Tafsir al-Baghawi - Al-Baghawi - (8/78)

Tafsir al-BaghawiAl-Baghawi

In Arabic usage, avarice means miserliness and withholding what is surplus. The scholars have distinguished between avarice and miserliness. It is related that a man said to ‘Abd Allah ibn Mas‘ud, “I fear that I may be ruined.” He asked, “Why is that?” The man replied, “I hear Allah say, ‘Whoever is protected from the greed of his own soul—it is they who are the successful,’ and I am an avaricious man; scarcely anything ever leaves my hand.” ‘Abd Allah said, “That is not the avarice Allah, exalted is He, mentioned in the Quran. Rather, avarice is to consume your brother’s wealth wrongfully. But that is ⦗159/a⦘ miserliness—and miserliness is an evil thing indeed.” (1)

Ibn ‘Umar said, “Avarice is not a man withholding his own wealth; rather, avarice is for a man’s eyes to covet what does not belong to him.” (2) Sa‘id ibn Jubayr said, “Avarice is taking what is unlawful and withholding zakah.” (3) It was also said: avarice is the intense greed that drives a person to commit forbidden acts.

Ibn Zayd said, “Whoever does not take anything that Allah has forbidden him, and whose avarice does not lead him to withhold anything that Allah has commanded him to give, has been protected from the avarice of his own soul.” (4)

Imam Abu ‘Ali al-Husayn ibn Muhammad al-Qadi informed us; Abu Sa‘d Khalaf ibn ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Muhammad ibn Abi Nizar informed us; Abu Bakr Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Hazzaz al-Qahandari narrated to us; Abu ‘Abd Allah Muhammad ibn Ishaq al-Sa‘di narrated to us; Ahmad ibn Mansur al-Ramadi narrated to us; al-Qa‘nabi narrated to us; Dawud ibn Qays al-Farra narrated to us, from ‘Ubayd Allah ibn Miqsam, from Jabir ibn ‘Abd Allah, that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “Beware of oppression, for oppression will be darknesses on the Day of Resurrection. And beware of avarice, for avarice destroyed those who came before you: it drove them to shed their blood and to deem lawful what had been forbidden to them.” (5)

Ahmad ibn ‘Abd Allah al-Salihi informed us; Abu Sa‘id Muhammad ibn Musa al-Sayrafi narrated to us; Abu al-‘Abbas

(1) Recorded by al-Tabari, 28:43. Al-Suyuti also attributed it in al-Durr al-Manthur, 8:107, to Ibn Abi Shaybah, Abd ibn Humayd, al-Firyabi, Said ibn Mansur, Ibn al-Mundhir, Ibn Abi Hatim, al-Tabarani, Ibn Mardawayh, and al-Bayhaqi in al-Shuab. Al-Hakim graded it authentic, 2:490. Its chain includes al-Masudi, who was reliable but became confused before his death. (2) Al-Suyuti attributed it in al-Durr al-Manthur, 8:107, to Abd ibn Humayd, Ibn al-Mundhir, and Ibn Mardawayh. (3) Al-Suyuti attributed it in al-Durr al-Manthur, 8:108, to Abd ibn Humayd and Ibn al-Mundhir. (4) Recorded by al-Tabari, 28:44. (5) Recorded by Muslim in Kitab al-Birr wa al-Silah wa al-Adab, chapter on the prohibition of oppression, no. 2578, 4:1996; and by the compiler of Sharh al-Sunnah, 14:357.

"وَالشُّحُّ" فِي كَلَامِ الْعَرَبِ: الْبُخْلُ وَمَنْعُ الْفَضْلِ، وَفَرَّقَ الْعُلَمَاءُ بَيْنَ الشُّحِّ وَالْبُخْلِ. رُوِيَ أَنَّ رَجُلًا قَالَ لِعَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ مَسْعُودٍ: إِنِّي أَخَافُ أَنْ أَكُونَ قَدْ هَلَكْتُ، فَقَالَ: وَمَا ذَاكَ؟ قَالَ: أَسْمَعُ اللَّهَ يَقُولُ: "وَمَنْ يُوقَ نَفْسِهِ فَأُولَئِكَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ" وَأَنَا رَجُلٌ شَحِيحٌ، لَا يَكَادُ يَخْرُجُ مِنْ يَدِي شَيْءٌ، فَقَالَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ: لَيْسَ ذَاكَ بِالشُّحِّ الَّذِي ذَكَرَ اللَّهَ ﷿ فِي الْقُرْآنِ، وَلَكِنَّ الشُّحَّ أَنْ تَأْكُلَ مَالَ أَخِيكَ ظُلْمًا ولكن ذاك ١٥٩/أالْبُخْلُ، وَبِئْسَ الشَّيْءُ الْبُخْلُ (١) . وَقَالَ ابْنُ عُمَرَ: لَيْسَ الشُّحُّ أَنْ يَمْنَعَ الرَّجُلَ مَالَهُ، إِنَّمَا الشُّحُّ أَنْ تَطْمَحَ عَيْنُ الرَّجُلِ إِلَى مَا لَيْسَ لَهُ (٢) وَقَالَ سَعِيدُ بْنُ جُبَيْرٍ: "الشُّحُّ" هُوَ أَخْذُ الْحَرَامِ وَمَنْعُ الزَّكَاةِ (٣) وَقِيلَ: الشُّحُّ هُوَ الْحِرْصُ الشَّدِيدُ الَّذِي يَحْمِلُهُ عَلَى ارْتِكَابِ الْمَحَارِمِ. قَالَ ابْنُ زَيْدٍ: مَنْ لَمْ يَأْخُذْ شَيْئًا نَهَاهُ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ، وَلَمْ يَدْعُهُ الشُّحُّ إِلَى أَنْ يَمْنَعَ شَيْئًا مِنْ شَيْءٍ أَمَرَهُ اللَّهُ بِهِ فَقَدْ وَقَاهُ شُحَّ نَفْسِهِ (٤) أَخْبَرَنَا الْإِمَامُ أَبُو عَلِيٍّ الْحُسَيْنُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ الْقَاضِيُّ، أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو سَعْدٍ خَلَفُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ أَبِي نِزَارٍ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرٍ أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ حَزَّازٍ الْقَهَنْدَرِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِسْحَاقَ السَّعْدِيِّ، حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مَنْصُورٍ الرَّمَادِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا الْقَعْنَبِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا دَاوُدُ بْنُ قَيْسٍ الْفَرَّاءُ عَنْ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ مِقْسَمٍ عَنْ جَابِرِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ: "اتَّقَوْا الظُّلْمَ فَإِنَّ الظُّلْمَ ظُلُمَاتٌ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ، وَاتَّقَوْا الشُّحَّ فَإِنَّ الشُّحَّ أَهْلَكَ مَنْ كَانَ قَبْلَكُمْ حَمَلَهُمْ عَلَى أَنْ سَفَكُوا دِمَاءَهُمْ وَاسْتَحَلُّوا مَحَارِمَهُمْ" (٥) أَخْبَرَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ الصَّالِحِيُّ، أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو سَعِيدٍ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ مُوسَى الصَّيْرَفِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو الْعَبَّاسِ

(١) أخرجه الطبري: ٢٨ / ٤٣. وعزاه السيوطي في الدر المنثور: ٨ / ١٠٧ أيضا لابن أبي شيبة وعبد بن حميد والفريابي وسعيد بن منصور وابن المنذر وابن أبي حاتم والطبراني وابن مردويه والبيهقي في الشعب. وصححه الحاكم: ٢ / ٤٩٠. وفيه المسعودي: صدوق اختلط قبل موته. (٢) عزاه السيوطي في الدر المنثور: ٨ / ١٠٧ لعبد بن حميد وابن المنذر وابن مردويه. (٣) عزاه السيوطي في الدر المنثور: ٨ / ١٠٨ لعبد بن حميد وابن المنذر. (٤) أخرجه الطبري: ٢٨ / ٤٤. (٥) أخرجه مسلم في البر والصلة والآدب، باب تحريم الظلم برقم: (٢٥٧٨) : ٤ / ١٩٩٦، والمصنف في شرح السنة: ١٤ / ٣٥٧.