Lessons derived from the hadith
1 – The noble hadith indicates that a believer does not combine these two blameworthy traits—miserliness and bad character. By implication, the pair can coexist in someone deprived of the blessing of faith, for such a person may display both miserliness and bad character together. Faith, which would otherwise restrain one from base conduct and command generosity and open-handedness, is absent.

2 – The best definition of miserliness is falling short in obligatory and recommended expenditures, failing to provide ample maintenance for one’s wife and children, and neglecting kindness toward one’s neighbour, relatives, the weak, and the like.

3 – The miser and miserliness are censured in numerous Quranic and prophetic texts. Allah, Exalted is He, says: “Those who are miserly and enjoin miserliness upon others” ⦗al-Nisāʾ: 37⦘; “and does not urge the feeding of the needy” ⦗al-Ḥāqqah: 34⦘; concerning the people of Hell He says: “and we never fed the needy” ⦗al-Muddaththir: 44⦘; He also says: “As for the one who is miserly and thinks himself self-sufficient” ⦗al-Layl: 8⦘; and: “But whoever is protected from the stinginess of his soul—those are the successful” ⦗al-Ḥashr: 9⦘. Muslim records (2578), on the authority of Jābir, that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Beware of covetousness, for covetousness destroyed those before you: it led them to shed one another’s blood and to violate what was sacred to them.”

4 – Miserliness is blameworthy in the law, in reason, and in common estimation. Withholding obligatory spending incurs sin, while withholding noble and virtuous spending brings blame and disgrace. Its opposite is to discharge the obligatory expenses and the expenditures that earn praise and divine reward.

5 – The opposite of bad character is good character: pleasant companionship, gentleness, forbearance, pardon, magnanimity, patience, mercy, compassion, benevolence, and kindness.