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Lesson: 13 Greed and its Harms
One of the
vices which degrade man and make him world-worshipper is greed. Many times it
so happens that man, due to greed, sells out his personality and his religion
also and makes himself disgraceful in the society.
In this discussion;first of all, let us understand what is greed?Secondly, what are its signs?Thirdly, what are its individual, social collective and spiritual harms.Fourthly, what is its remedy?
1 - Greed:
means to keep an eye on others wealth. This in itself is a branch of worldly
love. So many are people who do not have enough bread to eat and yet they never
look at the wealth of others, and like the proverb, keep their cheek rosy by
slapping it. Also there are millionaires and are still greedy. In this matter
we read in narrations:No richness can equal the content or needlessness of the heart. In another hadith we read: Keep away from greed as greed is sure poverty
2 - Signs of
Greed: Man talks flatteringly with the wealthy and the powerful and lowers himself
before them and sometimes he presents himself as a slave and as asserted by
the Amirul Mo-mineen (a.s.): Greed is a permanent slavery or a greedy man is
bound by disgrace
3 - Harms of
Greed: Greed lowers the value of man in the sight of God and in the society.
How disgraceful it is for a man for whom the Lord Almighty has used names like
or vicegregent.
Or says about
him: And surely we have honoured the children of Adam.
Makes himself
downgraded and looks greedily at the wealth or status of others. Society knows
such persons and people do not give any respect to them. They are like mosquitoes
being swept away in the direction of the wind. In the words of Amirul Mo-mineen
(a.s.): No thing destroys religion like novice and no thing corrupts human personality
like greed
Contrary to
it there are also some people who are not wealthy from the worldly viewpoint
and yet they are respected by the society as the society knows that they do
not entertain any tined of greed and that they represent the type who, in the
words of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.): If anybody wants to become the richest
man he should pay more attention to what is in the hand of God and not what
is in the possession of other.
Imam Sadiq
(a.s.) also says: One who rests content at what God has provided for him
is the richest of all men.
Greediness
is of no value from the religious point of view. Here we draw your attention
to some hadiths about it:
A: Saadaan
says: I asked Imam Sadiq (a.s.): What strengthens the Faith of man? He replied:
Piety. And what drives man out of religion? He said: Greed.
B: And Imam
Sadiq (a.s.) said: Be pious and save yourselves from showing yourselves as needy
and know that the one who lowers himself before the officer of a tyrant king
or in front of his opponent in the matter of religion for seeking mater at benefits
of this transient world, God makes him valueless in the eyes of the society
and considers him as His enemy.
C: Amirul Mo-mineen
(a.s.) has, reportedly, said: One who approached a wealthy man just for the
sake of his wealth and thereby, gives him respect loses two-third of his religion
4 - Cure for
this Dreadful Illness: Man should look at its harms. He should notice where
did greed lead the people who fell pray to a greed for status or lust for riches.
Man must also read history and ponder over it and take note that people like
Ibne Saad or ulemas who were greedy approached the courts of kings and consequently
fell in the eyes of the society. In this way man can easily remove this dirty
vice from himself.
One should
also think deeply into the might of the Lord of the worlds only one God and
believe that He has power over everything.
He must not
show his needs to anyone except only one God until he becomes needless except
that of Almighty Allah and frees himself from the slavery of any human being
and reaches perfection of spirit.
