Ali 'Imran 180: Those who act miserly regarding the things that Allah has bestowed upon them by Allah’s grace, should not think it is good for them. To the contrary, it is very bad for them. The things they are miserly about will be hanging around their necks on the Day of Judgment. The heritage of the heavens and the earth belongs to Allah. Allah is aware of the things you are doing.

Those who, in spending what Allah has given them of His bounty, are stingy (?).

Thank you.

What do we say? What Allah has given them of His bounty. That is, what Allah Almighty gives people of His own grace, of His bounty, as He says – from the atom to the globe, all property belongs to Allah. Every soul will taste death, and in the end the inheritance of what is between the heavens or (?) will remain to Allah, it says. So, of what I gave people from My grace and bounty, of these worldly goods, those who are stingy in spending, that is, in distributing, those who are stingy – who have loaded the world onto their backs and, as if thinking it their own property, withhold it from Allah's servants, if his neighbor goes to bed hungry while he himself goes to bed full, if, while he leads a comfortable life, his neighbor or acquaintances are in hardship, and these blessings Allah Almighty has given him – if he is stingy in spending them, that is, stingy in distributing them, if he (?) to it, they are stingy, think of their own (?), and Satan frightens them with poverty – with poverty – and if they continue with this (?), let them not think that it is good for them.

Oh, how beautifully Allah Almighty puts it.

Let them not think that it is good for them.

What does Allah Almighty say in His verse? The verses always support one another, you see. Those who buy Paradise with their lives and their wealth. With their lives – the martyrs; with their wealth – well, these worldly blessings our Lord gave them and bestowed on them, those who spend what is Allah's for Allah's sake. But this spending, in such a way that they themselves stay on their feet, stand firmly on their feet, and in such a way that they can also help people – after a, well, situation, the surplus – of course, after securing his own (?) life, his living afterwards – though when you secure it, no one knows the next moment, but he will take precautions.

If, after the precaution, a person gives the surplus in charity, then for Allah's sake – as long as he helps Allah's servants, our Lord in return sells him Paradise. If he is stingy, let them not think, it says, that it is good for them. Yes. On the contrary, this is very bad for them, it says. Why? Why? Because Allah Almighty says this: O My servant, I gave you this. You boasted of it, prided yourself on it. With your wealth you saw yourself above other people. Although they were your brothers, when, proud while they went to bed hungry, you went to bed full, you did not think of them, and seeing yourself above them, in pride, you looked down on them.

Yet they too were your brothers, they were My creatures. The blessings I gave, to your brother and to the servants I created, you refused to give. And today, He says, in return for those blessings I gave you you are punished. That punishment is now Allah's alone. What kind of punishment will He give? Because what does it say? On the contrary, this is very bad for them, it says. And what is bad is the punishment, of course. What they were stingy with will be wound around their necks on the Day of Judgment. May Allah protect us. Yes. It will be wound around their necks.

The inheritance of the heavens and the earth belongs to Allah. Allah Almighty says it, and we are just saying the verses anyway. We said it earlier too. Allah is aware of all that you do. So you cannot carry Allah's property over into the hereafter. Do you own even an atom in the world? it says. Otherwise, if that were so, you would not be given anything of your world. I mean, if you were able to create a single atom in the world, your own comforts you would be able to create too. And I, He says, would give you nothing of what I created in the world, He says. Yet from the atom to the globe, even this body you see is a trust our Lord gave us.

Even our bodies. So we own nothing; of what our Lord created we are in need. So, after meeting our own needs, and having made ourselves secure, standing on our own feet, firmly planted – why should we withhold the extra blessings our Lord has bestowed on us from our brothers? If we had taken our Lord's verses as our rule and, in the words of this verse, had attained its secret, believe me, no poor would remain within Islam. No poor would remain. And the level of Islam's social life would rise.

Yes.

Those who are stingy in spending what Allah has given them of His bounty, let them not think that it is good for them. We have explained these ways; on the contrary, this is very bad for them. In stinginess – what they were stingy with, on the Day of Judgment, around their necks will be wound. The inheritance of the heavens and the earth belongs to Allah. Because whatever has been created, from the atom to the globe, and (?) the Throne of Allah included, up to where time and space end – everything, by our Lord, has been created. Every soul will taste death; the inheritance of the heavens and the earth will remain to Allah.

Because He created it; its owner is Allah. Of the goods given to them by Allah's grace and bounty, to those in need those who do not give, who (?) the goods in their hands and keep them for themselves, who say, 'I'll use it for my own needs,' and do not want to understand that in the surplus of their goods at home others also have rights – others have rights too; in a good given to you, in a blessing, in a provision, there is also the provision of your children and your wife. Don't think it is all yours; even your close ones, your relatives, your neighbor, and, if you go further out, those in need have their provision in it.

A factory owner, an employer – of those working for him, the workers he employs, their provision too Allah gives to that boss.

He gives it to the person he employs. And if he does not give the people he employs their rights in full, if he (?) the money, usurps the workers' rights, then tomorrow, on the Day of Judgment, those rights will be wound around his neck. Let him not think that it brings him any good. But if he gives the worker he employs his right in full, he both protects right and justice in the world for Allah's sake, and Allah opens unknown doors for him. That person never falls into hardship, and since that person has fulfilled his workers' rights, Allah Almighty stands behind him when he is in hardship and helps him.

Know this well.

This is not just talk, this is the truth. Because there are things that happened. I am living it anyway. I lived it. When I was working, I had a factory. I was never in hardship. Never. But I never took anyone's due either. I gave all of them more. Sometimes someone would be in need. The lad would be in need. I would see him looking worried. I'd call him: 'What's the matter, son?' 'Well, my wife is sick, my child is sick, I'll take them to the doctor.' 'All right, son. How much do you need?' Money of those days: 20 lira, 30 lira, 40 lira. 'Here you are. Go, get your child treated.' He'd go and come back. At the start of the month I'd give him his full wage.

He'd look like this, neck stretched up. '(?) You gave me too much money.' 'No, I didn't give you too much, my dear.' 'But I had taken money from you.' 'That's my gift to you,' I'd say. How happy he'd be! His work output would rise too. And Allah never left me either.

So, can you treat people like this? If you act like this, Allah will be with you too. Don't be afraid at all. Your back won't touch the ground. Yes.

Those who do not want to understand that others also have rights, who to Allah's servants give no charity but keep those rights upon themselves – let them not think that their (?) is good for them. Hey! How will they give account for them? Yes, on the contrary, this is very bad for them. That our Lord says with this verse it is very bad for them: those who, coveting the goods or things Allah created, letting the love of those things' (?) or of money settle in their hearts, remove the love of Allah from their hearts. I mean, think of (?), think of a bucket. A mercy filled with water to the brim.

Our Lord's mercy is raining down, of course. If you try to fill that bucket with sand, as the sand fills up, the water overflows, as the sand fills up, the water overflows, that mercy leaves it, and the masiva fill it. The masiva, the sins, fill it. So when the love of matter enters a person's heart like this and the love of Allah leaves that heart, then surely, the one who shows love to what Allah created and turns his back on his Creator – woe to him. Woe to him.

Yes, those who let the love of things' (?) or of their money settle in their hearts and remove the love of Allah from their hearts – these people have unknowingly fallen into shirk. Unknowingly. These are hidden shirk. Because if there is anyone to be loved most, it is Allah, He says. If there is anyone to be feared most from within, it is Allah too. If you let Allah's creations settle in your heart and on Allah's command over you turn your back, if you turn away, now, did you love Allah? You loved Allah's creations – Allah's creations is it that you loved? In that case, did you do what Allah said?

Or did you follow the whims of your own nafs and, in the direction of your own nafs' desire and wish, by Satan's deception, follow his temptation? So you have deified your nafs. In that case you have fallen into shirk. Yes, these are hidden shirk. That is, people associating partners with Allah without realizing it.

In such cases a person continues in this state. He doesn't repent. If he passes to the hereafter in this state – those who repent are excepted. Allah is At-Tawwab. He accepts repentance abundantly. Abundantly. Now, there is one who reforms in youth, there is one who reforms in middle age, and one who reforms at the moment of death. They compare this to wrestlers: head wrestlers have put on their kispet and stepped into the arena. One puts an elense hold on the other, and with the elense the opponent says, 'He'll beat me,' and gives up right there – this is very good. When young. Anyway. They keep at the elense.

One, with the elense, brings the other's knee to the ground. He too realizes this one is stronger than him. 'He'll beat me.' He too gives up there. Middle age. Another, along with the elense, has dropped to his knee, but the other has wrapped around him. He has him in a künde. In a künde. Now there's no escape. He'll slam his back to the ground. He gives up there. This is at the moment of death: rather than going the other way, the religion of Islam (?) – there is benefit in his going. This too – at that moment of repentance, before the soul reaches the throat, but before Allah Almighty shows him the worlds of the hereafter, if he repents, he too escapes the punishment.

Yes.

In this case a person continues in this state. He doesn't repent. If he passes to the hereafter in this state, what they were stingy with, on the Day of Judgment, will be wound around his neck. What does 'wound around his neck' mean? 'Come over here,' Allah Almighty will say. Wasn't our Lord unseen – how will He hold the reckoning? How will He ask? Yes: 'Come over here, so-and-so (?), come, I gave you these. Were they yours?' No. Our Lord's creation. 'So, though you knew you were a guest in this transient world, with what I gave you, you were stingy, and if you devour My servants' rights and dues – did you think you'd be unaccountable and it would remain with you as profit?' – when He says this, what answer will you give Him?

You can give no answer at all. So it's wound around your neck. You will suffer its punishment. So 'wound around the neck' means being questioned about it and, in return for it, the punishment you will suffer – the recompense of the punishment. Yes.

That is, people will be called to account for those things. 'Go on now – these goods whose love he let settle in his heart, which are of no use even to him, and were created by Us for your service, as grace and favor – let them save you today,' it will be said. Go on, let that wealth save you today. In the world you sat on that wealth. You boasted of it, took pride in it. You showed off to the servants I created. (?) let me say, you usurped their rights. While they went to bed hungry, you went to bed full, and through their state you indulged the whims of your nafs. You saw greatness in yourself.

And you thought that wealth was your own. 'Now do you understand whose that wealth is?' He will say. 'Go on, let it save you now.' Because the inheritance of the heavens and the earth and what is between them is Allah's; every soul will taste death, after all. So what kind of person we are – in spending the goods our Lord has given us or using them, by spending we will prove what kind of person we are. Are we stingy with goods? Are we wasteful? Or do we spend where it's needed? Allah Almighty will ask us all of these. But since there is no other savior besides Allah, these, with the stinginess they practiced and the rights they took upon themselves, will be subject to punishment.

The inheritance of the heavens and the earth belongs to Allah. So a person tries to take what Allah created. If he wants to own it, these desires end in loss.

I mean, if he tries to take what Allah created and wants to own it. Owning, that is – of course here we take ownership of what Allah gives, but that owning means forgetting Allah and longing for His creations.

Even if the world were yours, if you don't long for it, you fall into the state of faqr. Faqr. The pride of faqr is the Prophet (peace be upon him). And there's a beautiful couplet. El-fakru fahrî, el-fakru fahrî. Didn't he, the pride of the worlds, say it? Remember your faqr, remember your faqr. 'This heart of mine found faqr in fana,' it says. Yes. Although all the worlds were created for him, against all these worlds he drew the sword 'billah'. He pushed everything other than Allah into nonexistence. Allah alone, and himself. That is faqr.

That is the meaning of the faqir too. That is 'la mevcude illallah'. Don't go all the way there.

Surely, if the inheritance of the heavens and the earth is Allah's, and a person tries to take what Allah created and wants to own it, this independence ends in loss. Because everything is Allah's.

No one can own the creations of Allah, who created the universe. Because what does Allah Almighty say? When He says, 'Every soul will taste death, and your return is to Me,' since He says 'the inheritance of the heavens and the earth is Allah's', no one can own Allah's creations. They are only trustees, trustees. These are the blessings of the earth given to them to prove themselves. Yes. All these created goods are in the service of people's (?), so that they do deeds of reward and sin – for that they were created. We came to an unseen world, a world where our Lord is not seen. In the material world, Allah Almighty made us (?) through eating and drinking.

He placed responsibilities on us. What kind of person we are, within this life of ours, to prove ourselves to ourselves, to make those around and Allah witnesses – for this He laid these blessings before us. Within our destinies we take them, spend them, live, and after proving what kind of person we are, surely life's (?) is completed, and every soul tastes death. According to the verse saying our return is to Allah, to the world of barzakh we go right back. And we wait there until the Day of Judgment. 'After the Judgment, when you come before Me with a driver,' He says.

When the souls are paired. Yes. When He says, 'We caused you to die twice, We cause you to die,' before Allah Almighty we will give account. Our bodies die there a second time, and since spirit, nafs and life are one, they will be sent to where they belong.

According to the verse 'The inheritance of the heavens and the earth is Allah's', all creations again will remain Allah's. If you had owned Allah's creations, or had gone to the hereafter with the goods you owned, those goods would have been yours, and for those goods you took, you would not be called to account.

If they were yours. If you had gone with them, that is, if you had created them, why would Allah call what you created to account along with you? Or, since you'd have disposed as you wished of what you created, why would He call you to account? So they all belong to Allah. This flesh and bone you see, this body – it too is a trust. We will leave it too and go. We will leave it in the world, in graves. (?) Allah will raise them from those graves. The earth. Those people will sprout like grass on the earth at the Judgment. The world will be brought to that place of gathering, the world. A word our Lord uses in a figurative sense.

The world, He says, will put on its finest garments that day: 'Grant me to the least of Your walis.' And Allah Almighty: 'That wali you call small did not look at you while in the world, so go on, give to him now – give,' He says. It will be rolled up like an old rag and thrown into Hell. That's the verse. And the explanation of the verse is like that too. The world, He says, will be rolled up like an old rag and thrown into Hell.

So here's a hadith for you. A hadith: A person is resurrected with the one he loves. If you love the world and put the love of Allah behind you, you are resurrected with what you love and continue your way with it. If you love Allah, you are resurrected with the love of Allah, and to the Paradises Allah promised you go as (?), as an heir.

So, since all creations are Allah's, if for what Allah created you feel more love than for Allah, you have committed shirk against Allah. If you know the owner of creations and turn to Him, you find salvation. Because Allah is aware of all that is done. Whatever there is, from the atom to the globe – there is not a single living being to come until the Judgment, He says, of which Allah Almighty does not know what it will do. Yes.