it is a disease that trickles down to all facets of society and distorts it to the point it can lead to massive bloodshed and wars. May Allah SWT protect us from the stinginess of our own souls and count us among the successful ones. Ameen.
Posted on: Wed, 16 Jul 2014 08:24:42 +0000
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