Like The Hungry Wolves (1)
Then the old man said, "O young man, many man has led his soul into destruction by that which he covets. Desiring the riches of this world, recognition and power amongst the people – it was a trial for the nations of the past and many of us relentlessly chase after it today. The serious consequences of a person’s greed for amassing wealth, may lead a person into something which is forbidden. Likewise a person’s craving after attainment of status and position – then this will generally prevent the good, dignity and honour of the Hereafter – and may lead a person into pride and to looking down upon and having contempt for others.
Know that an appetite is the desire of the lower self to obtain something which it imagines will satisfy it or give it enjoyment. The human self accords great importance to its appetites. If the appetites are given free rein, people will continually seek more and more of what will' lead them to destruction. They will be destroyed because they will go beyond the limits and leave the right path. It is therefore necessary for people to curb their appetites and hold themselves to contentment with little. The more you give the lower self, the more it wants. If you keep it used to little, it remains content.
This means that the lower appetites should always be kept in check by the impregnable bulwark of the intellect. They are necessary as fuel for life in this world but anyone who constantly gives in to them becomes addicted to this world and happy with it alone at the expense of the Next World. Man is both spirit and body. His spirit wants him to rise to sublime heights and to be given its own requirements in terms of the Qur 'an and pure Sunna and various good actions such as prayer, fasting, zakat, maintaining ties of kinship, truthful speech, kindness, gentleness and forbearance, and keeping contracts.
The body only really has need of a small number of material things: enough to keep the back straight. If it has them, the lower self will be content and not go beyond the limits. It will command you to do right and forbid you to do wrong and be a helpmate for you both in your deen and this world. But if a man is distracted by the bodily world from the spiritual world, his lower self will inevitably lag behind the caravan of faith and he will become preoccupied with its demands, excesses and impetuosity. He will be like an unruly horse which wanders all over the place with nothing to restrain it, no goal to head towards and no clear path to follow. We seek refuge with Allah! That is pure wretchedness, a miserable life of complete failure.
From Abu Huraira, radhiyallahu 'anhu. the Prophet (ﷺ) said ,
"The (Hell) Fire is surrounded by all kinds of desires and passions, while Paradise is surrounded by all kinds of disliked undesirable things." - [Sahih al-Bukhari]
The explanation can be found in another hadith,
"Allah Almighty created the Fire, and He said to Jibril, 'Go and look at it.' He went and looked at it and said, 'By Your Might, no one will hear of it and then enter it!' Then Allah surrounded it with appetites and said, 'Now go and look it.' So he went and looked at it and said, 'By Your Might, now I fear that no one will be saved from entering it!' He created the Garden and said to Jibril, 'Go and look at it. He went and looked at it and said, 'By Your Might, no one will hear of it without entering it!' Then He surrounded it with,difficult things and then said, 'Go and look at it.' He (Jibril) went and looked at it and said, 'By Your Might, I fear that now no one will enter it!'" - [Jami' at-Tirmidhi; Hasan]
So anyone who forces his heart to give up the things which it desires and which his lower self yearns for but which his Rabb dislikes has protected himself from the Fire and has made it mandatory for Allah to safeguard him from it. Most of the actions which Allah Almighty has commanded and encouraged are irksome for the heart and tiring for the limbs. They are things that tend to be contrary to human nature and burdensome for the lower self.
Allah knew His creation and what was in the best interests of His slaves before He created them. He knew that it is part of human nature to like what agrees with it and dislike what opposes it. The appetites leap towards the one and the lower self rejects the other. No one would leave what his lower self desires without the threat of the painful punishment which is awaiting it if it does not; and no one would put up with difficulties without the hope and promise of the endless bliss which is awaiting him if he does. People only abandon their appetites and endure difficulties on account of fear and hope. The Almighty, therefore, frightens His slaves and threatens them and He gives them hope and makes promises to them so that they may fear Him and have hope in Him.
This is how Allah describes those who understand that and fear Him,
"But as for he who feared the position of his Lord and prevented the soul from [unlawful] inclination, then indeed, Paradise will be [his] refuge." - [QS.79:40-41]
Allah says that when someone fears his Rabb, he forbids the lower self it's appetites. In other words, god fearing people flee from and avoid what Allah has forbidden. Allah describes them when He says,
"And We will surely cause you to dwell in the land after them. That is for he who fears My position and fears My threat." - [QS.14:14]
Appetite constitutes a strong psychological force which is woven together with the personality and the bodily needs. Some of it is necessary for the perpetuation of human existence on the face of the earth. But excess of it is the source of all conflict from the beginning of creation until now. Conflict within the family is the result of the desire for food, dress, adornment and the various other desires of the lower self. Conflict between nations is the result of the desire for wealth in various forms and the desire for power and for exploitation of the goods of other people.
Allah's Messengers and Messages came one after the other only in order to remedy these appetites which are created in man as a test and a trial for him. They show us how to apply our wills to keep our bodily needs within certain beneficial limits and enable us to use our intellects to reflect on the vast dominions of the heavens and the earth; and that in tum enables us to affirm the greatness of our Creator so that we may humble ourselves before Him as sincere believers. This is our true role in existence. We are not merely animals striving to satisfy our instincts, devoting all our energy, possessions and life to that alone.
Allah created man to replenish existence by his intellect and effort, to disseminate security, justice and prosperity, and to combat ignorance, injustice and oppression. Allah created him to strive against his lower self which commands him to evil and gave him inner strength to enable him to confront the hardships and difficulties of life. That is what truly constitutes human life. A life of affluence, pleasures, and fulfilment of appetites is in reality death itself, because it means that man has gravitated to the earth and followed his lower appetites. Allah says,
"And if We had willed, we could have elevated him thereby, but he adhered [instead] to the earth and followed his own desire. So his example is like that of the dog: if you chase him, he pants, or if you leave him, he [still] pants. That is the example of the people who denied Our signs. So relate the stories that perhaps they will give thought." - [QS.7:176]
The clear Signs of Allah are nourishment for the spirit and intellect. They are a clear light which enters the breast and breathes life into the human self and treats its illnesses which take the form of never-ending desires. Whenever someone satisfies one of the desires of his lower self, it says to him, "Isn't there any more?" If it is given free rein, it will inevitably cast him into a bottomless pit and deeper and deeper darkness.
In the Noble Qur'an, we find the most comprehensive listing of the appetites. They are placed in principal categories with numerous derivative secondary branches stemming from them. Allah says,
"Beautified for people is the love of that which they desire - of women and sons, heaped-up sums of gold and silver, fine branded horses, and cattle and tilled land. That is the enjoyment of worldly life, but Allah has with Him the best return." - [QS.3:14]
Allah mentions six distinct appetites whose love occupies the hearts of mankind and which distract them from their Deen. They are the basis of all their trials in this life. Two of these six appetites are connected to women and children and that the remaining four are connected to wealth either in terms of money or of goods. That is because of the importance held by wealth in human affairs and the prominent part it plays in establishing life and furthering it and in providing the ease and luxury so dear to man. Wealth is, moreover, the basic means of realising all other human appetites.
Ka'b bin Malik, radiyallaahu ‘anhu, reported that the Prophet (ﷺ) said,
"Two hungry wolves sent in the midst of a flock of sheep, are no more destructive to them than a man's greed for wealth and status to his Deen." - [Imaam Ahmad, an-Nasa’i, at-Tirmidhi and Ibn Hibbaan; Hasan-Sahih according to at-Tirmidhi]
`Aasim ibn `Adiyy, radiyAllaahu `anhu, said, ‘I bought a hundred shares from the shares of Khaybar and that reached the Prophet (ﷺ), so he said,
“Two ravenous wolves remaining amongst sheep whose owner has lost them will not be more harmful than a Muslim’s seeking after wealth and status to his Deen.”’ - [At-Tabaraanee; Hasan by al-Haithumee]
This is a very great similitude given to us by the Prophet (ﷺ) to show how the Deen of the Muslims is corrupted by craving after wealth and worldly status, and that the damage caused to the Deen by it will not be less than the damage caused by two hungry and ravenous wolves which spend the night amongst sheep whose shepherd is absent – so that they feast on them and massacre them.
As is obvious, none but a small number of these sheep would escape from the havoc caused by these hungry wolves – and the Prophet (ﷺ) informed us that a person’s craving after wealth and status does not cause less harm than these two hungry wolves amongst the sheep. Rather, either it will be the same or worse. So this shows that hardly any of a Muslim’s Deen remains secure if he craves after wealth and status in this world – just as hardly any of the sheep will be saved from hungry wolves. So this great similitude contains a severe warning against the evil of craving after wealth and status in the world.
There are two types of craving for wealth. The first type is, a person has extreme love for wealth and also relentlessly exerts efforts to attain it – via means which are lawful – being excessive in that, striving hard and making painstaking efforts and toiling in order to attain it.
There is nothing more to chasing after wealth than the wastage of a person’s noble life for something which has no value. Instead he could have earned a high rank in Paradise and everlasting bliss, but he lost this due to his craving after provision – which had already been assured to him and allotted to him, and it was not possible for anything to come to him except what was decreed for him – then on top of this, he has no benefit from it, but rather abandons it and leaves it for someone else.
He departs from that and leaves it behind so that he will be the one held accountable for it, yet someone else benefits from it. So in reality, he only gathers it, yet someone else benefits from it. So in reality, he only gathers it for someone who will not praise him for that, whilst he himself goes on to One who will not excuse him for that – this itself would indeed be enough to show the blameworthiness of this craving. The person who has this craving, wastes his valuable time and engages himself in something which has no benefit to himself – in journeying and exposing himself to dangers in order to amass, which will only benefit someone else. It was said to a wise man, “So and so has amassed wealth,” so he said, “Then has he amassed days in which to spend it?” It was said, “No” So he said, “Then he has amassed nothing!”
Ibn Mas’ood, radiyallaahu `anhuma, said,
“Certain yaqeen, is that you do not make the people happy by angering Allah, and that you do not envy anyone for that which Allah has provided, and that you do not blame anyone for something which Allah has not given you – since provision will not be brought on by a persons craving after it, nor will it be repelled by a persons disliking it. Indeed, Allah through His Justice has made joy and happiness dependant upon having certain faith and contentment, and He has made worries and sorrow spring from doubt and displeasure.”
A wise man said,
“The people who have the greatest degree of restlessness are the envious, those who have the greatest degree of happiness are the contented. Those who persevere most through suffering are those who are covetous. Those who have the simplest and most pleasant life are those who most strongly refuse this world. The one who will suffer the greatest regret is the scholar whose actions contradict his knowledge.”
Craving after this world torments a person, he is preoccupied and does not attain joy or pleasure whilst amassing – since he is preoccupied. He does not find time – due to his love of this world – for the Hereafter, and is preoccupied with that which will perish and forgets that which will abide and remain.
The second type of craving after wealth is that in addition to what has been mentioned in the first type, he also seeks wealth through unlawful means and withholds people’s rights – then this is definitely blameworthy greed and covetousness. Allaah, the Most High, says,
"...And whoever is protected from the stinginess of his soul - it is those who will be the successful." - [QS.59:9]
Narrated Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-'As, radhiyallahu 'anhu, "The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) preached and said,
'Abstain from avarice, for those who had been before you were annihilated due to avarice. It (avarice) commanded them to show niggardliness; it commanded them to cut off their relationship with their nearest relatives, so they cut off. It commanded them to show profligacy, so they showed it.' - [Sunan Abi Dawud, al-Haakim and Ahmad; Sahih]
The word shuhh (avarice) may sometimes be used to mean bukhl (miserliness) and vice-versa, however in origin they are different in meaning. Al-Qaadee `Iyaad said,
"It is possible that this destruction was the destruction of those whose blood was spilled who were mentioned here, and it is possible that it is destruction in the Hereafter – and this is more apparent, and it is possible that it means destruction in both this world and the Hereafter. A number of people have said that avarice (shuhh) is more severe than miserliness (bukhl) and causes the person to withhold to a greater degree. Some say that it is miserliness combined with covetousness. Some say that miserliness is with reference to specific actions whereas avarice is general. Some say that miserliness is in particular actions and avarice is with reference to wealth and good actions. Others say that avarice is desiring that which one does not possess and being miserly about what one does possess.”
Some of the scholars say,
“Avarice is eager craving which causes a person to take things which are not lawful for him, and to withhold the rights of others. Its reality is that a person craves that which Allah has forbidden and prohibited him from, and that one is not contented with the wealth and womenfolk and whatever else Allaah has made lawful for him. So Allah, the Most High, has made lawful for us that which is good from foods, drinks, clothing and women and has forbidden us to acquire these things except by lawful means, and He made lawful for us the blood and wealth of the Unbelievers and those fighting against us. He also forbade us from everything impure from foods, drinks, clothing and women, and He forbade us from seizing people’s wealth and spilling their blood unjustly. So he who limits himself to that which is permitted for him is a Believer, and one who goes beyond that into what he has been forbidden – then this is a blameworthy avarice which is inconsistent with Emaan (true faith in belief, word and action)."
Therefore the Prophet (ﷺ) informed that avarice causes a person to cut off relations, commit sins and to be miserly – and miserliness is a person’s clinging on greedily to what he has in his hand. Whereas avarice is seeking to obtain that which does not belong to him unjustly and wrongfully – whether it is wealth or something else. It is even said that it is the head of all sins – this was how Ibn Mas`ood, radiyallaahu `anhu, and others from the Salaf, explained avarice and greed.
Aboo Hurairah, radiyallaahu `anhu reported that the Prophet (ﷺ) said,
“Avarice (shuhh) and Emaan will not combine in the heart of a Believer”
Also, in another hadeeth, the Prophet (ﷺ) said,
“The best of Emaan is self-restraint (sabr) and compliance (musaamahah).”
Sabr here, has been explained to be withholding oneself from forbidden things, and musaamahah as the carrying out of the obligatory actions.
If the person’s craving after wealth reaches this level then the deficiency it causes in a person’s Deen is clear – since failing to fulfill what is obligatory and falling into what is forbidden reduce one’s Religion and Emaan without a doubt to the point that nothing but a little remains of it.
A person’s craving after status is even more destructive than his craving after wealth. Seeking after worldly status, position, power and domination, causes more harm to a person that his seeking after wealth – it is more damaging and harder to avoid since even wealth is expended in seeking after leadership and status. Craving after status is of two types.
The first is, seeking status through authority, powership, and wealth, and this is very dangerous – since it will usually prevent a person from the good of the Hereafter and nobility and honour in the next life, Allaah, the Most High says,
"That home of the Hereafter We assign to those who do not desire exaltedness upon the earth or corruption. And the [best] outcome is for the righteous." - [QS.28:83]
So it is rare that a person seeks after position in this world by seeking authority and is guided to, and granted what is good for him. Rather he is entrusted to his own self, just as the Prophet (ﷺ) said to `Abdur-Rahmaan ibn Samurah, radiyallaahu `anhu,
“O `Abdur-Rahmaan! Do not ask for authority since if you are given it due to requesting it, then you are abandoned to it, but if you are given it without requesting it, then you will be aided in it.” - [Ahmad and al-Bukhari]
This does not mean that Muslims could not participate in politics and succession. One of the Salaf said,
“No one seeks after authority and then behaves justly in it.”
Imam An-Nawawee said,
“This is a great reason to avoid positions of authority especially those who are weak – and this refers to those who are not suitable and those who do not act justly in the position – then he will regret his negligence when he is humiliated on the Day of Resurrection. However one who is suitable for the position and behaves justly in it – then there is a great reward as shown in a number of reports. However entering into it carries a great danger, therefore the great scholars avoided it."
Know that craving after status and position, inevitably causes great harm before its attainment due to the striving necessary to attain it, and also, afterwards due to the person’s strong desire to hold onto it which produces injustice, haughtiness and other evils.
[Part 2]
