Simple Solution to The Vehement Greed Witnessed During Tariff Disputes Between Nations
In The Name of Allah, The Most Merciful, The Bestowed of Mercy.
Allah, The Most High, said:
وَلَا يَحْسَبَنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ يَبْخَلُونَ بِمَآ ءَاتَىٰهُمُ ٱللَّهُ مِن فَضْلِهِۦ هُوَ خَيْرًا لَّهُم بَلْ هُوَ شَرٌّ لَّهُمْ سَيُطَوَّقُونَ مَا بَخِلُوا۟ بِهِۦ يَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَٰمَةِ وَلِلَّهِ مِيرَٰثُ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ وَٱللَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ خَبِيرٌ
And let not those who covetously withhold of that which Allah has bestowed on them of His Bounty (Wealth) think that it is good for them. Nay, it will be worse for them; the things which they covetously withheld shall be tied to their necks like a collar on the Day of Resurrection. And to Allah belongs the heritage of the heavens and the earth; and Allah is Well-Acquainted with all that you do. [Aal Imran 180]
ٱلَّذِينَ يَبْخَلُونَ وَيَأْمُرُونَ ٱلنَّاسَ بِٱلْبُخْلِ وَيَكْتُمُونَ مَآ ءَاتَىٰهُمُ ٱللَّهُ مِن فَضْلِهِۦ وَأَعْتَدْنَا لِلْكَٰفِرِينَ عَذَابًا مُّهِينًا
Those who are miserly and enjoin miserliness on other men and hide what Allah has bestowed upon them of His Bounties. And We have prepared for the disbelievers a disgraceful torment. [An-Nisaa 37]
Abdullah ibn Amr, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said, “Beware of greed, for it was only greed that destroyed those before you. It commanded them to be miserly and they did so. It commanded them to sever their family ties and they did so. It commanded them to behave wickedly and they did so”. [1]
Allah [The Exalted] said:
وَيْلٌ لِّلْمُطَفِّفِينَ
الَّذِينَ إِذَا اكْتَالُوا عَلَى النَّاسِ يَسْتَوْفُونَ
وَإِذَا كَالُوهُمْ أَو وَّزَنُوهُمْ يُخْسِرُونَ
أَلَا يَظُنُّ أُولَٰئِكَ أَنَّهُم مَّبْعُوثُونَ
لِيَوْمٍ عَظِيمٍ
يَوْمَ يَقُومُ النَّاسُ لِرَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ
Woe to Al-Mutaffifin [those who give less in measure and weight (decrease the rights of others)], those who, when they have to receive by measure from men, demand full measure, and when they have to give by measure or weight to men, give less than due. Think they not that they will be resurrected (for reckoning), on a Great Day, the Day when (all) mankind will stand before the Lord of the ‘Alamin (mankind, jinns and all that exists)? [Al-Mutaffifeen. 1-7]
وَيْلٌ
“Woe” is a word of punishment and threat of divine vengeance to those who give less in measure. Allah explained who the Mutaffifeen are in his statement:
الَّذِينَ إِذَا اكْتَالُوا عَلَى النَّاسِ يَسْتَوْفُونَ
“Those who, when they have to receive by measure from people, demand full measure”.
Meaning, they take from them in full what is established to be their due and demand in full without any loss.
وَإِذَا كَالُوهُمْ أَو وَّزَنُوهُمْ يُخْسِرُونَ
“And when they have to give by measure or weight to people, give less than what is due”.
Meaning, when they give the people what they are entitled to by way of measure or weight, they give them less- either by giving short measure or weight, or by not giving the full measure or weight, or by not filling the measuring or weighing equipment and what is similar that. This is tantamount to stealing the people’s wealth and not being fair to them. If this is the threat of divine vengeance against those who give short measure and short weight, then those who take people’s wealth by force or by stealing are more deserving of this threat than those who give short measure and short weight.
This noble verse shows that just as a person takes from the people what he is entitled to, it is also obligated on him to give them everything they are entitled to – whether related to wealth or mutual dealings; rather included in the generality of this Ayah are proofs and statements, because indeed what usually takes place between those engaged in argumentation and discussion is that each of them is eager to establish his proofs, therefore, it is obligated on a person also to make known the proofs possessed by the other person and examine the proofs of the other person just as he examines his own proofs.
In relation to this affair, the justice of a person is known as opposed to whether he is afflicted with bigotry, his humility as opposed to being haughty, his common sense as opposed to foolish behaviour. We ask Allah bestow on us every good.
Then Allah issued a threat to those who give short measure, stated with amazement regarding their state of affairs and their persistence upon what they are doing. Allah said:
أَلَا يَظُنُّ أُولَٰئِكَ أَنَّهُم مَّبْعُوثُونَ
لِيَوْمٍ عَظِيمٍ
يَوْمَ يَقُومُ النَّاسُ لِرَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ
“Think they not that they will be resurrected (for reckoning), on a Great Day, the Day when (all) mankind will stand before the Lord of all that exists”.
Meaning, what makes them dare to give short measure is because they do not believe in the Last Day, otherwise had they believed in it and known that they will stand before Allah to give account – whether related to something small or big, they would stopped and repent.
Allah, The Exalted, said in Surah Hud verse 88 that Prophet Shu’aib, peace be upon him, said to his people:
يَا قَوْمِ أَرَأَيْتُمْ إِن كُنتُ عَلَىٰ بَيِّنَةٍ مِّن رَّبِّي
“O my people! Tell me, if I have a clear evidence from my Lord”.
Meaning: I am upon certainty and tranquility regarding the correctness of (the Message) I have brought.
وَرَزَقَنِي مِنْهُ رِزْقًا حَسَنًا
“And He (Allah) has given me a good sustenance from Himself”.
Meaning: Allah has given me various types of wealth.
وَمَا أُرِيدُ أَنْ أُخَالِفَكُمْ إِلَىٰ مَا أَنْهَاكُمْ عَنْهُ
“I wish not, in contradiction to you, to do that which I forbid you”.
Meaning: I do not wish to forbid you, yet I myself do the same and eventually you will charge me for doing so, instead I will not forbid you from a matter except that I will be the first person to hasten to abandon it.
إِنْ أُرِيدُ إِلَّا الْإِصْلَاحَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُ
“I only desire reform so far as I am able, to the best of my power”.
Meaning: I do not have any other intentions other than to rectify your circumtances and the things that are of benefit to you. Because this statement of Prophet Shu’aib, peace be upon him, contains something that may indicate attributing piety to himself, he repels it with the statement:
وَمَا تَوْفِيقِي إِلَّا بِاللَّهِ
“And my guidance cannot come except from Allah”.
Meaning: The ability I have to do good and to refrain from evil is a bestowal from Allah [The Most High] and it is neither due to my strength nor power.
عَلَيْهِ تَوَكَّلْتُ وَإِلَيْهِ أُنِيبُ
“in Him I trust and unto Him I repent”.
Meaning: I rely on Allah in all my affairs and suffice myself with Him. I turn to Allah in all types of worship (through which) He has commanded me to draw close to Him by performing good deeds. Through these two matters- seeking aid and assistance from Allah, turning to Him in repentance, complete submission and obedience- a person’s circumstances become upright, as Allah [The Most High] said in another verse:
فَاعْبُدْهُ وَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَيْهِ
“So worship Him (O Muhammad) and put your trust in Him”. [2]
We ask Allah:
اللَّهُمَّ اقْسِمْ لَنَا مِنْ خَشْيَتِكَ مَا يَحُولُ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَ مَعَاصِيكَ وَمِنْ طَاعَتِكَ مَا تُبَلِّغُنَا بِهِ جَنَّتَكَ وَمِنَ الْيَقِينِ مَا تُهَوِّنُ بِهِ عَلَيْنَا مُصِيبَاتِ الدُّنْيَا وَمَتِّعْنَا بِأَسْمَاعِنَا وَأَبْصَارِنَا وَقُوَّتِنَا مَا أَحْيَيْتَنَا وَاجْعَلْهُ الْوَارِثَ مِنَّا وَاجْعَلْ ثَأْرَنَا عَلَى مَنْ ظَلَمَنَا وَانْصُرْنَا عَلَى مَنْ عَادَانَا وَلاَ تَجْعَلْ مُصِيبَتَنَا فِي دِينِنَا وَلاَ تَجْعَلِ الدُّنْيَا أَكْبَرَ هَمِّنَا وَلاَ مَبْلَغَ عِلْمِنَا وَلاَ تُسَلِّطْ عَلَيْنَا مَنْ لاَ يَرْحَمُنَ
وَلاَ تَجْعَلِ الدُّنْيَا أَكْبَرَ هَمِّنَا وَلاَ مَبْلَغَ عِلْمِنَا
Do not make the Dunyah our greatest concern. [3]
Al-Allamah Al-Mubarakfuri may Allah have mercy upon him, stated in his explanation of this supplication that it means: “Do not make wealth and status our greatest goal or the reason behind our grief, rather direct our greatest goal or the reason behind our grief towards the deeds of the afterlife. [4]
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الْبُخْلِ، وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الْجُبْنِ، وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ أَنْ نُرَدَّ إِلَى أَرْذَلِ الْعُمُرِ، وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ فِتْنَةِ الدُّنْيَا، وَعَذَابِ الْقَبْرِ
O Allah! I seek refuge with You from miserliness, and seek refuge with You from cowardice, and seek refuge with You from being brought back to (senile) old age, and seek refuge with You from the affliction of the world and from the punishment in the grave. [5]
Imam Ibn Al-Qayyim, may Allah have mercy upon him, stated in Ad Da’u Wad Dawa regarding some of the sins inherited from the destroyed nations of the past, and among them:
“Taking more than one is entitled to is a legacy from the people of Shu’ayb, peace be upon him. The corruption and arrogance displayed on earth are inherited from the people of Pharaoh, and the pride and tyranny are legacies from the people of Prophet Hud, peace be upon him. Thus, the sinner is adorned in the garments of these nations, which are enemies of Allah”. [Ad-Da’u Wad Dawa’u. page 142]
[1] Sahih Abee Dawud 1698
[2] An Excerpt from Tafseer As-Sadi
[3]Sahheeh at-Tirmidhee 3502
[4] Tuhfah Al-Ahwadhee 9/475-477
[5] Al-Bukhari 6390