its demands and commands. Following appetites and desires encompasses all of this.

This is unlike any overpowering force external to a person, from which he can part while his soul remains unchanged. He can escape this inward force only by changing a quality of his own soul. Hence the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

“Three things bring destruction: avarice that is obeyed, desire that is followed, and a person’s admiration of himself. And three things bring salvation: fearing Allah in private and in public, moderation in poverty and wealth, and speaking the truth in anger and contentment.”

His words in the hadith, “desire that is followed,” show that what is followed is something residing within the soul, just as he speaks of avarice being obeyed. He described avarice as being obeyed because it issues commands, and desire as being followed because what is followed may be a leader whose example is emulated without his issuing commands.

In the two Sahīh collections, the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, is reported to have said:

“Beware of avarice, for avarice destroyed those before you. It commanded them to be stingy, and they were stingy; it commanded them to commit injustice, and they committed injustice; and it commanded them to sever ties of kinship, and they severed them.”

He thus explained that avarice commands stinginess, injustice, and the severing of ties. “Stinginess” means withholding from people the help one could give through one’s own efforts and wealth, while “injustice” means transgressing against them. The former is neglecting what is obligatory; thus a person both neglects his obligations and transgresses against others by doing what is forbidden. He singled out severing ties of kinship for mention to emphasize its gravity, for it falls