A Person Who Hankers After Money And Fashionable Garment

• Rasoolullah (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said:

“Miserable is the slave of a gold coin, the slave of a silver coin and the slave of expensive garments. If he is given, he is pleased and if he is not given he becomes angry. He is miserable and disgraced.” (Bukhari – Mishkaat)

In this Hadeeth Nabi Kareem (Sallallahu alaihi wasallam) expresses his severe displeasure at a person who hankers after money and fashionable garments. Rasoolullah (Sallallahu alaihi wasallam) branded such a person as “miserable” and described him as a “slave” of what he hankers for.

The nafs desires pleasure and basks in the base attractions of showing off, being haughty, greedy and the like. To fulfil its aim of pride, pleasure and ostentation it (the nafs) drives a person to hanker, and slog and slave for more money and garments of show. This person becomes a slave of his desires. His desire is for money and exquisite garments. He is thus a slave of money and fashion. His inordinate craving for money and the best of garments drives him to the point of recklessness in acquiring the two. He casts aboard all conscience of halaal and haraam. He becomes blind to jaaiz and na-jaaiz, ethical and immoral. In his insane pursuit he is miserable. He is pleased with and flatters those who give him and aid him in achieving his desires, whilst he becomes furious and abusive at those who do not give him for some reason or the other. Misery upon misery piles up on his head. He thus becomes humiliated. He ends up as a loser in the world and in the Aakhirah. May Allah Ta’ala save us from the twin evils of love for money and love for fame.