37/9. Chapter:
Sunan Ibn Majah 4137 — True Richness Is Contentment
Contentment
Hadith About True Richness and Contentment of the Soul
Sunan Ibn Majah : 4137
Sunan Ibn MajahHadith Number 4137
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ بْنُ عُيَيْنَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي الزِّنَادِ، عَنِ الأَعْرَجِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ " لَيْسَ الْغِنَى عَنْ كَثْرَةِ الْعَرَضِ وَلَكِنَّ الْغِنَى غِنَى النَّفْسِ " .
Abu Hurairah Narrated from:
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “Richness is not an abundance of worldly goods, rather richness is contentment with one’s lot.”
Reference : Sunan Ibn Majah 4137In-book reference : Book 37, Hadith 38English translation : Vol. 5, Book 37, Hadith 4137
Summary of Sunan Ibn Majah Hadith 4137
This famous hadith defines true richness in a simple way. The Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم said that richness is not an abundance of worldly goods. Rather, richness is contentment with one’s lot. The hadith about true richness moves the meaning of wealth from the hand to the heart. A person may own many things and still feel empty or restless. Another person may have less but carry contentment. The wording does not praise laziness or deny the use of lawful goods. It teaches that the deepest form of richness is not measured by the amount of property. For anyone searching for a hadith about contentment, this narration gives a short and clear rule: the rich heart is the content heart.
What we learn from this hadith
- True richness is not defined by having many worldly goods.
- Contentment of the soul is called richness in this hadith.
- A person can own much and still lack inner contentment.
- The heart’s state matters more than the size of possessions.
