36/17. Chapter:
Jami at-Tirmidhi 2325 — Wealth, Knowledge and Intention
What Has Been Related About 'The Parable Of Th World Is That Of Four People'
Hadith About Wealth, Knowledge, Charity and Intention
Jami at-Tirmidhi : 2325
Jami at-TirmidhiHadith Number 2325
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو نُعَيْمٍ، حَدَّثَنَا عُبَادَةُ بْنُ مُسْلِمٍ، حَدَّثَنَا يُونُسُ بْنُ خَبَّابٍ، عَنْ سَعِيدٍ الطَّائِيِّ أَبِي الْبَخْتَرِيِّ، أَنَّهُ قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي أَبُو كَبْشَةَ الأَنْمَارِيُّ، أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ " ثَلاَثَةٌ أُقْسِمُ عَلَيْهِنَّ وَأُحَدِّثُكُمْ حَدِيثًا فَاحْفَظُوهُ " . قَالَ " مَا نَقَصَ مَالُ عَبْدٍ مِنْ صَدَقَةٍ وَلاَ ظُلِمَ عَبْدٌ مَظْلِمَةً فَصَبَرَ عَلَيْهَا إِلاَّ زَادَهُ اللَّهُ عِزًّا وَلاَ فَتَحَ عَبْدٌ بَابَ مَسْأَلَةٍ إِلاَّ فَتَحَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ بَابَ فَقْرٍ أَوْ كَلِمَةً نَحْوَهَا وَأُحَدِّثُكُمْ حَدِيثًا فَاحْفَظُوهُ قَالَ " إِنَّمَا الدُّنْيَا لأَرْبَعَةِ نَفَرٍ عَبْدٍ رَزَقَهُ اللَّهُ مَالاً وَعِلْمًا فَهُوَ يَتَّقِي فِيهِ رَبَّهُ وَيَصِلُ فِيهِ رَحِمَهُ وَيَعْلَمُ لِلَّهِ فِيهِ حَقًّا فَهَذَا بِأَفْضَلِ الْمَنَازِلِ وَعَبْدٍ رَزَقَهُ اللَّهُ عِلْمًا وَلَمْ يَرْزُقْهُ مَالاً فَهُوَ صَادِقُ النِّيَّةِ يَقُولُ لَوْ أَنَّ لِي مَالاً لَعَمِلْتُ بِعَمَلِ فُلاَنٍ فَهُوَ بِنِيَّتِهِ فَأَجْرُهُمَا سَوَاءٌ وَعَبْدٍ رَزَقَهُ اللَّهُ مَالاً وَلَمْ يَرْزُقْهُ عِلْمًا فَهُوَ يَخْبِطُ فِي مَالِهِ بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ لاَ يَتَّقِي فِيهِ رَبَّهُ وَلاَ يَصِلُ فِيهِ رَحِمَهُ وَلاَ يَعْلَمُ لِلَّهِ فِيهِ حَقًّا فَهَذَا بِأَخْبَثِ الْمَنَازِلِ وَعَبْدٍ لَمْ يَرْزُقْهُ اللَّهُ مَالاً وَلاَ عِلْمًا فَهُوَ يَقُولُ لَوْ أَنَّ لِي مَالاً لَعَمِلْتُ فِيهِ بِعَمَلِ فُلاَنٍ فَهُوَ بِنِيَّتِهِ فَوِزْرُهُمَا سَوَاءٌ " . قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ .
Abu Kabshah Al-Anmari Narrated from:
The Messenger of Allah (s.a.w) said: "There Are Three Things For Which I Swear And Narrate To You About, So Remember It." He Said: "The Wealth Of A Slave (Of Allah) Shall Not Be Decreased By Charity, No Slave (Of Allah) Suffers Injustice And Is Patient With It Except That Allah Adds To His Honor; No Slave (Of Allah) Opens Up A Door To Begging Except That Allah Opens A Door For Him To Poverty"- Or A Statement Similar- "And I Shall Narrate To You A Narration, So Remember It."He Said: "The World Is Only For Four Persons: A Slave Whom Allah Provides With Wealth And Knowledge, So He Has Taqwa Of His Lord With It, Nurtures The Ties Of Kinship With It, And He Knows That Allah Has A Right In It. So This Is The Most Virtuous Rank. And A Slave Whom Allah Provides With Knowledge, But He Does Not Provide With Wealth. So He Has A Truthful Intent, Saying: 'If I Had Wealth, Then I Would Do The Deeds Of So-And-So With It.' He Has His Intention, So Their Rewards Are The Same.And A Slave Whom Allah Provides With Wealth, But He Does Not Provide Him With Knowledge. [So He] Spends His Wealth Rashly Without Knowledge, Nor Having Taqwa Of His Lord, Nor Nurturing The Ties Of Kinship, And He Does Not Know That Allah Has A Right In It. So This Is The Most Despicable Rank. And A Slave Whom Allah Does Not Provide With Wealth Nor Knowledge, So He Says: 'If I Had Wealth, Then I Would Do The Deeds Of So-And-So With It.' He Has His Intention, So Their Sin Is The Same."
Reference : Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2325In-book reference : Book 36, Hadith 22English translation : Vol. 4, Book 10, Hadith 2325
Summary of Jami at-Tirmidhi Hadith 2325
This hadith about wealth and knowledge gives several life lessons in one narration. The Prophet (s.a.w) first mentioned that charity does not decrease wealth, patience during injustice is linked with honor, and opening the door to begging is linked with poverty. Then he described four types of people. One has wealth and knowledge, uses them with taqwa, keeps family ties, and knows Allah’s right in wealth. Another has knowledge but not wealth, yet has a truthful intention to do good if he had wealth. Another has wealth without knowledge and uses it badly. The last has neither wealth nor knowledge but intends to follow the bad example. The hadith shows that both action and intention matter.
What we learn from this hadith
- Wealth is best when joined with knowledge, taqwa, family ties, and Allah’s right.
- A truthful intention to do good has value in this hadith.
- Wealth without knowledge can lead a person to harmful choices.
