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Love of World (Hadith From Al-Kafi)

A short explanation is in order before the reading of the narrations of the Infallibles
(as).
Love for the world basically means that the aim of man should be nearness to God.
World, if sought, for the purpose of improving your lifestyle (not extravagance),
upkeep of your family, savings which make independent of the help of others,
going for hajj / ziyarat, helping relatives, friends, neighbors, giving charity,
wearing decent attire, having a decent vehicle, eating good food – all these become
supports for your religion and pleasing God. The aim of love for world is not
asceticism as commonly understood, but the emphasis is remains on the word
LOVE.
‘I should not feel hesitation when I open my wallet to help a needy man. If I do, the
fact remains I love money for itself.’ No, the world as a means to a happy life and a
help for good deeds becomes the hereafter. The message below reiterates your love
for the world should not blind you to God, the hereafter, love, respect, morals,
your duty towards others and being a good person.

I hope I can continue this discussion, inshaallah, with narrations from the chapter
of ‘ma’eeshat” (how to earn a living/ attitude towards life)

H 2573, CH 122, h 1
Hisham from abu ‘Abd Allah, (as) who has said the following:
“Abu ‘Abd Allah, (as), has said, ‘The head of all sins is love of this world.’”
H 2574 CH 122, h 2
Hammad ibn Bashir who has said the following: “I heard abu ‘Abd Allah,
(as),saying, ‘No two fierce wolves in a flock of sheep in the absence of their
shepherd, one wolf on either side is as destructive to them as the love of property
and honor is to the religion of a Muslim.”
H 2575, CH 122, h 3
from Muhammad ibn Muslim from abu Ja’far, (as), who has said the following:
“No two fierce wolves in a flock of sheep without a shepherd, one wolf on either
side is as quick (to destroy them) as the love
of property and honor (popularity) is to destroy the religion of a believer.”
H 2576, CH 122, h 4
From Ghiyath ibn Ibrahim from abu ‘Abd Allah, (as), who has said the following:
“Satan circles around the children of Adam in every (evil) matter (to make him
sin), when he is frustrated (man did not sin) he ambushes him through his (love of)
property and holds him (man) through such love by his neck.”
H 2577, CH 122, h 5
from abu ‘Usamah Zayd from abu ‘Abd Allah, (as) , who has said the following:
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“The Messenger of Allah has said, ‘One who is not comforted and satisfied with
relief from Allah, his soul will be torn in pieces due to his sorrow for the world.
One who follows his eyes to what is in the hands of the people, his depressed
condition will increase and his anguish will not cease. One who does not
appreciate Allah’s bounties, besides food, drinks and clothes, his deeds fall short
and his suffering draws near.”
H 2578, CH 122, h 6
from al-Harith al-A’War from Amir al-Mu’minin, Ali ibn abu Talib, (as), who has
said the following:
“The Messenger of Allah has said, ‘The world and dirham (money) have destroyed
those who lived before you and they will destroy you also.
H 2579, CH 122, h 7
Abu Ja’far, (as) has said, ‘A person greedy of the worldly things is like a silkworm,
the more
silk it produces around itself the more difficult it becomes to come out, until it dies
in sorrow.’ Abu ‘Abd Allah, (as), then said, ‘The richest person is one who is not a
captive of greed.’ The Imam has said, ‘Do not allow your hearts to become
preoccupied with what has already gone; it distracts your hearts from the task of
readiness for what is to come.’”
H 2580, CH 122, h 8
Ali ibn al-Husayn, (as), was asked, ‘Which deed is more excellent before Allah?’
The Imam said, ‘No deed, after knowing Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy,
and knowing the Messenger of Allah, is more excellent than hating the world. It
has many branches, and thesins have branches also. The first sin committed was
Arrogance, the sin of Satan, when he refused to obey (Allah), assumed arrogance
and became an unbeliever. Thereafter it is Greed, the sin of Adam and Eve. When
Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, told them, ‘Enjoy the foods therein, but
do not go near a certain tree lest you become of the transgressors.’ (2:35) They
took what they did not need and it remained in their descendents to the Day of
Judgment. For this reason most of the things that the children of Adam want do not
need them. Thereafter is Envy. It is the sin of the son of Adam who envied his
brother and killed him. From this branches love for women, love for the world,
love to become the leader, the love to be comfortable, the
love to speak, the love to be superior and rich. They total seven characteristics and
all are found in the love for the world. The prophets and the scholars after knowing
this have said, ‘Love for the world is the head of all sins.’ The world is of two
kinds: The world of bare necessities and the condemned one.’”
H 2581, CH 122, h 9
from abu ‘Abd Allah, (as), who has said the following: “It is in the conversations
of Moses: ‘O Moses, the world is the home of suffering. I caused Adam to suffer in
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it when he made a mistake and I have condemned it. Everything in it is

condemned except what is for Me. O Moses, My virtuous servants reduce their
interests in the world proportionate to the degree of their knowledge, and other
creatures developed interest in it proportionate to the degree of their ignorance.
There is no one who for his appreciation of the world has found any delight to his
eyes and no one belittled it but that he found benefits in it.’”
H 2582, CH 122, h 10
from Muhammad al-Halabi from abu ‘Abd Allah, (as), who has said the following:
“No two fierce wolves in a flock of sheep without a shepherd, one wolf on either
side is as quick (to destroy them) as the love of property and fame is to destroy the
religion of a Muslim.
H 2583, CH 122, h 11
‘Abd al-Hamid ibn Ali al-Kufi from Muhajir al-Asadi from abu ‘Abd Allah, (as),
who has said the following: “Once Jesus, son of Mary, passed by a town, in which
people, birds and animals had all died. Jesus said, ‘They all have died from
violence. Had they died individually they would have buried each other.’ The
disciples said, ‘O Spirit of Allah and His word, pray to Allah to bring them to life
so we may ask abouttheir deeds and avoid them (bad ones).’ Jesus prayed to his
Lord and from space he was told to call them. Jesus at night stood on a high
ground that dominated the town and said, ‘O people of the town?’ A certain
individual replied, ‘Yes, O the Spirit of Allah and His word.’ He then said, ‘Woe
upon you. What kind of deeds did you have?’ He said, ‘We worshipped the devil,
loved the world with little fear, had long hopes and neglectfully engaged in useless
and playful activities.’ Jesus asked, ‘How
was your love of the world?’ He replied, ‘It was like a child’s love for his mother.
When it came to us we rejoiced in happiness and when it went away we felt sad
and cried.’ He then asked, ‘How was your worship of the devil?’ He replied, ‘It
was obedience to the sinful people.’ Jesus asked, ‘How were the
consequences of your activities?’ He replied, ‘We spent one night in comfort and
in the morning we found ourselves in Hawiyah (a place in hell).’ Jesus asked,
‘What is Hawiyah?’ He said, ‘It is Sijjin’ Jesus asked, ‘What is Sijjin?’ He said, ‘It
is a mountain of burning coal that smolders upon us to the Day of
Judgment.’ Jesus asked, ‘What did you say and what was said to you?’ He replied,
‘We said, ‘Return us to the worldly life so we can live piously, and it was said to
us, “You are lying.”’ Jesus asked, ‘Why do not the others of you talk to me?’ He
said, ‘O Spirit of Allah, they are harnessed with a harness of fire which is in the
hands of stern and strong angels. I was among them, butnot one of them. When
punishment struck it took me with them. I am hanged by a hair on the brink of hell
and I do not know if I
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will be saved or thrown into hell.’ Jesus then turned to the disciples and said,
‘Friends of Allah, eating dried up bread with not so pleasant salt and sleeping on
the trash collection sites is much better in good health and safety in this world and
in the next life.’”
H 2584, CH 122, h 12
from Hisham ibn Salim from abu ‘Abd Allah, (as), who has said the following:
“With every door to the worldly affairs that Allah opens to a servant, He also
opens a door of greed to him.”
H 2585, CH 122, h 13
from Hafs ibn Ghiyath from abu ‘Abd Allah, (as), who has said the following:
“Jesus, son of Mary, peace be upon him, has said, ‘You work for the worldly
things while your sustenance is there without work. You do not work for the next
life where you will not receive any sustenance without work. Woe upon you. You
are bad scholars. You receive payments but destroy the work. Perhaps the
worshippers’ deeds are accepted and perhaps they will be taken out of the narrow
space of this world to the darkness of the grave. How can one be of the scholars
who is on his way to the next life while he is holding to the world and what is
harmful to him is more beloved to him than what is beneficial to him?
H 2586, CH 122, h 14
Zurara and Muhammad ibn Muslim from abu ‘Abd Allah, (as), who has said the
following: “The farthest that a servant can be from Allah, the Most Majestic, the
Most Holy, is the condition wherein one has no other concern but his stomach and
his genitals.”
H 2587, CH 122, h 15
from ‘Abd Allah ibn abu Ya’fur from abu ‘Abd Allah, (as), who has said the
following:
“Whoever passes the nights and days with the world as his biggest concern, Allah
places poverty between his eyes, makes his affairs chaotic and he will receive of
the world only what Allah has made his allocated share of the world. Whoever
passes nights and the days with the next life as his biggest concern, Allah places
wealth in his heart and sets his affairs in an orderly manner.’
H 2588, CH 122, h 16
from abu ‘Abd Allah, (as), who has said the following: “Whoever’s entanglement
with the world is greater his sorrow to leave this world becomes more intense.”
H 2589, CH 122, h 17
from ‘Abd al- ‘Aziz al-‘Abdi from ibn abu Ya’fur who has said the following: “I
heard abu ‘Abd Allah, (as), saying, ‘Whoever’s heart is lodged with the world is
ensnared with three things: a concern that never vanishes, a wish that never comes
true and a hope that never materializes.
H 1891, CH 57, h 11
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from al-Zuhri Muhammad ibn Muslim ibn Shihab who has said the following: “Ali
ibn al-Husayn, (as), was asked, ‘Which deed is more meritorious in the sight of
Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy?’ The Imam said, ‘No deed, after
knowing Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, and the Messenger of Allah is
more meritorious than to dislike (and hate) the world. It has many branches. Sins
have many branches. The first disobedience to Allah was because of arrogance that
Satan committed when he refused boastfully and became of those who reject (the
command of Allah). Greed was the sin of Adam and Eve. Allah, the Most
Majestic, the Most Holy, has said, ‘We told Adam to stay with his spouse (Eve) in
the garden and enjoy the foods therein. We (also) told them to stay away from
going near a certain tree lest they might become one of the transgressors.’ (2:35)
They took what they did not need and this remains in their descendents to the Day
of Judgment. For this reason most of the things that the children of Adam want
they do not need. Then it is jealousy because of which the son of Adam committed
disobedience and murdered his brother out of jealousy. From this branch comes
love for women, love for the world, love for leadership, love for comfort, love to
speak, love for higher position and wealth. They are seven characteristics and all of
them are gathered together in the love for the world. The prophets and scholars
after knowing this have said: ‘Love for the world is the head of all sins.’ There are
two worlds: the world of bare necessities and the condemned world.
H 1892, CH 57, h 12
from abu ‘Abd Allah, (as), who has said the following: “The Messenger of Allah
has said, ‘Seeking worldly benefits amounts to one’s disadvantages of the next
world and seeking the advantages of the next world may become losses in the
benefits of this world. You must then cause losses to worldly benefits; it is better to
suffer worldly losses (than to suffer losses in the next life).