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THREE GUARANTEED THINGS

559

“There are three things I swear upon: The wealth of a worshiper is never decreased by charity. Allah increases the honor of whosoever endures a wrong with patience. There is no worshiper that opens the door of begging that Allah does not open for him a door of poverty.

He added: Remember well what I am going to tell you. The world is comprised up of four kinds of people:

The first is the person whom Allah has favored with wealth and knowledge, and is mindful of his duty to His Lord with them. He strengthens the ties of kinship and practices the rights of Allah in them. Such a person is in the best position.

The second is the person whom Allah has favored with knowledge but not wealth and is sincere and says, ‘Had I possessed wealth I would have done the same as the first.’ His reward will be the same as the other.

The third is the person whom Allah has favored with wealth but not knowledge and squanders his wealth ignorantly. This person is the one who is not mindful of his duty to his Lord in respect of his favor and who neither discharges his obligations of family ties nor practices the rights of Allah in it. Such a person is in the worst position.

The fourth is the person whom Allah has neither favored with wealth nor knowledge, and says, ‘If I possessed wealth I would have been like that person.’ This is his intention. They are both equal in sinfulness.”

Tirmidhi with a chain up to Amr, the son of Sa'ad Anmari who related that he heard the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, say this.

DEFINITION OF A MISER AND A GENEROUS PERSON