(2:261)” The holy Quran addresses a horrible threat against...
(2:261)” The holy Quran addresses a horrible threat against those whom are enslaved by stinginess: “Those who horde gold and silver and do not spend (anything out of it) for the cause of Allah, should know that their recompense will be a painful torment on the Day of Judgment and that their treasures will be heated by the fire of hell and pressed against their foreheads, sides and back with this remark: “These are your own treasures which you hoarded for yourselves.
See for yourselves what they feel like.” (9:34-5)” Among the other incentives of stinginess is fathers’ excessive care for the future of their sons. Such fathers will not spend their fortunes so as to save them for their sons, believing that such fortunes will protect their sons from poverty. Such an emotion, which is deep-rooted in man’s mentality, cannot be harmful or excessive if it is moderate, reasonable, and away from negligence and exaggeration.
Nevertheless, it is unfit for people of reason to feel such an emotion so exaggeratively. The holy Quran warns fathers against the prevalence of this emotion over them so that they will not be seduced by the love for their sons: “Know that your possessions and children are a temptation for you and that Allah has the greatest reward for the righteous ones.
(8:28)” The best word in this regard is the following missive of Amirul-Mu'minin (a): “So then, the worldly collection, which is between your hands, was possessed before you and will be possessed by others after you. You are only hording for one of two men: a man who will use that fortune in the acts of obedience to Allah, and this fortune that you suffered unhappiness until you collected it will be the source of happiness for such an individual.
The other man is that who will use the fortune that you collected in the fields of disobedience to Allah, and your hording will cause him unhappiness.
None of these two men is worthy of being preferred to yourself or being burdened on your back; therefore, you should hope Allah’s mercy for the past and hope Allah’s sustenance for the remaining[^3].” Regarding God’s saying, “That is how God will show them their regrettable deeds (2:167),” Imam as-Sadiq (a) said: “The intendeds in the previous Verse are those who do not spend their fortunes in the ways of Allah and then die to leave them to others who will use them either in fields of obedience or disobedience to Allah.