Islam and Greed: Islamic Sayings on Greed (What is Greed?)

 Greed is the excess fondness of money and fortune. It is one of the

bad manners that draw to various evils and sins. Greed is selfish excessive or uncontrolled desire for possession or pursuit of money, wealth, food, or other possessions, especially when this denies the same goods to others.

Amir al-Muminin (as) said: "Know with certainty that you cannot achieve your desire and cannot exceed your destined life. You are on the track of those before you. Therefore, be humble in seeking and moderate in earning because often seeking leads to deprivation. Every seeker of livelihood does not get it, nor is everyone who is moderate in seeking deprived."

Amir al-Muminin (as) said: "A greedy man will always find himself in the shackles of humility."

Amir al-Muminin (as) said: "Greed is the key to trouble and carries man to hardship. It causes him to commit sin."

Imam Hasan Mujtaba (as) said: "The annihilation of people lies in three things: Arrogance, Greed and Envy. Arrogance causes destruction of the religion and because of it Shaitan (Satan) was cursed, and Greed is the enemy of one's soul, and because of it Adam was expelled from Paradise, and Envy is the guide to wickedness, and because of it Qabil (Cain) killed Habil (Abel) - the two sons of Prophet Adam (as)."

Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (as) said: "In his love for the world, the greedy is like the silkworm: the more it wraps in its cocoon, the less it has of escaping from it, until it dies of grief."

Imam Jafar Sadiq (as) said: "If son of Adam were to possess two valleys of gold and silver, he would long for a third. Son of Adam, your stomach is but an ocean or a valley that cannot be filled in with anything except dust."

Imam Jafar Sadiq (as) said: "The destruction that the fondness of fortune leaves on a man is more effective than the deed of two ravenous wolves that attack a shepherd less herd, one from the front and the other from the back. The Muslim's honor, however, lies in his religiosity."

Islam and Greed: Disadvantages of Greed (Selfishness and Islam)

Greed enslaves man and causes him grief. The greedy cares only for collecting fortunes without stopping at any limit. Whenever he achieves a goal, he works for achieving another and, so, he becomes the slave of avidity until death strikes him. He, also, exerts laborious efforts for collecting riches, but he is the less beneficiary. He tires for gaining fortunes, but death comes unexpectedly upon him to deprive him of enjoying that fortune. The heirs, then, enjoy his fortune very easily. Furthermore, greed takes to the slips of sinful matters that produce problematic situations in the world to come. It also hinders from doing charity.

Treatment of Greed according to Imam Jafar Sadiq (as), "I guarantee for the moderate that he will not see poverty."

Islam and Greed: Emperor and the Beggar (Greed Story, Human Desires, Selfishness and Islam)

An emperor was coming out of his palace for his morning walk when he met a beggar. He asked the beggar, "What do you want?" the beggar laughed and said, "You are asking me as though you can fulfill my desire." The emperor was offended. He said, "Of course I can fulfill your desire. What is it? Just tell me." And the beggar said, "Think twice before you promise anything." The beggar was no ordinary beggar. So he insisted, "I will fulfill anything you ask. I am a very powerful emperor, what can you possibly desire that I can not give to you?" The beggar said, "It is a very simple desire. You see this begging bowl? Can you fill it with something?"

The emperor said, "Of course!" He called one of his viziers and told him, "Fill this man's begging bowl with money." The vizier went and got some money and poured it into the bowl, and it disappeared. And he poured more and more, but the moment he would pour it, it would disappear. And the begging bowl remained always empty.

The whole palace gathered. By and by the rumor went throughout the whole capital, and a huge crowd gathered. The prestige of the emperor was at stake. He said to his viziers, "If the whole kingdom is lost, I am ready to lose it, but I cannot be defeated by this beggar."

Diamonds and pearls and emeralds, his treasuries were becoming empty. The begging bowl seemed to be bottomless. Everything that was put into it - everything - immediately disappeared, and went out of existence. Finally it was the evening, and the people were standing there in utter silence. The emperor dropped at the feet of the beggar and admitted his defeat. He said, "Just tell me one thing. You are victorious - but before you leave, just fulfill my curiosity. What is the begging bowl made of?"

The beggar laughed and said, "It is made up of the human mind. There is no secret. It is simple made up of human desire."

This understanding transforms life. Go into one desire - what is the mechanism of it? First there is a great excitement, great thrill, adventure.

Something is going to happen; you are on the verge of it. And then you have your chariot and your palace and all the diamonds of the world, suddenly all is meaningless again.

What happens? Your mind has dematerialized it. The chariot is standing in the driveway, but there is no excitement anymore. The excitement was only in getting it. You became so drunk with the desire that you forgot your inner nothingness. Now the desire is fulfilled, the chariot in the driveway, the diamonds in your very hands - again excitement disappears. Again the emptiness is there, ready to eat you up. Again you have to create another desire to escape this yawning abyss.

That's how one moves from one desire to another desire. That's how one remains a beggar, in reality it is truly you who is the beggar, your whole life proves it again and again - every desire frustrates. And when the goal is achieved, you will need another desire.

The day you understand that desire as such is going to fail comes the turning point in your life, I am content with all my Lord the most high has provided me.

The other journey is to your Lord which you cannot escape. "He created the heavens and the earth in just proportions and has given you shape, and has made your shapes beautiful: and to Him is the final return." Noble Qur'an profoundly teaches that: Verily in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest! Noble Qur'an (13:28)

Islam and Greed: New Store Opening (Greedy Story, Human Desires, Selfishness and Islam)

A store that sells husbands has just opened in Nairobi, where a woman may go to choose a husband. Among the instructions at the entrance is a description of how the store operates. You may visit the store ONLY ONCE!

There are six floors and the attributes of the men increase as the shopper ascends the flights. There is, however, a catch . You may choose any man from a particular floor, or you may choose to go up a floor, but you cannot go back down except to exit the building! So, a woman goes to the Husband Store to find a husband...

On the first floor the sign on the door reads: Floor 1 - These men have jobs and love the Lord.

The second floor sign reads: Floor 2 - These men have jobs, love the Lord, and love kids.

The third floor sign reads: Floor 3 - These men have jobs, love the Lord, love kids, and are extremely good looking.

"Wow," she thinks, but feels compelled to keep going.

She goes to the fourth floor and sign reads: Floor 4 - These men have jobs, love the Lord, love kids, are drop-dead good looking and help with the housework.

"Oh mercy me" she exclaims, "I can hardly stand it!" Still, she goes to the fifth floor and sign reads: Floor 5 - These men have jobs, love the Lord, love kids, are drop-dead gorgeous, help with the housework, and have a strong romantic streak.

She is so tempted to stay, but she goes to the sixth floor and the sign reads: Floor 6 - You are visitor 4,363,012 to this floor. There are no men on this floor. This floor exists solely as proof that women are impossible to please.

Thank you for shopping at the Husband Store. Watch your step as you exit the building, and have a nice day!

Islam and Hope: Hope and Greed (Story of Hope, Human Desires, Greed Story)

Abbasid Caliph Haroon Rashid desired that any one who had seen the Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAW) in his lifetime be brought before him. After some time a very old woman was brought before the Caliph Haroon Rashid. The Caliph Haroon Rashid asked the old woman, "Did you see Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAW) yourself?" She said, "Yes! Oh Sir." The Caliph Haroon Rashid then asked her if she remembered any narration from him. She said yes and said, "When old age comes two things become young, one is hope (lofty aspirations) and the other is greed." The Caliph Haroon Rashid thanked her and gave her one hundred dinars. The woman thanked the Caliph Haroon Rashid and she was taken back.

Half the way some thought passed through her mind and she desired to be brought before the Caliph Haroon Rashid once more. When she was shown in, the Caliph Haroon Rashid asked, "Well, why have you come back?" She said. "I just came to inquire whether the monies you gave me were once for all or is it to continue every year?"

The Caliph Haroon Rashid thought. "How true is the Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAW) word?" she has hope of life even now and she has greed for money too. The Caliph Haroon Rashid said, "Don't worry; you will be paid every year." She was taken back but on the way she breathed her last.

Islam and Honesty: Selfish Man (Story of Honesty, Greed for Money, Selfishness and Islam)

Once upon a time, there was a selfish man. He liked everything to be his own. He could not share his belongings with anyone, not even his friends or the poor.

One day, the man lost thirty gold coins. He went to his friend's house and told him how he lost his gold coins. His friend was a kind man.

As his friend's daughter was coming from an errand she found thirty gold coins, when she arrived home, she told her father what she had found. The girl's father told her that the gold coins belong to his friend and he sent for him. When the selfish man arrived, he told him how his daughter had found his thirty gold coins and handed then to him. After counting the gold coins the man said that ten of them was missing and had been taken by the girl as he had forty gold coins. He further commented that he will recover the remaining amount from him (the girl's father). But the father refused.

The selfish man left the gold coins and went to the court and informed the judge there about what had taken place between him and the girl's father.

The judge sent for the girl and her father, and when they arrived asked the girl how many gold coins did she find. She replied thirty gold coins. The Judge that asked the selfish man how many gold coins did he lose and he answered forty gold coins.

The judge then told the selfish man that the gold coins did not belong to him because the girl found thirty and not forty as he claimed to have lost and then told the girl to take the gold coins and that if anybody is looking for them he will send for the girl.

The judge told the selfish man that if anybody reports that they have found forty gold coins he will send for him. It was then that the selfish man confessed that he lied and that he lost thirty gold coins but the judge did not listen to him.

Moral: This story of honesty teaches us to be always honest as dishonest never pays.

Islam and Greedy: Rock in the sand (Greed Story, Human Desires, Greed for Treasure)

An Arab while crossing a desert came across a huge rock half buried in the sand. Written on the boulder was: "TURN ME OVER AND YOU WILL BENEFIT FROM IT"

The Arab felt assuming there was a great treasure hidden underneath it worked mightily to turn it over. He succeeded after several hours. But there was no treasure there, only an inscription on the underside of the rock: "GREED IS THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL REMEMBER THIS AND YOU WILL BE A BETTER MAN."

Haven't you collected free pens, note books at conferences? Watch people picking up candies, freshening tissues, napkins in the flights simply to go home and throw them. People go on collecting things out of greed and fear.

"Greed is a projection of fear. It is because of fear that man becomes greedy. He is so much afraid, that he wants to accumulate for the future. He is so afraid, that he sacrifices his today for tomorrow and the tomorrow never comes. The greedy man never becomes rich.

He may have the whole world at his disposal, but he remains poor. He cannot enjoy it, his greed won't allow that. He remains miserly. He always remains in such fear of the future that he cannot part with his money. He accumulates, accumulates, wastes his whole life and one day dies.

He was a poor man his whole life - empty-handed he had come, empty-handed he has gone, and his whole life went down the drain with no significance."