under both of the preceding categories. Commenting on the Most High’s words, “Whoever is protected from the avarice of his own soul,” the Quran commentators explained that this means neither taking anything Allah has forbidden nor withholding anything Allah has commanded one to give. Thus, avarice commands the opposite of what Allah and His Messenger command: Allah forbids injustice and commands kindness, whereas avarice commands injustice and forbids kindness.
(While circumambulating the House and standing at ‘Arafah, ‘Abd al-Rahmān ibn ‘Awf would frequently say, “O Allah, protect me from the avarice of my own soul.” When asked about this, he replied, “If I am protected from the avarice of my own soul, I am protected from injustice, stinginess, and severing ties of kinship.” In another report from him, he said, “I fear that I am already ruined.” He asked, “Why is that?” He replied, “I hear Allah say, ‘Whoever is protected from the avarice of his own soul,’ yet I am an avaricious man: hardly anything leaves my hand.” He replied, “That is not the avarice Allah mentions in the Quran. Avarice is to consume your brother’s wealth unjustly. This is merely stinginess—and what an evil thing stinginess is!”) (*).
The Most High mentions avarice in the context of envy and giving others preference over oneself, saying:
“They harbour no desire in their hearts for what the others have been given, and give them preference over themselves, even though they are in need.”
Then He says:
“And whoever is protected from the avarice of his own soul—it is they who will be successful.”
Thus, whoever is protected from the avarice of his own soul will not be envious and transgress against the person he envies. Envy is fundamentally hatred of the person envied.
(*) Shaykh Nāsir ibn Hamad al-Fahd stated (p. 84):
An omission has occurred here, as two points demonstrate:
First, the apparent wording of the second report indicates that the speaker who said, “I fear that I may have been ruined,” was ‘Abd al-Rahmān ibn ‘Awf, may Allah be pleased with him, since it says, “In another report from him, he said”—meaning Ibn ‘Awf, may Allah be pleased with him. Who, then, explained the verse to him by saying, “That is not the avarice Allah mentioned…”? It is this person’s statement that is being cited as evidence.
Second, a page later (p. 590), the Shaykh, may Allah have mercy on him, said, “Ibn Mas‘ūd treated stinginess as distinct from avarice,” although Ibn Mas‘ūd had not previously been mentioned in this passage!
Thus, the second report from ‘Abd al-Rahmān ibn ‘Awf, may Allah be pleased with him, has been omitted here, together with the beginning of the report from Ibn Mas‘ūd, may Allah be pleased with him—the person whose statement is being related. His report was joined to the preceding report, causing the confusion.
It appears—and Allah knows best—that the corrected text should read as follows:
“While circumambulating the House and standing at ‘Arafah, ‘Abd al-Rahmān ibn ‘Awf would frequently say, ‘O Allah, protect me from the avarice of my own soul.’ When asked about this, he replied, ‘If I am protected from the avarice of my own soul, I am protected from injustice, stinginess, and severing ties of kinship.’ In another report from him, he said: [‘If I am protected from the avarice of my own soul, I will neither steal nor commit adultery nor do…’] [A man came to ‘Abd Allāh ibn Mas‘ūd, may Allah be pleased with him, and said to him:] ‘I fear that I may have been ruined.’ He asked, ‘Why is that?’ The man replied, ‘I hear Allah say, “Whoever is protected from the avarice of his own soul,” yet I am an avaricious man: hardly anything leaves my hand.’ He replied, ‘That is not the avarice Allah mentions in the Quran. Avarice is to consume your brother’s wealth unjustly. This is merely stinginess—and what an evil thing stinginess is!’”