Characteristic of righteous (36)
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
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 seventh sign of the righetous:
وَ تَجَمُّلًا فِي فَاقَةٍ
And adornment in poor times
This is the word of the Amir al-Mu’minin is a counterpoint to “moderation at the same time needlessly “. It is understood from these two sayings of Amir al-muminin that the righteous neither exaggerate when they are rich , nor in the poverty they don’t complain. The term “luxury” means that they, though they are poor, maintain their appearance, and do not ask for help. This is the attitude of the Pious, as the Holy Quran says:
لِلْفُقَرَاءِ الَّذِينَ أُحْصِرُوا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ لَا يَسْتَطِيعُونَ ضَرْبًا فِي الْأَرْضِ يَحْسَبُهُمُ الْجَاهِلُ أَغْنِيَاءَ مِنَ التَّعَفُّفِ تَعْرِفُهُمْ بِسِيمَاهُمْ لَا يَسْأَلُونَ النَّاسَ إِلْحَافًا ﴿بقره:۲۷۳
It is for the poor; those who are restrained in the way of God, and unable to travel in the land. The unaware would think them rich, due to their dignity. You will recognize them by their features. They do not ask from people insistently.
“Luxury” in the Qur’an and Hadith
Luxury means adornment and self-decoration. And anything that shows dignity and glory and beauty is luxury. God Almighty, as a perennial law that includes all ages and eras, commands:
يَا بَنِي آدَمَ خُذُوا زِينَتَكُمْ عِنْدَ كُلِّ مَسْجِدٍ؛ (اعراف ۳۱)
O Children of Adam! Dress properly at every place of worship, and eat and drink, but do not be excessive. He does not love the excessive.
This divine term can also refer to “physical ornaments” which include wearing clean and tidy clothes, combing hair, and applying perfume, as well as “spiritual ornaments”. That is, human traits and moral qualities and purity and sincerity.
In the next verse, God responds with a more vehement tone to those who think that sanctioning ornaments and abstaining from pure and lawful food and drink are a sign of piety and virtue, and they think that they are close to God.
( قُلْ مَنْ حَرَّمَ زِينَةَ اللَّهِ الَّتِي أَخْرَجَ لِعِبَادِهِ وَالطَّيِّبَاتِ مِنَ الرِّزْقِ قُلْ هِيَ لِلَّذِينَ آمَنُوا فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا خَالِصَةً يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ ﴿اعراف:۳۲
Say, “Who forbade God’s finery which He has produced for His servants, and the delights of livelihood?” Say, “They are for those who believe, in this present world, but exclusively theirs on the Day of Resurrection.”
As for all kinds of ornaments, Islam has chosen moderation, as in all other cases, and the use of natural beauties, beautiful and appropriate clothing, the use of all kinds of fragrances and parfums, are not only permitted but also they have been recommended and ordered.
The Holy Prophet of Islam (peace be upon him) says:
إنَّ اللّهَ تَعَالی جَمِیلٌ یُحِبُّ الْجَمَالَ وَ یُحِبُّ أنْ یَرَی أثَرَ نِعْمَتِهِ عَلَی عَبْدِهِ )میزان الحکمه،ج2، ص2463)
God Almighty is beautiful and loves beauty and wants to see the blessings that he has given to his servant.
In this regard, Imam Ja’far Sadegh also said:
إنَّ اللّهَ یُحِبُّ الْجَمَالَ وَ التَّجْمِیلَ، وَ یَکْرَهُ الْبُؤسَ وَ التَّباؤسَ؛ فَإنَّ اللّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ إذا أنْعَمَ عَلَی عَبْدٍ نِعْمَةً أحَبَّ أنْ یَرَی عَلَیهِ أثَرَها.
God loves beauty and self-esteem, and he doesn’t loves the poor and the impoverished look and face. Whenever God gives a servant a blessing, He wants to see the effect of the blessing on him.
At this time one of the companions of the Prophet asked: How? The Prophet replied:
یُنَظِّفُ ثَوْبَهُ، وَ یُطَیِّبُ ریحَهُ، وَ یُحَصِّصُ دَارَهُ، وَ یَکنِسُ أفْنیَتَهُ. (بحارالانوار، ج76، ص
wears clean clothes; smells good; makes the house beautiful and clean; and sweeps the front of the house.
In another hadith, Imam Sadegh (as) said:
ألْبِسْ وَ تَجَمَّلْ، فَإنّ اللّهَ جَمیلٌ وَ یُحِبُّ الْجَمَالَ، ولْیَکُنْ مِنَ الْحَلالِ )وسائل الشیعه، ج3، ص
Wear beautiful clothes because God is beautiful and loves beauty, but it must be halal.
The interesting thing that the Imam emphasizes in this hadith is that one has to adorn his appearance and wear beautiful and appropriate cloth, but this adornment must be Halal, not by any way, though by the Forbidden way and unlawful one can’t adorn his appearance.
Imam (peace and blessings be upon him) has narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) saw a man whose hair was wrinkled, his clothes was dirty, and his head and posture distorted, Prophet told him that enjoying divine blessings and presenting blessings are part of religion (sufficient , Vol. 6, p. 439 (The Prophet emphasizes:
34انَّ اللّه تَعالی یحِبُّ مِنْ عَبْدِهِ إِذا خَرَجَ إِلی إخْوانِهِ أَنْ یتَهَیا لَهُمْ وَ یتَجَمَّلَ (مكارم الأخلاق، ص
Almighty god loves his servant to be appropriate and clean, when he goes to his brothers.
Spiritual and moral luxury
In the traditions and works of the elders of religion, the exaltation of the form and the nature, the adornment of the body and the soul are intertwined. In other words, glamor and luxury refer to both the appearance, the interior and exterior. A beautiful robe that carries all kinds of moral ugliness is never beautiful. Spiritual and moral perfection are one of the most important pillars of human beauty.
A complete beauty is that appearance of body and soul are both beautiful. Amir al-Mu’minin says: “Man’s privilege is his intellect and his beauty is masculinity and moral virtues” (Gharr al-Hikam, p. 759).
moderation in luxury
Islam has used moderation in the use of ornaments, as in all other cases, and has rejected any excesses. Unlike some who view the use of ornaments as moderate, as opposed to piety, or those who achieve extremism, prosperity, and extremism and do whatever is wrong to achieve this goal.
Therefore, it is appropriate for a believer in all financial circumstances to appear, while maintaining a simple life, strive to combine inner and ouside beauty, and to blend spiritual and esoteric beauty with physical, purity Especially in worship and in the presence of God, and especially in the mosque, which is considered to be the home of God. And present themselves in the community by adorning their appearance, fragrance, combing their hair, brushing, and wearing clean clothes to create a positive and pleasing mentality among the community towards the believers and gatherers in the mosques and be an example for others In this context.
What is forbidden in Islam is being extrem in “luxury” and “extravagance” and “prosperity” and an extremist tendency toward worldly appearances and neglect of inner and spiritual well-being.