Alhassanain(p) Network for Heritage and Islamic Thought

70. Loans

Allah, the Wise, has said:

مَنْ ذَا الَّذِي يُقْرِضُ اللَّهَ قَرْضاً حَسَناً

“Who is it that will lend unto Allah a goodly loan…”1

Imam Sadiq (peacebe upon him) has said:

مَكْتُوبٌ عَلَى بَابِ الْجَنَّةِ الصَّدَقَةُ بِعَشَرَةٍ وَ الْقَرْضُ بِثَمَانِيَةَ عَشَرَ

“It is written upon the door of Paradise: The reward for (giving) charity is ten times and that of (extending) loans is eighteen times”2

Short Explanation

Providing loans to those in need is a sign of generosity. Since the problems of the underprivileged are numerous, it is essential to be regardful of and considerate towards them.

The importance of giving loans can be comprehended by the fact that lending money to a Muslim brother is regarded as more virtuous than giving him charity; thus ensuring that the society does not get entangled in interest and usury.

God increases the livelihood and enhances the moral excellences of one, who lends money to others; whereas he, who despite possessing the means to lend money to other, refrains from doing so, shall find himself afflicted with poverty and indigence.

1) Abu Dahdaah

When the verse,

مَّن ذَا الَّذِى يُقْرِضُ اللَّهَ قَرْضًا حَسَنًا فَيُضَاعِفَهُ لَهُ أَضْعَافًا كَثِيرَة

“Who is it that will lend unto Allah a goodly loan, so that He may give it increase manifold?”3 ,

was revealed, Abu Dahdaah4 said: O’ Prophet of God! May I be made your ransom! How is it that while God is Independent and Needless, He seeks from us a loan?

The Holy Prophet (peacebe upon him and his holy progeny) replied: It is because He desires to make you enter Paradise by means of this.

Abu Dahdaah asked: If I give my God a loan, do you guarantee Paradise for me?

Yes. Whoever gives God a loan, God shall recompense him in Paradise, the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him and his holy progeny) replied.

Abu Dahdaah continued: Would my wife, Umme Dahdaah be with me in Paradise?

The Holy Prophet (peacebe upon him and his holy progeny) said: Yes.

Abu Dahdaah persisted: Would it be that my daughter too shall be with me in Paradise?

This time, as the Holy Prophet (peacebe upon him and his holy progeny) replied in the affirmative, Abu Dahdaah said to him (peace be upon him and his holy progeny): Place your hand upon my hand to confirm what you have just stated!

The Holy Prophet (peacebe upon him and his holy progeny) gave him his hand, whereupon he said: I have nothing but two gardens and I lend both of them to God.

The Holy Prophet (peacebe upon him and his holy progeny) however advised: Keep one for yourself and lend the other.

When he heard this, Abu Dahdaah said: I take you, the Prophet of God, to be my witness that I have given thebest of the two gardens as loan to God.

That garden contained six hundred date palms!

The Holy Prophet (peacebe upon him and his holy progeny) said to him: God has granted you Paradise in exchange for it.

When Abu Dahdaah informed his wife of the incident, she said to him: May God make blessed that which you have purchased for yourself.5

2) He Repaid the Loan of the One in Debt

One day, Imam Zainul A’abideen (peacebe upon him) visited Muhammad Ibn Usaamah, who was sick. The Imam (peacebe upon him) observed that he was weeping and so asked: How do you feel?

Ibn Usaamah replied: I am in debt (and I am worried about its repayment).

The Imam (peacebe upon him) enquired: How much is your debt?

Fifteen thousand dinars, he replied, upon which the Imam (peace be upon him) declared: I shall pay off your debt (and he paid it off).6

3) The Fruits of Granting Respite to the Debtor

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) has stated: One who desires that God shelters him on the Day when there shall be no shelter save His, should either grant respite to one, who owes money to him or relinquish the money that is owed to him.

Once on an extremely hot day, the Holy Prophet (peacebe upon him and his holy progeny), while sheltering himself from the sun by means of his hands said: Who is it that desires to be sheltered from the intense heat of Hell? He repeated this sentence three times and on all the three occasions the people said: We, O’ Prophet of God!

He (peace be upon him and his holy progeny) then said: One, who grants respite (in the repayment of debt) to his debtor or relinquishes the money that is owned to him by an indigent person (shall be sheltered from the severe heat of Hell).7

4) The Ignorant Debtor

On the night of his ascension, one of the scenes that the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him and his holy progeny) witnessed was of a person, who was attempting to pick up a bundle of firewood. Despite trying, when he would be unable to do so, more firewood would be added to the bundle!

The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him and his holy progeny) asked Jibraeel: Who is this person? Jibraeel replied: This person was in debt and desired to repay it but could not do so, and so he took another loan, making further additions to burden of his debts.8

5) The Debtor and the Prayer for the Deceased

Mua'wiyah Ibn Wahab narrates:

I said to Imam Sadiq (peacebe upon him): We have heard that once, a person from amongst the Ansaar died while in a state of debt; the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him and his holy progeny) refused to offer the prayers over him saying: “First clear off his debts and then offer prayers over him”

Imam Sadiq (peacebe upon him) said: What you have heard is true and correct. The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him and his holy progeny) acted in this manner in order so that the people do not take their debts lightly.

The Imam (peace be upon him) then continued: The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him and his holy progeny), Amirul Mu'mineen, Imam Hasan and Imam Husain (peace be upon them) – all of them died while in a state of debt and all their debts were then paid off. Imam Sajjad (peace be upon him) sold the garden of Imam Husain (peace be upon him) for three hundred thousand dirhams and paid off his debts; Imam Hasan (peace be upon him) sold Amirul Mu'mineen’s (peace be upon him) property for five hundred thousand dirhams and cleared the debts of his father; for three years, during the season of Hajj, Amirul Mu'mineen (peace be upon him) would call out: “Whoever has lent money to the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him and his holy progeny) should come to me so that I can clear the loan.9

Notes

1. Holy Qur'an, ch. Al-Baqarah (2), vs. 245.

2. Jaame' Al-Sa'adaat, vol. 2, pg. 159.

3. Holy Qur'an, ch. Al-Baqarah (2), vs. 245.

4. His name was Thaabit and possessed a strong faith. In the battle of Uhud, when the rumour spread that the Holy Prophet (peacebe upon him and his holy progeny) had been martyred subsequent to which the Muslims began to flee, he shouted out: If Muhammad (peace be upon him and his holy progeny) has been killed, the God of Muhammad is still alive. Fight the enemies of Islam for God is your Helper.Safinah al-Bihaar, under ‘دحدح ’.

5. U’nwaan al-Kalaam, pg. 175.

6. Shanidanihaa-e-Taareekh, pg. 146; Mahajjah al-Baidhaa, vol. 4, pg. 234.

7. I’lm-e-Akhlaaq-e-Islami, vol. 2, pg. 214.

8. Namunah-e-Ma’arif, vol. 5, pg. 253; L’aali al-Akhbaar.

9. Safinah al-Bihaar, vol. 1, pg. 477.

71. Quran

Allah, the Wise, has said:

إِنَّ هذَا الْقُرْآنَ يَهْدِي لِلَّتِي هِيَ أَقْوَمُ‏

“Surely this Qur’an guides to that which is most upright”1

The Holy Prophet (peacebe upon him and his holy progeny) has said:

مَا آمَنَ بِالْقُرْآنِ مَنِ اسْتَحَلَّ مَحَارِمَهُ

“One who regards as lawfulthat which the Qur'an considers to be unlawful, has not brought faith upon it”2

Short Explanation

A reciter of the holy Qur'an is in need of three things: A heart that is humble and submissive, a body that is free from entanglement of work and a place that is free from presence of others.

As such, whenever a reciter’s heart becomes submissive to God, the accursed Satan distances himself from him; whenever he isolates himself from worldly preoccupations, his heart becomes more receptive to reciting the Qur'an; and when he selects an isolated place for reciting the Qur'an, his soul develops an intimacy with God, he begins to experience the sweetness of conversing with God and subsequently various miracles of the Qur'an shall become manifest for him.3

1) Attention towards the Creation or the Creator?

There was a person who would persistently visit the house of U'mar Ibn Khattaab in order that he might perhaps be given some material assistance. Exasperated by his constant visits, U'mar said to him: Have you emigrated to the house of God or to the house of U'mar? Go and recite the Qur'an and learn its teachings for then you shall not possess the need to come to my house.

The person went away; months passed and he never returned again. Upon making enquiries about him, U'mar was informed that he had distanced himself from the people and had now begun to devote all his time in an isolated place, in the worship of God

U'mar began to search for him, and upon finding him, said: I longed to see you (and have come to inquire after your health). Tell me, what caused you to distance yourself for us?

The man replied: I read the Qur'an and it made me independent of U'mar and the People of U'mar.

Hearing this, U'mar asked: What was the verse that you recited that made you take this decision?

He replied: I was reading the Qur'an when I came across this verse:

وَ فِي السَّماءِ رِزْقُكُمْ وَ ما تُوعَدُونَ

“And in the heaven is your sustenance and what you are threatened with.”4

Reading it, I chided myself: “My sustenance is in the heavens, whereas I search for it on the earth; I am indeed an awful person.”

U'mar, greatly affected by these words, acknowledged: You speak the truth!5

2) The Holy Prophet and the Quran

One of the spiritual qualities of the Holy Prophet (peacebe upon him and his holy progeny) was his deep intimacy with the Qur'an.

Sa’d Ibn Hishaam relates:

I approached A’aishah, the wife of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him and his holy progeny) and inquired about his ethics and conduct. In reply she asked: Do you recite the Qur'an?

I answered: Yes, I do, whereupon she remarked: The conduct of the Holy Prophet (peacebe upon him and his holy progeny) was in complete accordance with the Qur'an.

His (peace be upon him and his holy progeny) voice was such that his recitation of the Qur’an was more beautiful and captivating than anyone else.

Anas Ibn Maalik, his (peacebe upon him and his holy progeny) servant, says: While reciting the Qur'an, the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him and his holy progeny) would stretch the tone of his voice.

Ibn Masu’d, who was one of the scribes, who would write down the verses when they were revealed, says: “One day the Holy Prophet (peacebe upon him and his holy progeny) said to me: “Recite the Qur'an so that I may listen to it.” I recited the chapter al-Nisaa till I reached the verse 41:

فَكَيْفَ إِذا جِئْنا مِنْ كُلِّ أُمَّةٍ بِشَهِيدٍ وَ جِئْنا بِكَ عَلى‏ هؤُلاءِ شَهِيداً

“How will it be then, whenWe bring from every people a witness and bring you as a witness against these?”

As soon as I recited this verse, I observed that his eyes were filled with tears. He then said to me: This much is sufficient.”6

3) Ahmad Ibn Tuloon

Ahmad Ibn Tuloon was one of the kings of Egypt. When he died, the ruling administration hired the services of a Qur'an-reciter for a large sum so that he should recite the Qur'an over the grave of the king.

One day it was found that the reciter had vanished and no one was aware where he had gone! After an intensive search, when he was eventually found, he was asked: Why did you run away? All that he said was: I shall not recite the Qur'an any more.

He was told: If you feel that your salary is less, it can be doubled.

But he insisted: Even if you multiply it several times over, I shall not recite the Qur'an.

When he was told: We shall not leave you till you reveal to us the reason for this behavior of yours, he revealed: Some days back, Ahmad Ibn Tuloon objected to my recitation and said: “Why do you recite the Qur'an over my grave?

I said to him: I have been asked to recite the Qur'an for you so that you get its rewards.

He said: Not only do I not get any reward of your recitation on the contrary, with every verse that you recite, the fire, which engulfs me, is increased. I am told: “Do you hear the verses of the Quran? Why, while in the world, did you not act in accordance with the Qur'an?

The reciter then pleaded: Relieve me of the responsibility of reciting the Qur'an for that impious king.7

4) Five Hundred Copies of the Quran atop the Spears

In the battle of Siffeen, when the situation turned for the worse for the forces of Shaam, Mua'wiyah sat in consultation with A'mr A'as to find a way to evade the imminent defeat that faced him. A'mr A'as suggested: Whoever has a Qur'an should raise it on a spear and invite the people of Iraq towards an arbitration based on the Qur'an.

Abu Tufail, one of the companions of the Imam Ali (peacebe upon him) says:

The dawn after the Night of Clamour (lailatul Hareer), we observed that in front of the soldiers of Shaam there appeared things that were similar to flags. When daylight increased, we realized that they had tied Qur'ans to their spears. The great Qur'an of the mosque of Shaam was tied atop three spears with ten people holding it aloft. In each of the five sections of their army there were one hundred copies of the Qur'an - for a total of five hundred copies, held atop the spears, before the army of Iraq. In addition, all the while they were heard shouting the following slogan: By God! By God! For your religion, this book of God shall arbitrate between you and us!

When Imam Ali (peacebe upon him) observed this, he sighed: O’ Lord! You are aware that their aim and objective is not the Qur'an. You rule between them andus for You are the True Ruler.

This act on the part of the people of Shaam caused a split in the ranks of Imam’s companions and there arose a disagreement amongst them. One group of simpleminded individuals said: It is not permissible for us to battle them anymore for they have invited us to the book of God. Another group said: This act of Mua'wiyah is deception and we should not allow ourselves to be deceived.

The consequence of this disagreement was that Mua'wiyah was able to extricate himself from the battle and thus achieve what he had sought to achieve.8

5) Napoleon

Once Napoleon, while reflecting upon the Muslims, asked: Where is their main center? He was informed that it was Egypt.

When he traveled to Egypt together with a translator and entered its library; when the translator opened the Qur'an, the following verse appeared before him:

Surely this Quran guides to that which is most upright and gives good news to the believers9

When the translator translated this verse for him, Napoleon stepped out of the library and passed the entire night in reflection and meditation. The next morning he visited the library again and the translator translated other verses of the Quran for him.

On the third day, when the translator had translated a portion of the Qur'an for him, Napoleon sought to know more about this book. The translator explained: They (the Muslims) believe that God has revealed the Qur'an upon the final Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his holy progeny); this is their book of guidance till the Day of Judgment.

When he heard this, Napoleon remarked: What I have concluded from this book is that firstly, if the Muslims act upon the comprehensive and extensive teachings of this book, they shall never face humiliation and ignominy; secondly, till the time the Qur'an continues to play a role in their lives, the Muslims shall never submit before us, Westerners, except if we were to bring about a separation between them and the Qur'an.10

Notes

1. Holy Qur'an, ch. Al-Israa (17), vs. 9.

2. Safinah al-Bihaar, vol. 2, pg. 415.

3. Tadhkerah al-Haqaaiq, pg. 16.

4. Holy Qur'an, ch. Al-Dhaariyaat (51), vs. 22.

5. Hikayaat-ha-e-Shanidani, vol. 2, pg. 65; Sharh Nahjul Balaghah, Ibn Abil Hadeed, vol. 19, pg. 320.

6. Daastaan-hai-Az-Zindagi-e-Payambar, pg. 63 as quoted from Mahajjah al-Baidhaa, vol. 4, pg 120 and Bihaar al-Anwaar, vol. 92, 326 and the book ‘Kuhl al-Basar, pg. 79.

7. Riwaayat-ha Wa Hikaayat-ha, pg. 131; Daastaan-ha-e-Paraakandeh, vol. 2, pg. 55.

8. Shaagirdaan-e-Maktab-e-Aimmah, pg. 372.

9. Holy Qur'an, ch. Al-Israa (17), vs. 9. إِنَّ هذَا الْقُرْآنَ يَهْدِي لِلَّتِي هِيَ أَقْوَمُ وَ يُبَشِّرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ

10. Raahnamaa-e-Sa’adat, vol. 2, pg. 478; Humaa-e-Sa’adat, pg. 96.

72. Destiny and Decree

Allah, the Wise, has said:

وَ خَلَقَ كُلَّ شَيْ‏ءٍ فَقَدَّرَهُ تَقْدِيراً

“Who created everything, then ordained for it a measure”1

Imam Sadiq (peacebe upon him) said:

فِي قَضَاءِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ كُلُّ خَيْرٍ لِلْمُؤْمِنِ‏

“In every decree of God, there is goodness and benefit for the Mu'min”2

Short Explanation

‘Destiny and decree’ is an issue that is related to dogmatic theology; one which is so extremely intricate, that comprehending it fully is not everybody’s piece of cake.

A Mu'min ought to realize that whatever God decrees for him, irrespective of poverty and affluence, life and death, sickness and soundness of health, are for his good.

Since God is Wise andAware of the wellbeing of His servants, whatever He decrees is in their best interests.

If one comes to acquire a firm conviction in the divine Wisdom and Prudence, sorrow would dissipate from the hearts, happiness would enter into the lives and none would have any anxiety with respect to one’s livelihood.

1) Fetters upon the Feet

Muhammad Mahlabi, a minister relates:

Once before I became a minister, I had embarked on a journey by ship from Basrah to Baghdad. Amongst the others in the ship was person who was very frivolous and jocose. In jest, his friends bound his feet by means of chains. However, a little later when they wanted to remove the chains, to their horror they realized they were unable to do so.

When we reached Baghdad, we called for a blacksmith in order to cut the chains, but he refused saying: I cannot do this without the order of the judge.

The inmates of the ship proceeded to approach the judge and narrating the entire episode, requested him to instruct the blacksmith to cut the chains. At that juncture a youth happened to enter the gathering; looking angrily at the person in chains, he said: Are you not such and such person, who, in Basrah had killed my brother and escaped? It has been some time now that I have been in search of you.

He then brought some people of Basrah, who testified before the judge. The judge, on the basis of the testimony of the witnesses, put the person to death as a retaliation punishment for the murder committed by him. All were filled with amazement as to how, in fun, they had managed to chain a killer and hand him over to the authorities.3

2) Fish from the Sky

Men are governed by destiny and decree; God grants to His servants what He knows is good and beneficial for them. The late Sheikh Muhammad Husain Moulavi narrates:

In the midst of World War II, I was compelled to enter Bahrain. On a wide scale, the people of Bahrain stated: Due to the war and non-provision of supplies, for a whole week we had to remain hungry; our grains and crops had all become exhausted. All of us thronged into the mosque and Husainiyyah and began to pray. Later we observed that, by the order of God, a vapour ascended from the sea. This vapour soon transformed itself into a cloud and a strange rain, which was accompanied by fish, poured down upon us. The fish was of excellent quality, and managed to sustain us for a week till food supplies eventually reached us!4

3) I’zraaeel, the Companion of Prophet Sulaiman

One day I'zraaeel entered the assembly of Prophet Sulaiman (peacebe upon him). In that gathering, he persistently stared at one of the associates of Sulaiman (peace be upon him) and after a short while, departed from the gathering.

After he had left, the person asked Prophet Sulaiman (peacebe upon him): Who was that person?

I'zraaeel, he (peace be upon him) replied.

The man remarked: He kept looking at me as if he intended to seize my soul.

Prophet Sulaiman (peacebe upon him) inquired: What do you desire now?

The man said: Order the wind to take me to India so that I may be far away from him.

Prophet Sulaiman (be upon him) commanded the wind, which took the person to India.

The next time Prophet Sulaiman (peace be upon him) met I'zraaeel, he asked: Why were you staring at one of my associates?

He replied: I had been ordered by God to seize the soul of that person, in a short while from that time, in India! But seeing him there left me greatly astonished. However, when I went to India at the appointed5 hour, I found him there and seized his soul there.6

4) The Hoopoe

One day, the army of Prophet Sulaiman (peace be upon him) which also included the birds, convened a regal gathering in front of him (peace be upon him).

All of them, exhibiting utmost decorum and civility, stood before him (peace be upon him); each of the birds informed him (peace be upon him) of the skill and knowledge that it possessed till it was the turn of the hoopoe.

The hoopeo said: The skill that I possess is that when I am flying at great heights I am able to perceive, by my sharp and penetrative eyes, whether the water which lies in the depths of the ground gushes out of mud or from stone. It would be appropriate to grant me a rank in your army so that I can provide you information about the presence of water when you embark upon your journeys.

Prophet Sulaiman (peace be upon him) agreed and granted him the task of pointing out the water. When the crow came to know of this, he approached Prophet Sulaiman (peace be upon him) and said: The hoopoe has not spoken the truth; if he is truly able to perceive the water within the earth, then how is it that he is not able to perceive the snare, which is only covered by a handful of earth, which traps him and lands him in a cage?

The hoopoe answered: O’ Prophet Sulaiman! Do not pay heed to the words of my enemy! If I speak lies, you can sever my head from my body. While I am in flight I am able to perceive the snare; however, when the (divine) destiny and decree comes into play, a curtain clouds my intellect and ration.7

5) Faghfoor, the Chinese Emperor

Having commenced his military expeditions and having brought numerous countries under his sway, Alexander then focused his sights upon China. Marching there, he laid siege to it.

The Emperor of China, in the guise of a doorkeeper, arrived in the presence of Alexander and said to him: Faghfoor, the Chinese Emperor, has sent a message that I must convey to you in privacy.

Alexander ordered everyone to leave; the gathering dispersed, leaving the two of them in solitude.

The Chinese Emperor, revealing his identity, said: I am Faghfoor, the Emperor of China. Intensely astonished, Alexander said: What gave you the confidence to dare to undertake such a step?

Faghfoor said: I consider you to be a virtuous and rational Sultan. There never has been any enmity between us, and never have I harboured any evil thoughts about you. If you were to kill me, not a single person shall die from my army. But I have come to you personally so that I can give you whatever you desire from me.

Alexander said: I want you to give me the taxes of three years of China.

When Faghfoor agreed, Alexander inquired: How would your state be after you have given me the taxes.

Faghfoor confessed: I shall be so weak that I would succumb to any enemy that happens to attack me.

Alexander said: If I were to be contented with the taxes of two years, how then would your position be?

Faghfoor replied: My condition would be slightly better than before.

What if I were to take the taxes of only one year? Alexander queried.

Faghfoor said: In that case, my empire shall suffer no difficulty and I shall not be distressed in the least.

Hearing this, Alexander said: I shall be contented with only six months of taxes!

Faghfoor invited him to a banquet the following day so that he could hand over to him the six months of taxes.

The following day, entering China, Alexander was left speechless when he observed a huge army that was armed to the teeth. The entire army of Alexander found itself ensconced within the Chinese army.

Alexander felt a little apprehensive and rued the fact that he did not come armed;

Addressing Faghfoor, he said: Did you intend to play a trick on me by readying such a large army?

Faghfoor replied: I knew that by you have been granted a great empire by means of divine decree, and that you are backed by divine succour; whoever opposes the prosperous ones is bound to taste defeat. This army is only for the purpose of exhibition obedience and reverence to you.

Hearing this, Alexander said: Due to this understanding and reverence on your part, I gift to you the taxes of the six months that I had sought from you.8

Notes

1. Holy Qur'an, ch. Al-Furqaan (25), vs. 2.

2. Bihaar al-Anwaar, vol. 71, pg. 152.

3. Namunah-e-Ma’arif, vol. 3, pg. 146.

4. Daastaan-ha-e-Shigift, pg. 313.

5. چون به امر حق به هندوسنان شدم دیدمش آنجا و جانش بستدم

تو همه کار جهان را همچنين کن قياس و چشم بگشا و ببين

6. A’alam-e-Barzakh, pg. 29; Mahajjah al-Baidhaa, vol. 8, pg. 268.

7. Daastaan-ha-e-Mathnawi, vol. 1, pg. 41.

8. Khazinah al-Jawaahir, pg. 676; Zeenah al-Majaalis.

73) Contentment

Allah, the Wise, has said:

وَ أَطْعِمُوا الْقانِعَ وَ الْمُعْتَرَّ

“And feed the poor man who is contented, and the beggar”1

The Holy Prophet (peacebe upon him and his holy progeny) said:

كن قانعا تكن اءشكر الناس

“Be contented so that you may be the most thankful of all people”2

Short Explanation

It must be realized with conviction that whatever man has been given, has been according to the will and ordainment of God.

A person having faith and conviction in the distribution ofGod, would never turn towards other means and as a consequence, be free of numerous inconveniences and worries.

The Holy Prophet (peacebe upon him and his holy progeny) has said: Contentment is an empire that never collapses.

This attribute elevates man to his real abode and thus, one should always be contented and pleased with what has been bestowed upon him by God and be patient with respect to that, which has not reached him.3

1) The Conduct of Imam Sadiq

Contentment is a trait, admired and praised at all times, and God loves a person who is contented. This attribute becomes more noteworthy at a time when a society suffers from a shortage of food supplies.

Mu’tab, who was responsible for caretaking of the house of Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) relates:

Due to shortage in the market of Madinah, the prices of commodities had shot up. The Imam (peace be upon him) asked me: How much of food supplies do we have in the house?

Enough to last us for several months! I replied:

Hearing this, he said: Place all of the supplies for sale in the market.

Astonished, Mu’tab said: What kind of directive is this that you give?

The Imam (peacebe upon him) once again repeated his words, but this time with greater emphasis: Take all the provisions of the house and sell them in the market.

Mu’tab said: When I had acted as per the Imam’s (peace be upon him) instructions and sold everything in the market, he (peace be upon him) said to me: “Your duty is to procure food supplies for my house on a day to day basis just as most of the average-class people do.”

The Imam (peace be upon him) added: “The food for my family should be prepared by mixing fifty percent of barley and fifty percent of wheat”!4

2) Salman

Abu Waail narrates:

I, in the company of a friend, visited Salman’s house. He said to us: Had the Holy Prophet (peacebe upon him and his holy progeny) not prohibited exhibiting formalities for the guests, I would have taken the trouble of preparing some delicious food for you.

He then proceeded to place some bread and salt before us. Seeing the food, my friend commented: In addition to this salt, had there been some vegetable too, it would have made a great meal!

Salman pawned his pitcher and with the money, managed to purchase some vegetables.

After the meals my friend, praising God, said: All praise be to God that He made us contented with respect to what He has given us.5

Hearing this, Salman remarked: Had you really been contented, my pitcher would not have been pawned.6 (This incident has also been narrated slightly differently in that the person involved was Abu Dharr and not Salman, and the thing sought was mint, not vegetable.)

3) By Means of Contentment the Soul Becomes Submissive

One of the signs of a contented person is abstemiousness and satisfying himself with that which restrains and subjugates the soul.

Aswad and A’lqamah narrate:

One day when we approached Imam Ali (peace be upon him), we observed that before him lay a tray containing some date fibers and upon which lay two loaves of barley bread, the chaff of barley flour being clearly visible upon the loaves.

The Imam (peace be upon him) picked up the loaves and struck them on his knees till they broke and then proceeded to eat them with some salt. Observing this, we said to Fizza, the slave-girl: Why did you not remove the chaff from the flour for the Imam (peacebe upon him)?

She replied: Had Ali (peace be upon him) eaten the delicious bread, its sin would have fallen upon my shoulders.

Hearing the conversation Amirul Mu'mineen (peacebe upon him) smiled and said: I have myself instructed her not to remove the chaff.

We said: But why so, O’ Ali?

He replied: In this way my soul is subjugated better, it becomes contented, and the Mu'mins shall continue to follow me till I depart from this world.7

4) Your Food or Your Ruler

Sa’di, in his book Gulistaan, has recorded twenty four narratives in connection with the virtues of contentment, the last of them being the story of a devout worshipper, who after eating the food of the king, abandons his piety and contentment, and turns to greed and avarice.

Sa’di relates:

Once a pious worshipper took up dwelling in a cave where, away from the people, he engrossed himself in worship; he looked upon the kings and affluent ones in contempt, and was uninterested in and indifferent to the glitter and dazzle of the world.

One of the prosperous kings of the region sent the following message to the worshipper: I hope that your esteemed and noble self would agree to be my guest and grace us by joining us in our meals.

The worshipper was beguiled; accepting the invitation, he arrived for dinner and ate the food so as to act in accordance with the customary practice.

The following day the king, in order to thank the worshipper, set out for his cave. As soon as the worshipper’s eyes fell upon the king, he stood up in respect, seated him beside him and began praising him. After a while, the king bid him goodbye and left.

Some of the worshipper’s friends objected to his behaviour saying: Why did you lower yourself so much before him and, contrary to the conduct of distinguished and eminent worshippers displayed such affection for him?

The worshipper replied: Have you not heard: “If you consume someone’s food, it becomes incumbent upon you that you become servile towards him and repay his right!8

5) The Conduct of the Contented Ones

Some people, as soon as they come across an opportunity, lose track of their own selves and endeavour to utilize it to the maximum possible manner for themselves and their children.

However the condition of Sheikh Ansaari, who became the absolute marja’ after the death of the author of the book Jawaahir, when he died was not different from the time when he entered Najaf as a poor student from Dizfool.

His house bore resemblance to those of the most indigent of people. Despite the fact that every year, more than a hundred thousand tumans (equivalent to hundreds of millions of tumans of today) of legal taxes would be handed over to him, he would content himself with the measliest of incomes such that when he died, he possessed only 17 tumans.

Incidentally, he was in debt by the same amount too. His survivors did not even have the means to establish mourning ceremonies for him; it was a wealthy person who established mourning ceremonies and Qur'an-reciting gatherings for 6 days and nights for the Sheikh.

His restraint from greed and his contentment with the very least became the reason that when his representative in Baghdad came to Najaf and requested to be granted the responsibility of arranging the dowry for his (Sheikh’s) daughter, he refused, and had his daughter married to his nephew, Sheikh Muhammad Hasan Ansaari, with a very trivial and ordinary dowry.9

Notes

1. Holy Qur'an, ch. Al-Hajj (22), vs. 36.

2. Jaame' Al-Sa'adaat, vol. 2, pg. 102.

3. Tadhkerah al-Haqaaiq, pg. 32.

4. Daastaan-ha Wa Pand-ha, vol. 1, pg. 31.

5. اَلحَمْدُ ِللهِ الَّذیِ قَنَعَناَ بمِاَ رَزَقَناَ

6. PaighambarWa Yaaraan, vol. 3, pg. 206.

7. DaastaanhaaiAz Zindagi-e-A'li, pg. 119; Anwaar al-Nu’maaniyyah, pg. 18.

8. Hikaayat-ha-e-Gulistaan, pg. 184.

9. Seemaa-e-Farzaanigaan, pg. 457.