Ghurar Al-Hikam Wa Durar Al-Kalim, Exalted Aphorisms And Pearls Of Speech

Stinginess And Avarice

Stinginess and Avarice البُخل والشُّحُّ

1. Stinginess is one of the two forms of poverty.

1ـ البُخْلُ أحَدُ الفَقْرَينِ.

2. Stinginess earns dishonor and makes one enter hellfire.

2ـ اَلبُخْلُ يَكْسِبُ العارَ، ويُدْخِلُ النَّارَ.

3. Stinginess in spending from one’s wealth that which Allah, the Glorified, has made obligatory, is the worst type of stinginess.

3ـ البُخْلُ بِإخْراجِ مَاافتَرَضَهُ اللّهُ سُبْحانَهُ مِنَ الأمْوالِ

4. Protect yourselves from vehement miserliness, malice, anger and jealousy and prepare for each of these things a contrivance which you can fight it with, like thinking about the consequence, refraining [from] vice, seeking virtue, improving your Hereafter and espousing forbearance.

4ـ اِحْتَِرسُوا مِنْ سَوْرَةِ الجِمْدِ(الحَمد)، والحِقْدِ، والغَضَبِ،

5. Be wary of stinginess, for it is ignobility and [leads to] vilification.

5ـ اِحْذَرُوا البُخْلَ فَإنَّهُ لُؤْمٌ ومَسَبَّةٌ.

6. Be wary of avarice, for verily it brings hate, tarnishes [one’s] good qualities and exposes [one’s] faults.

6ـ اِحْذَرُوا الشُّحَّ، فَإنَّهُ يُكْسِبُ المَقْتَ، ويَشِينُ

7. I bid you not to adorn yourself with stinginess, for it will disparage you near those who are close to you and will make your hated by your relatives.

7ـ إيّاكَ والتَّحَلِّيَ بِالبُخْلِ، فَإنَّهُ يُزري بِكَ عِندَ القَريبِ

8. I bid you to refrain from avarice, for it is the garment of indigence and the bridle that is used to drive one towards every [type of] vileness.

8ـ إيّاك والشُّحَّ فَإنَّهُ جِلبابُ المَسْكَنَةِ، وزِمامٌ يُقادُ بِهِ

9. I bid you to refrain from stinginess, for the miser is hated by strangers and shunned by those who are close to him.

9ـ إيّاكُمْ والبُخلَ، فَإنَّ البَخيلَ يَمْقَتُهُ الغَريبُ، ويَنْفُرُ

10. The worst stinginess is withholding money from those who deserve it.

10ـ أقْبَحُ البُخْلِ مَنْعُ الأمْوالِ مِنْ مُسْتَحِقِّها.

11. Stinginess is [a form of] poverty.

11ـ اَلبُخلُ فَقْرٌ.

12. Avarice leads to vilification.

12ـ اَلشُّحُّ مَسَبَّةٌ.

13. Making too many excuses is a sign of stinginess.

13ـ كَثْرَةُ التَّعَلُّلِ آيَةُ البُخْلِ.

14. Avarice earns vilification.

14ـ اَلشُّحُّ يَكْسِبُ المَسَبَّةَ.

15. Stinginess degrades its possessor.

15ـ اَلبُخْلُ يُزْري بِصاحِبِهِ.

16. Stinginess earns condemnation.

16ـ اَلبُخْلُ يَكْسِبُ الذَّمَّ.

17. Stinginess gives rise to hatred.

17ـ البُخْلُ يُوجِبُ البَغْضاءَ.

18. Stinginess with what is available [in one’s possession] is thinking negatively of God.

18ـ اَلبُخْلُ بِالمَوجُودِ سُوءُ الظَّنِّ بِالمَعْبُودِ.

19. Stinginess humiliates its possessor and elevates the one who turns away from it.

19ـ اَلبُخْلُ يُذِلُّ مُصاحِبَهُ ويُعِزُّ مُجانِبَهُ.

20. Through stinginess, vilification increases.

20ـ بِالبُخْلِ تَـكْثُرُ المَسَبَّةُ.

21. The worst trait is stinginess.

21ـ بِئْسَ الخَليقَةُ البُخْلُ.

22. Excessive avarice sullies chivalry and spoils brotherhood.

22ـ زِيادَةُ الشُّحِّ تَشينُ الفُتُوَّةَ وتُفْسِدُ الاُخُوَّةَ.

23. In avarice there is vilification (and dishonour).

23ـ فِي الشُّحِّ المَسَبَّةُ (السَّبَّةُ).

24. Excessive avarice leads to vilification.

24ـ كَثْرَةُ الشُّحِّ تُوجِبُ المَسَبَّةَ.

25. If you were to see stinginess in the form of a man, you would have surely seen an ugly, disfigured person.

25ـ لَوْ رَأيْتُمُ البُخْلَ رَجُلاً لَرَأيْتُمُوهُ شَخْصاً مُشَوَّهاً.

26. If you were to see stinginess in the form of a man, you would have surely seen a disfigured person, from whom every eye would look away and every heart would turn away.

26ـ لَوْ رَأيْتُمُ البُخْلَ رَجُلاً لَرَأيْتُمُوهُ مُشَوَّهاً يُغَضُّ

27. One who persists in avarice is deprived of [sincere] advisers.

27ـ مَنْ لَزِمَ الشُّحَّ عَدِمَ النَّصيحَ.

28. Avarice is one of the most revolting traits.

28ـ مِنْ أقْبَحِ الخَلائِقِ الشُّحُّ.

29. How revolting is stinginess with affluence!

29ـ ما أقْبَحَ البُخْلَ مَعَ الإكْثارِ.

30. How revolting is stinginess by those who possess nobility.

30ـ ما أقْبَحَ البُخْلَ بِذَوِى النُّبْلِ.

31. Nothing brings down the wrath of Allah like stinginess.

31ـ مَا اجْتُلِبَ سَخَطُ اللّهِ بِمِثْْلِ البُخلِ.

32. The honourable do not flee from death the way they flee from stinginess and the company of the wicked.

32ـ ما فِرارُ الكِرامِ مِنَ الحِمامِ كَفِرارِهِمْ مِنَ البُخلِ

33. There is no vilification like avarice.

33ـ لا مَسَبَّةَ كالشُّحِّ.

34. There is no alienation like avarice.

34ـ لا غُرْبَةَ كالشُّحِّ.

35. There is no magnanimity with avarice.

35ـ لا مُرُوَّةَ مَعَ شُحّ.

36. There is no evil trait worse than avarice.

36ـ لا سَوْأةَ أسْوَأُ مِنَ الشُّحِّ.

37. There is no evil trait worse than stinginess

37ـ لا سَوْأةَ أسْوَءُ مِنَ البُخْلِ.