Characteristic of righteous (32)
بسم الله الرحمن الرحیم
اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّهِ بِجَمِیعِ مَحَامِدِه کُلِّهَا عَلَی جَمِیعِ نِعَمِهِ کُلِّهَا… اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّهِ مالِکِ الْمُلْکِ مُجْرِی الْفُلْکِ مُسَخِّرِ الرِّیاحِ فالِقِ الاْصْباحِ دَیّانِ الدّینِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمینَ اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّهِ عَلی حِلْمِهِ بَعْدَ عِلمِهِ وَالْحَمْدُ لِلّهِ عَلی عَفْوِهِ بَعْدَ قُدْرَتِهِ وَالْحَمْدُ لِلّهِ عَلی طُولِ اَناتِهِ فی غَضَبِهِ وَهُوَ قادِرٌ عَلی ما یُریدُ
ثم الصلاه و السلام علی محمد عبده و رسوله ارسله بالهدی و دین الحق لیظهره علی الدین کله و لو کره المشرکون
اوصیکم عبادالله و نفسی بتقوی الله و اتباع امره و نهیه، و اخوفکم من عقابه
The fourth sign of the righteous:
وَ حِرْصاً فِی عِلْم
And they are greedy when it comes to knowledge.
The fourth sign of the virtuous in the word of the amir al-muinin is the overwhelming interest in science and knowledge, which is interpreted as being greedy for science. Greed is understood to mean intense deep love, which is often synonymous with greed and is considered a moral scorn.
Now the question is how did Amir al-Mu’minin consider greed to be a sign of piety and a good thing?
The answer is that we have two types of greed: pleasant greed, and abominable greed.
pleasant greed
The intense interest of the heart and the indulgence in doing some work is desirable. Fairness, truthfulness and honesty, helping people in need, and social and individual acts are also desirable when they are more. Anyone who is greedy for justice, fairness, piety, and avoiding sins and avoiding social anomalies will certainly be praised by all humans. No one will offend the other person for fairness or great virtue.
Such is the greed of guiding people. And it is one of the attributes that the glorified God in the Qur’an described it as a virtue of the Prophet :
لَقَدْ جَاءَكُمْ رَسُولٌ مِنْ أَنْفُسِكُمْ عَزِيزٌ عَلَيْهِ مَا عَنِتُّمْ حَرِيصٌ عَلَيْكُمْ بِالْمُؤْمِنِينَ رَءُوفٌ رَحِيمٌ ﴿توبه:۱۲۸
There has come to you a messenger from among yourselves, concerned over your suffering, anxious over you. Towards the believers, he is compassionate and merciful.
And again, in another verse of the Holy Qur’an, it mentions the greed of the Prophet (peace be upon him) for guidance of the people:
إِنْ تَحْرِصْ عَلَى هُدَاهُمْ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَهْدِي مَنْ يُضِلُّ وَمَا لَهُمْ مِنْ نَاصِرِينَ ﴿نحل:۳۷
Even though you may be concerned about their guidance, God does not guide those who misguide. And they will have no saviors.
Greed in divine love of god is a good and pleasing thing. The one who falls on the road of God’s love gets thirsty the faster and farther he goes. He is immersed in the sea of love, but he will not refuse a single sip of love.
The mystics are praying to God and demanding that :
«رَبِّ زِدْنِی فِیکَ تَحَیُّراً»
abominable greed
Greed in some deeds is not a good thing and it is abominable. Greed in using wordly blessings is such a greed. Striving to provide for the needs of life and prosperity for the family is well-liked, and it is reported in the narratives that:
«قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ آلِهِ وَ سَلَّمَ : مِنْ سَعَادَةِ الْمَرْءِ: الْجَارُ الصَّالِحُ ، وَالْمَرْكَبُ الْهَنِيءُ ، وَالْمَسْكَنُ الْوَاسِعُ. (مسند أحمد حنبل، حدیث15409)
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: There are three things to human happiness: a good neighbor, a good compound, a great home.
But the same use of worldly affairs will be vicious if it becomes excessive and greedy. Imam Sadigh (peace be upon him) says:
مَثَلُ الحَرِیصِ عَلَی الدُّنیا مَثَلُ دُودَهِ القَزِّ کُلَّما ازدَادَت مِنَ القَزِّ عَلَی نَفسِها لَفّاً کانَ أبعَدَ لَها مِنَ الخُرُوجِ حَتّی تَموتَ غَمَاً (کافی، ج2، ص316)
The story of a greedy human being in the world is the story of a silkworm, the more it moves itself, the less likely it is to come out of the cocoon until it dies because of grief.
Greed for knowledge
Science is also one in which greed and exuberance are desirable and well-liked. The greater the knowledge of human beings, the better, and the ignorance is bad whether it’s less or not. It’s not like a little ignorance is good!
But greed is good on a science which is not for worldly ambition or worldly affairs. A science that is beneficial and does not cause pride. Otherwise, the science of glorification is also undesirable. Science that is not beneficial to the individual of the universe or society is, is not good whether it’s less or not. The science that makes one’s pride is also abominable. A science that does not lead to action is also useless and worthless.
According to Amir al-Muminin, enthusiasm for science is a sign of piety, and a reluctance to learn knowledge is a sign of virtueless. Believers are passionate for science, and amir al-Muminin continues to describe that science.
