Hadith #5198

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, the Lord of all worlds. Peace and blessings be upon our beloved Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ), his pure progeny, and his noble companions.

The Arabic Hadith of Imam Ali (عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ) states:

مَنْ شَرِهَتْ نَفْسُهُ ذَلَّ مُوسِراً۔

This can be translated as:

One whose soul is voracious becomes disgraced despite his affluence.

Let us begin by examining the key words in this Hadith. The word (sharihath) "شَرِهَتْ" refers to a soul that is voracious or insatiable. It implies a constant desire for more, a never-ending greed that can never be satisfied. The word (dalla) "ذَلَّ" means to be disgraced or humiliated, while (musira) "مُوسِراً" means despite or even with affluence.

To understand the connotation of this Hadith, we can turn to the Quran for guidance. Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَىٰ) warns us against the dangers of greed and the love for material possessions in several verses. For example, in Surah Al-Isra (17:80), Allah says:

And We have made the night and the day two signs, and We erased the sign of the night and made the sign of the day visible, that you may seek bounty from your Lord and may know the number of years and the account [of time]. And everything We have set out in detail.

This verse reminds us that Allah has provided us with the blessings of day and night, which are signs of His mercy and generosity. We are encouraged to seek His bounty and be grateful for the provisions He has bestowed upon us. However, when our souls become voracious and insatiable, we lose sight of the true purpose of these blessings and instead become obsessed with accumulating more wealth and possessions.

In Surah Al-Hashr (59:9), Allah warns us about the consequences of greed and the love for material possessions:

And [also for] those who were settled in al-Madinah and [adopted] the faith before them. They love those who emigrated to them and find not any want in their breasts of what the emigrants were given but give [them] preference over themselves, even though they are in privation. And whoever is protected from the stinginess of his soul - it is those who will be the successful.

This verse highlights the importance of selflessness and generosity. The believers in Medina, who had embraced Islam before the emigrants, loved their brothers and sisters who had migrated to them. They did not feel any envy or greed in their hearts for what the emigrants had been given, but instead, they preferred them over themselves. This selflessness and lack of greed is a characteristic of those who are protected from the stinginess of their souls.

Returning to the Hadith of Imam Ali (عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ), we can understand that a soul consumed by voraciousness and greed will inevitably lead to disgrace and humiliation, even if the person possesses great wealth and affluence. This is because such a person is never satisfied with what they have and is constantly striving for more, often at the expense of others. Their insatiable desire for material possessions blinds them to the true purpose of life and the importance of selflessness and generosity.

Imam Ali (عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ), known for his immense knowledge and wisdom, reminds us of the importance of contentment and moderation in our lives. He teaches us that true success lies not in accumulating wealth and possessions, but in being grateful for what we have and using our blessings to benefit others. By avoiding the voraciousness of the soul and cultivating a sense of selflessness and generosity, we can protect ourselves from disgrace and humiliation, and instead attain true success in the eyes of Allah.

May Allah guide us all to follow the teachings of Imam Ali (عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ) and protect us from the voraciousness of our souls.