SERMON 125
When Amir al-mu'minin was spoken ill
of for showing equality in the distribution (of shares from Bayt al-mal or the Muslim
Public Treasury) he said:
Do you command me that I should seek support by
oppressing those over whom I have been placed? By Allah, I won't do so as long as the
world goes on, and as long as one star leads another in the sky. Even if it were my
property, I would have distributed it equally among them, then why not when the property
is that of Allah. Beware; certainly that giving of wealth without any right for it is
wastefulness and lavishness. It raises its doer in this world, but lowers him in the next
world. It honours him before people, but disgraces him with Allah. If a man gives his
property to those who have no right for it or do not deserve it, Allah deprives him of
their gratefulness, and their love too would be for others. Then if he falls on bad days
and needs their help, they would prove the worst comrades and ignoble friends.
.Forward to Sermon 126.Back to Sermon 124.