He was also asked:

“What is meant by the saying, ‘Love of this world is the root of every sin’? Does it refer to sins or to amassing wealth?”

He replied:

This is not reliably transmitted from the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. However, it is known as a saying of Jundub ibn ‘Abd Allāh al-Bajalī, one of the Companions, and is also attributed to the Messiah, son of Mary, peace be upon him. Those who exaggerate most concerning this saying are the philosophizers and those Sufis who follow their lead, drawing on their doctrine concerning the soul’s attachment to matters that this is not the place to discuss at length.

As for the Islamic ruling on this matter, the love for which a person is punished is that which entails acts of disobedience, leading to injustice, lying, and indecency. There is no doubt that greed for wealth and leadership brings this about, as stated in the two Sahīh collections, where he 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, and they severed them.”

Ka‘b narrated that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

“Two hungry wolves let loose among a flock of sheep