Part 15

The more reasonable of them desires that all may have their desires on an equal basis, and cannot tolerate some having more than them, as for the others (i.e. who wish for the destruction of the good things possessed by others because they have not been able to obtain it), they are envious oppressors. These two types of envy occur in relation to things which Islam allows as well as in relation to things which are forbidden by the rights of Allah over His slaves. As for that which is of the first type such as food and drink, spouses, clothes, riding animals, and wealth, the exclusive possession of these things by some and not others can be a cause of oppression, miserliness, and envy. Greed Is The Cause Of Slipping Into Deviation The origin of all of these problems is greedy desire (shuhh). The Prophet explains this in the following sahih hadith: "Beware of shuhh (greedy desire), for verily it destroyed those who came before you. It ordered them to be miserly and they were miserly, it ordered them to commit oppression and they oppressed, and it ordered them to cut family ties and they cut family ties." For this reason, Allah praised the Ansar (the Muslims of Madinah who received those who migrated from Makka, and helped them) for having the opposite characteristics, saying: [And those who had prepared the place of dwelling and (accepted) the faith before them (i.e. before those who migrated from Makka) love those who migrated to them, and find in their hearts no need of the good things which they have been given. (i.e. they feel no envy for that which their brothers the Migrators have been given.) And they prefer (others) even over their own selves, even though they are in need. And whoever is protected from the shuhh of his own self, these are the successful ones.] Quran 59/9 Enjoining Right & Forbidding Wrong - 30 Translated by Salim Abdallah ibn Morgan Abdur-Rahman ibn 'Auf - a companion of the Prophet - was heard saying as he made his Tawaaf around the Ka'aba: "O Lord, protect me from the shuhh of my own self. O Lord, protect me from the shuhh of my own self." When he was asked about this dua of his, he said: "If I am protected from the shuhh of my own self, I will be protected from miserliness, oppression, and breaking of family ties." Shuhh, which is the greedy desire of the self, causes miserliness by withholding objects of desire which have been acquired, and causes oppression by the taking of the property of others, and causes breaking of family ties, and it causes envy - which is to hate others possessing what one does not have, and wishing for its destruction. Envy itself entails miserliness and oppression, since envy is miserliness with that which one has been given, and oppression by wishing for others to lose the good which they have acquired. This being the case of those desired things which are halal, what about those desired things which are haram, such as fornication, drinking intoxicants,etc.? When some people acquire or practice such things, two types of hatred of come about: 1) To hate it because of others having what one has not i.e. out of some form of envy such as occurs in things which are halal and 2) To hate it for the sake of Allah, and because of the violation it entails of the rights of Allah over His slaves. Types Of Sins For this reason, sins are of three type: (1) Sins which entail oppression of others, such as taking of people's property, or denying them their rights, or envy or others (of the greater type), etc. (2) Sins which entail only oppression of one's self, such as drinking intoxicants, and fornication when its harm does not affect others. (3) Sins which entail both of the above, such as an Amir or ruler who takes the peoples property so that he can use it for fornication or using intoxicants, or other crimes. Another Enjoining Right & Forbidding Wrong - 31 Translated by Salim Abdallah ibn Morgan example is one who commits illegal sexual acts with someone, and then exposes this to the people in order to do harm to the persons involved, as is often seen from those obsessed with women and young boys. Allah said: [Say, all that my Lord has forbidden is despicable acts, that which is apparent and that which is hidden, and sins, and transgression without justification, and that you associate with Allah that for which no authority has been sent, and that you say about Allah that which you know not.] Quran 7/33 Success In Worldly Affairs Is By Justice The affairs of the people will go straight with the presence of justice which may be mixed with some types of sin more than they will go straight in the presence of oppression and injustice in the rights of the people, even if it is not mixed with other sins.