Hadith 110

(The book) Al Kafi – A number of our companions, from Ahmad Bin Abu Abdullah, from Muhammad Bin Ali, from Ahmad Bin Amro Bin Suleyman Al bajaly, from Ismail Bin Al-Hassan Bin Ismail Bin Shuayb Bin Maysam Al Tammar, from Ibrahim Bin Is’haq Al Madainy, form a man, from Abu Mikhnaf Al Azdy who said, ‘A group of Shias came to Amir Al-Momineen-asws, and they said, ‘O Amir Al-Momineen-asws! If you-asws would extract this wealth and distribute it among these chiefs, and notables, and prefer them over us until when the affairs (of the government) are stabilised, you-asws can return to what Allah-azwj has Commanded you-asws with distribution with the equalness among the citizens’. Amir Al-Momineen-asws said: ‘Are you instructing me-asws, woe be unto you all, that I-asws should seek the victory by the injustices and the tyranny among the ones whom I-asws rule upon, from the people of? No, by Allah-azwj! That will not happen for as long as the night-talker converses and for as long as a star in seen in the sky. By Allah-azwj! If their wealth was my-asws wealth, I-asws would have still equalised between them, so how can I-asws (do what you are asking me to do) and rather it is their wealth? He (the narrator) said, ‘Then he-asws was silent for a long while, then raised his-asws head, so he-asws said: ‘The one among you for whom there is wealth, he should beware of the corruption. If he were to give it in other than its rightful management, and extravagance, and its doer would raise his mention among the people and he would waste it in the Presence of Allah-azwj, and he would not place the matter of his wealth in other than its rightful place and with other than its deserving one except that Allah-azwj would Prohibit their gratefulness, and their cordiality would be for other than him. So, even if there were to remain with him from the ones who manifest the gratefulness for him and show him good advice, that would rather be flattery from him and a lie. If his slipper breaks, then he is needy to their assistance and their return of favour, so he would be an accused friend and an evil deceiver. And he would not place the matter of his wealth in other than its rightful place and with other than its deserving ones except that there would not happen to be a share for him regarding what comes except for the praise of the villains and praise of the evil ones for as long as he is bountiful upon them with grace, and the speech of the ignorant makes him to be a benevolent one and in the Presence of Allah-azwj he is a stingy one. So which share is more wicked and loss-making than this share, and which benefit is less in goodness than this goodness? The one among you who has wealth for him, so let him give it to his relatives, and let him do good from it with the guests and let him relieve the suffering with it and the captives, and the traveller. Thus, the success with these characteristics is benevolence in the world and nobility in the Hereafter’’. [48]