Lessons from Nahjul Balagha [Electronic resources] نسخه متنی

Sermons
Sermon
125

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.