Al-Muqaddimāt al-Mumahhidāt - Ibn Rush al-Jadd - (3/403)

Al-Muqaddimāt al-MumahhidātIbn Rush al-Jadd

My position on this matter is that wealth is preferable to poverty, and poverty to having just enough. I say that wealth is better than poverty because Allah, Mighty and Majestic, says:

“Ask Allah of His bounty” [al-Nisā’: 32].

If poverty were better than wealth, Allah Most High would have commanded us to ask Him to exchange what is better for what is inferior, contrary to the evident meaning. He, Mighty and Majestic, also says:

“And He found you in need and made you self-sufficient” [al-Duhā: 8].

If poverty were better than wealth, Allah Most High would have presented His moving the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, from a better condition to an inferior one as a favor bestowed upon him. Allah Most High also says:

“With their eyes overflowing with tears out of grief that they could find nothing to spend” [al-Tawbah: 92].

If their condition had been better and more desirable, their grief would have had no purpose.

Allah Most High also says:

“Satan threatens you with poverty and commands you to commit indecency, whereas Allah promises you forgiveness from Him and bounty” [al-Baqarah: 268].

What a vast difference in merit there is between the wealth Allah promises and the poverty Satan threatens! He, Mighty and Majestic, also says:

“If you fear poverty, Allah will enrich you out of His bounty” [al-Tawbah: 28].

And He, Mighty and Majestic, says:

“They resented nothing except that Allah and His Messenger had enriched them out of His bounty” [al-Tawbah: 74].

And He says:

“If they are poor, Allah will enrich them out of His bounty” [al-Nūr: 32].

There are many other verses to this effect. Further evidence is the saying of the Prophet, peace be upon him, when he was told, “The wealthy have taken all the rewards”: “That is Allah’s bounty, which He grants to whom He wills”; his saying, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, “My own wealth has not benefited me as much as Abū Bakr’s wealth has”; his saying, peace be upon him, “Whoever equips the army of hardship, I guarantee him Paradise with Allah”; and his saying, peace be upon him, “It is better for you to leave your heirs wealthy than to leave them destitute, begging from people”;

والذي أقول به في هذا تفضيل الغنى على الفقر، وتفضيل الفقر على الكفاف. وإنما قلت: إن الغنى أفضل من الفقر؛ لقول الله ﷿: ﴿وَاسْأَلُوا اللَّهَ مِنْ فَضْلِهِ﴾ [النساء: ٣٢] فلو كان الفقر أفضل من الغنى لكان تعالى قد أمرنا أن نسأله تبديل الأفضل بالأدنى، وذلك خلاف المعلوم من المعنى. وقوله ﷿: ﴿وَوَجَدَكَ عَائِلا فَأَغْنَى﴾ [الضحى: ٨] فلو كان الفقر أفضل من الغنى لكان تعالى قد امتن عليه ﷺ بأن نقله من الأفضل إلى الأدنى. وقَوْله تَعَالَى: ﴿وَأَعْيُنُهُمْ تَفِيضُ مِنَ الدَّمْعِ حَزَنًا أَلا يَجِدُوا مَا يُنْفِقُونَ﴾ [التوبة: ٩٢] فلو كان ما كانوا فيه أفضل وأولى لم يكن لحزنهم معنى. وقَوْله تَعَالَى: ﴿الشَّيْطَانُ يَعِدُكُمُ الْفَقْرَ وَيَأْمُرُكُمْ بِالْفَحْشَاءِ وَاللَّهُ يَعِدُكُمْ مَغْفِرَةً مِنْهُ وَفَضْلا﴾ [البقرة: ٢٦٨] وشتان في الفضل ما بين ما يعد الله به من الغنى، ويعد به الشيطان من الفقر! وقوله ﷿: ﴿وَإِنْ خِفْتُمْ عَيْلَةً فَسَوْفَ يُغْنِيكُمُ اللَّهُ مِنْ فَضْلِهِ﴾ [التوبة: ٢٨] وقوله ﷿: ﴿وَمَا نَقَمُوا إِلا أَنْ أَغْنَاهُمُ اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ مِنْ فَضْلِهِ﴾ [التوبة: ٧٤] وقوله: ﴿إِنْ يَكُونُوا فُقَرَاءَ يُغْنِهِمُ اللَّهُ مِنْ فَضْلِهِ﴾ [النور: ٣٢] وما أشبه ذلك من الآيات كثير. ولقول «النبي ﵇ حين قيل له: ذهب الأغنياء بالأجور: ذلك فضل الله يؤتيه من يشاء» ولقوله ﷺ: «ما نفعني مالي ما نفعني مال أبي بكر»، وقوله ﵇: «من جهز جيش العسرة ضمنت له على الله الجنة»، وقوله ﵇: «إنك أن تذر ورثتك أغنياء خير من أن تذرهم عالة يتكففون الناس»