Holding back is Part of Man's Nature
Ayahs Covered
Common Words
Related Hadiths
"O son of Adam! If you give your surplus it is better for you, and if you keep it, it is worse for you, but there is no harm with what is sufficient. And begin(the giving) with your dependents, and th...
" Miserliness would be put (in the hearts of the people)."
that he went to the Prophet and he was reciting: ‘The mutual rivalry (for piling up worldly things) diverts you.’ He said: “The son of Adam says: ‘My wealth, my wealth.’ And do you own anything except...
The Prophet (ﷺ) said to me, "Do not withhold your money, (for if you did so) Allah would withhold His blessings from you." Narrated `Abda: The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Do not withhold your money by counti...
" O the Messenger of Allah! I have nothing except what was given to me by (my husband) Az-Zubair, shall I give it (in charity)?'" It was said: "Do not hold (your wealth) so that Allah will hold agains...
Once I said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! I have no property except what has been given to me by Az-Zubair (i.e. her husband). May I give in charity?" The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Give in charity and do not w...
. The similitude of a miserly man and the giver of charity is that of two persons with coats of mail over them; when the giver of charity intends to give charity, it expands over him (to much so) that...
"The parable of the miser and the one who gives in charity is that of two men wearing coats of mail with their hands tied to their collarbones. Every time the one who gives thinks of giving in charity...
"A man said: 'O Messenger of Allah, which kind of charity is best? He said: 'Giving charity when you are in good health, and feeling stingy, hoping for a long life and fearing poverty."'
"I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: 'Give charity, for there will come a time when a man will walk about with his charity, and the one to whom he wants to give it will say: If you had brought it ...
Related Tafsir
Holding back is Part of Man's Nature
Allah says to His Messenger : "Tell them, O Muhammad, even if you had authority over the treasures of Allah, you would refrain from spending for fear of exhausting it." Ibn `Abbas and Qatadah said, "This means for fear of poverty," lest it run out, despite the fact that it can never be exhausted or come to an end. This is because it is part of your nature. So Allah says:
وَكَانَ الإنْسَـنُ قَتُورًا
(and man is ever miserly.) Ibn `Abbas and Qatadah said: "(This means) stingy and holding back." Allah says:
أَمْ لَهُمْ نَصِيبٌ مِّنَ الْمُلْكِ فَإِذاً لاَّ يُؤْتُونَ النَّاسَ نَقِيراً
(Or have they a share in the dominion Then in that case they would not give mankind even a Naqira.) (4:53), meaning that even if they had a share in the authority of Allah, they would not have given anything to anyone, not even the amount of a Naqira (speck on the back of a date stone). Allah describes man as he really is, except for those whom Allah helps and guides. Miserliness, discontent and impatience are human characteristics, as Allah says:
إِنَّ الإِنسَـنَ خُلِقَ هَلُوعاً - إِذَا مَسَّهُ الشَّرُّ جَزُوعاً - وَإِذَا مَسَّهُ الْخَيْرُ مَنُوعاً - إِلاَّ الْمُصَلِّينَ
(Verily, man was created very impatient; irritable when evil touches him; and stingy when good touches him. Except those who are devoted to Salah (prayers). ) (70:19-22). And there are many other such references in the Qur'an. This is an indication of the generosity and kindness of Allah. In the Two Sahihs it says:
«يَدُ اللهِ مَلْأَى لَا يَغِيضُهَا نَفَقَةٌ سَحَّاءُ اللَّيْلَ وَالنَّهَارَ، أَرَأَيْتُمْ مَا أَنْفَقَ مُنْذُ خَلَقَ السَّمَوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ، فَإِنَّهُ لَمْ يَغِضْ مَا فِي يَمِينِه»
(Allah's Hand is full and never decreases because of His giving night and day. Do you not see how much He has given since He created the heavens and the earth, yet that which is in His right hand never decreases.)