Therefore the Prophet (salAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) 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.
So from this the meaning of the hadeeth of Aboo Hurairah, radiyAllaahu `anhu, will be
understood. He reports that the Prophet (salAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “Avarice
(shuhh) and Emaan will not combine in the heart of a Believer”8 Also in another
hadeeth from the Prophet (salAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) he said, “The best of Emaan is
self-restraint (sabr) and compliance/liberality (musaamahah),”9 Sabr here has been
explained to be withholding oneself from forbidden things, and musaamahah as the
carrying out of the obligatory actions.
Also the word shuhh (avarice) may sometimes be used to mean bukhl (miserliness) and
vice-versa, however in origin they are different in meaning as we have mentioned.
If the person’s craving after wealth reaches this level then the deficiency it causes in a
person’s Religion is clear – since failing to fulfill what is obligatory and falling into what
is forbidden reduce one’s Religion and Eemaan without a doubt to the point that
nothing but a little remains of it.
8 This is a part of a hadeeth whose wording is, “Dust in the way of Allaah and the smoke of Hell-Fire will
never combine in the belly of a servant, nor will avarice and Eemaan ever combine in the heart of a
servant.” It is reported by Ibn Abee Shaibah (5/344), Ahmad, an-Nasaa’ee (6/13,14)… and its chain of
narration is hasan lighairihi (good due to supports.)
9 This hadeeth has been reported from four Companions: (i) `Umar ibn Qataadah al-Laythee, by al-Bukharee
in at-Taareekhul-Kabeer (3/2/530) and al-Haakim (3/626), (ii) Jaabir ibn `Abdillaah – by Ibn Abee Shaibah
in al-Eemaan (no.43) and Ibn Hibbaan in al-Majrooheen (3/136), (iii) `Amr ibn `Abasah – by Ahmad (4/375)
and (iv) `Ubaadah ibn as-Saamit – by Ahmad (5/319), and the hadeeth is saheeh due to these chains – and
Allaah knows best.