Warning against worldly greed and divine accountability

Nahj al-Balāgha|Volume 1|Book 3|Chapter 344

Nahj al-Balāgha

Book 3, Chapter 344

Warning against worldly greed and divine accountability
1 Ḥadīth
Ḥadīth 421

٣٤٤. وَقَالَ (عليه ‏السلام): مَعَاشِرَ النَّاسِ اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ فَكَمْ مِنْ مُؤَمِّلٍ مَا لَا يَبْلُغُهُ وَبَانٍ مَا لَا يَسْكُنُهُ وَجَامِعٍ مَا سَوْفَ يَتْرُكُهُ وَلَعَلَّهُ مِنْ بَاطِلٍ جَمَعَهُ وَمِنْ حَقٍّ مَنَعَهُ أَصَابَهُ حَرَاماً وَاحْتَمَلَ بِهِ آثَاماً فَبَاءَ بِوِزْرِهِ وَ قَدِمَ عَلَى رَبِّهِ آسِفاً لَاهِفاً قَدْ ﴿خَسِرَ الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةَ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ هُوَ الْخُسْرَانُ الْمُبِينُ﴾.

344. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said: O’ groups of people, fear Allāh, for there is many a man who aspires for what he does not get, many a builder of a house who does not live in it, and many a collector of that which he shall just leave behind. Possibly he may have collected it wrongfully or by denying a right. He acquired it unlawfully and had to bear the weight of sins on account of it. Consequently, he returned (from this world) with that weight and came before Allāh with sorrow and grief. Loses he both this world and (also) the hereafter; that is a loss (which is) manifest. (Qur’ān, 22:11)