The Generous & the Miserly

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

One day, Shaythan came to Jesus (a.s.) who asked him, “Who do you hate and who do you love amongst the Children of Adam?” 

Shaythan answered, “I hate those who have no faith, but they are generous.” 

Jesus (a.s.) said, “They have no faith and yet you hate them?” 

Shaythan said, “Yes.  And I love those who have faith, but they are miserly.” 

Jesus (a.s.) asked, “Why is that?” 

Shaythan said, “I can sway the miser.  He cannot escape my hand.  I wait on guard and before ‘Izra’il comes, I sway him, and take his faith away.  But the generous one, Allah (s.w.t.) Watches over that one, and He Creates opportunities for that one to have faith, and leave this world with it.” 

Allah (s.w.t.) Loves the Generous.  And because of that, all the prophets and all the awliya’ love them.  Generosity protects us from leaving this world without faith.  Someway, somehow, faith enters our heart.  Allah’s (s.w.t.) Favour is upon the generous.  It is impossible for the sincerely generous to die without faith. 

As for the miser, he may engage in a lot of ‘ibadah, but sincerity is always missing.  One who is calculative with Creation, will never find sincerity with the Creator.  Every act of worship is accounted for by such a person and as such, every act of transgression is Accounted for by the Creator.  The miser has no right to be miserly with what Allah (s.w.t.) has Provided since it is not his.  All Belongs to the Creator, the Owner of Creation.  Such a person has withheld that which did not belong to him.  Should the miser do a righteous deed, because of their miserliness, they have done with their heart hurting.  Even though they may have something great, instead of being Rewarded, they might even be Punished for it.  And that is why Pharaoh was Mentioned many times in the Qur’an, for despite his faults, he was generous.  Whereas Nimrod was not for he was miserly and Allah (s.w.t.) did not Reward him by mentioning him in His Eternal Speech.