Greed or Despair

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, came to Basra and entered a mosque and found story-tellers telling stories. He made them get up until he came to al-Hasan al-Basri, may Allah be pleased with him. He said, "Lad, I will ask you about something, If you answer it, I will let you stay. Otherwise I will remove you as I removed your companions." He saw that he possessed proper behaviour and guidance. Al-Hasan replied, "Ask whatever you wish." He asked, "What is the basic foundation of the deen?" "Scrupulousness," he replied. He asked, "What is the corruption of the deen?" "Greed," he replied. He said, "Sit. Someone like you can speak to people."

Greed is the root of abasement because a greedy person leaves a mighty Lord to attach himself to a lowly slave and so he becomes low like him. He leaves a Noble Lord to attach himself to a poor slave and so he becomes poor like him.

Part of the religion of Prophet Ibrahim alayhissalaam is to oppose all that distracts a person from Allah and to direct the himma (special spiritual aspirations) with love to Allah.

If one attaches one's himma to the world, one achieves riches and position; if one attaches it to worship, one achieves stations and inspirations; and if it belongs to God, all praise be to Him, all attachments fall away and the aspiration becomes one.

When Prophet Ibrahim alayhissalaam was shot out of the catapult, the angel Jibril, peace be upon him, came to Ibrahim and asked, 'Do you have a need?' He replied, 'As for you, no. As for Allah, yes.' He said, 'Then ask Him.' He said, 'His knowledge of my state spares me asking.' Look at how Ibrahim removed his aspiration from creation and directed it to the True King. He did not ask Jibril for help nor take the opportunity to ask Allah. He saw that Allah was nearer to Him than Jibril and from his request. That is why Allah saved him from Nimrod and his punishment, and blessed him with His gift and bounty and singled him out for His acceptance.

Shaykh Abu'l-Hasan ash-Shadhili said, "A man kept my company and was burdensome for me. I was frank with him and he was delighted. I said, 'My son, ask what you need and then do not keep my company.' He said, 'Sir, I am told that you know alchemy and so I kept your company to learn from you.' I said to him, 'You spoke the truth and whoever told you spoke the truth, but I suspect that you will not accept.' He replied, 'But I will accept!' I said, 'I have studied creatures and found them to fall into two categories: enemies and lovers. I looked at the enemies and knew that they would not be able to even pierce me with a thorn if Allah did not will that for me. So I ceased to look at them. Then I attached myself to the lovers and I saw that they could not help me with anything which Allah had not willed for me and so I completely despaired of them and attached myself to Allah. I was told, 'You will not reach the reality of this matter until you completely despair of Us as you despaired of other than Us, as We will only give you what was written for you before time.'"

If you desire direction to the Rich, it lies in despair.

You will not reach the reality of this matter until you stop hoping for things that Allah has not allotted for you as you have stopped hoping from others things that they cannot give. You will only get the things that you desire if Allah had willed that for you, so don't hope from Allah something which He has not Willed for you.

A poet once said,

Desires refuse to smash me
I am a slippery slope for them
A slave is free as long as he does not obey desire
The free man is a slave whenever he obeys desire.

May Allah free us from the bondage of greed and adorn us in the robe of scrupulousness. Ameen.

Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam