Shafaqna English- Commentary on Nahjul-Balaghah, Hadith Number 2, by Mohammad Sobhanie.
وَ قَالَ علی (عليه السلام): أَزْرَى بِنَفْسِهِ مَنِ اسْتَشْعَرَ الطَّمَعَ وَ رَضِيَ بِالذُّلِّ مَنْ كَشَفَ عَنْ ضُرِّهِ وَ هَانَتْ عَلَيْهِ نَفْسُهُ مَنْ أَمَّرَ عَلَيْهَا لِسَانَهُ.
Amir Al-Mu’minin, Imam Ali (AS) said:
Whoever covets devalues himself; whoever discloses his hardship agrees to humiliation, and whoever his tongue rules him debases himself.
Commentary:
The Imam (AS) has pointed out the harmful consequences of three moral vices in short and concise phrases. The first one is covetousness. Imam Ali (AS) says:
أَزْرَى بِنَفْسِهِ مَنِ اسْتَشْعَرَ الطَّمَعَ
He who covets devalues himself.
The Imam’s statement uses the word “Astashear”. (اسْتَشْعَرَ) This word means wearing underwear, which usually adheres closely to the body. “Astashear-at-Tamae” (اسْتَشْعَرَ الطَّمَعَ) refers to a state where covetousness becomes deeply ingrained in one’s nature, much like underwear that clings to the body and becomes inseparable from it. Therefore, the translation of the phrase is, “Whoever allows greed to become a part of their nature has humiliated themselves.”
It’s crucial to recognize the allure of coveting other people’s wealth, possessions, social status, family, and friends. Failing to control this desire can lead to unethical behavior and even malicious actions in the pursuit of what one desires. For example, a person might envy someone else’s business success. In their jealousy, they might instigate problems that force the business owner to sell their company to them, a clear act of unethical and wrongful behavior. The Prophet (PBUH) said [1],[2]:
قالَ رَسُولُ اللّه صلى الله عليه و آله: ايّاكُمْ وَاسْتِشْعارَ الطَّمَعِ فَانَّهُ يَشُوبُ الْقَلْبَ شِدَّةُ الْحِرْصِ وَيَخْتِمُ عَلىَ الْقُلُوبِ بِطابِعِ حُبِّ الدُّنْيا، وَهُوَ مِفْتاحُ كُلِّ سَيِّئَةٍ وَرَأْسُ كُلِّ خَطيئَةٍ وَسَبَبُ احْباطِ كُلِّ حَسَنَةٍ
Beware of falling into the trap of covetousness, which fills the heart with intense greed and love for material possessions. Greed is the root of all sin, the source of every mistake, and the destroyer of every good deed.
The second piece of advice from Imam Ali (AS) is:
وَ رَضِيَ بِالذُّلِّ مَنْ كَشَفَ عَنْ ضُرِّهِ
Whoever discloses his problems to people has agreed to his humiliation.
We should seek support and solutions for our problems by talking to counsellors, physicians, family members, and friends. However, sharing our difficulties with those who cannot help will only lead to humiliation with no meaningful benefits. In such situations, it’s best to refrain from complaining.
The third piece of advice from Imam Ali (AS) is:
وَ هَانَتْ عَلَيْهِ نَفْسُهُ مَنْ أَمَّرَ عَلَيْهَا لِسَانَهُ
Whoever lets his tongue rule him debases himself.
This statement refers to a person who speaks without thinking first. Words that do not originate from intentional thought and reason may embarrass the speaker and create resentment, hatred, and hostility in society.
Story from Prophet David (AS) [3]: Allah (SWT) sent two angels to Prophet David/Dawood (AS) to teach him the importance of thinking before speaking. They appeared to Prophet David (AS) as two brothers. One man said that his brother had ninety-nine ewes, and he had only one ewe. His brother wanted to take his only ewe so that his flock would total 100. Maybe Prophet David thought to himself, “What a greedy brother.” Prophet David responded, stating that his brother had mistreated him by insisting on taking his ewe.
Prophet Dawood (AS) made this statement before confirming the accuracy of the claimant’s claim. At that time, God reminded Prophet David that this was a test to teach him to think before judging a dispute.
“Hers” (حِرْص) and “Tama” (طَمَع): Arabic words “Hers” (حِرْص) and “Tama” (طَمَع) have similar meanings but with subtle differences.
The word “Hers” (حِرْص) denotes either intense desire or greed and has been used with both positive and negative connotations in the Qur’an. For instance, in verse 9:128 (At-Tawba), “Hers” (حِرْص) is used to describe unwavering benevolence of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) towards the people and his resolute determination to guide people [(حَرِيصٌ عَلَيْكُم), eager for you (your prosperity)]. However, in verse 2:96 (Al-Baqarah), “Hers” (حِرْص) is used to admonish the greed of the Jewish people to live for a long time in this world. [(أَحْرَصَ النَّاسِ عَلَىٰ حَيَاةٍ), the greediest of all men for life].
The word “Tama” (طَمَع) means either covet or hope[4]. For instance, “Tama” (طَمَع) in verse 7:56 (Al-A’raf) means hope [(وَادْعُوهُ خَوْفًا وَطَمَعًا): Invoke God in fear (of God’s Punishment) and hope (of receiving God’s forgiveness)].” Whereas “Tama” (طَمَع) in verse 33:32 (Al-AHzab) means covet[5] [(فَيَطْمَعَ الَّذِي فِي قَلْبِهِ مَرَضٌ): “he in whose heart is disease should covet you”.
In the realm of ethics, these words carry negative connotations, with “Hers” (حِرْص) implying greed and “Tama” (طَمَع) suggesting covetousness or having an excessive desire for what belongs to others.
[1] http://shiaonlinelibrary.com/الكتب/1531_بحار-الأنوار-العلامة-المجلسي-ج-١٠٠/الصفحة_0?pageno=27#top
[2] https://www.erfan.ir/farsi/61249.html
[3] Verses 38:21-25 (Sad)
[4] https://corpus.quran.com/qurandictionary.jsp?q=TmE
[5] Covet = to desire what belongs to another inordinately or culpably, Ref: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/covet
Part of a Series: Commentary on Imam Ali’s (AS) Nahj al-Balagha
Three distinct groups of people: Commentary on Holy Quran (1:7)