Definition

Literally, the word “stingy” means “miserly, who does not want to spend his money whatsoever, mean, parsimonious. It is expressed with the words “bukhl” and “shuh” in the Quran and sunnah generally. A stingy person is called “bakhil”. A bakhil likes keeping his money and gives it only when he is asked. The opposite of stinginess is generousness. A generous person gives money without being asked first and likes giving it.

As a term, stinginess means “Refraining from spending something which is supposed to be spent and refraining from giving freely to someone else because of excessive love for money and property.” According to Ghazali, stinginess is to keep property or money endowed upon one by Allah, refraining from spending it on the reason of creation; wastefulness is using something for a reason except the reason of creation, and it is generousness to use and spend something in accordance with the reason of creation

Stinginess means saving money and property and not using them to help others. Stinginess, in the Quran, means saving property and money endowed upon one by Allah and not using them for help as Allah orders us to.

“Woe to every (kind of) scandal-monger and backbiter, who pileth up wealth and layeth it by.” (al-Humazah, 104:1-2).

“And there are those who bury gold and silver and spend it not in the way of God: announce unto them a most grievous penalty.” (at-Tawbah, 9:34)


Believers are not stingy.

Characteristics of believers are mentioned in various places in the Quran. One of these characteristics of believers told in the Quran is that they are not stingy and that when they spend, they do it moderately. This is expressed in the 67th verse of surah al-Furqan as follows:

“Those who, when they spend, are not extravagant and not niggardly, but hold a just (balance) between those (extremes).” True believers should not be stingy.

Wrath awaits those who are stingy and who bids others to be stingy.

Allah the Glorious always warns human beings in different verses with different styles in order to protect people from this disease called stinginess.

“(Nor) those who are niggardly or enjoin niggardliness on others, or hide the bounties which God hath bestowed on them; for We have prepared, for those who resist Faith, a punishment that steeps them in contempt” (an-Nisa, 4:37)

“On the Day when heat will be produced out of that (wealth) in the fire of Hell, and with it will be branded their foreheads, their flanks, and their backs, their flanks, and their backs.- "This is the (treasure) which ye buried for yourselves: taste ye, then, the (treasures) ye buried!"” (at-Tawbah, 9:35)

The Quran often suggests people to get rid of this selfish feeling and develop the feeling of generousness instead of it and do good deeds in every possibility.

“And let not those who covetously withhold of the gifts which God Hath given them of His Grace, think that it is good for them: Nay, it will be the worse for them: soon shall the things which they covetously withheld be tied to their necks Like a twisted collar, on the Day of Judgment. To God belongs the heritage of the heavens and the earth; and God is well-acquainted with all that ye do.” (Aal-i Imran, 3:180)

Reasons of Stinginess

It is possible to categorize factors resulting in stinginess under two titles:

Excessive love for property holdings and ambition of saving money: The leading reason of stinginess, which is one of the negative ways of human beings, is excessive love for property holdings and ambition of saving money because the desire for richness and ambition for saving money are present in humankind’s disposition. For this reason, they always work for this world and save money. As a matter of fact, the verse, which says, “And lo! In the love of wealth he is violent” (al-Adiyat, 100: points out to this aspect of the humankind.


Ways to Escape Stinginess

Islamic scholars consider stinginess a disease of the heart and state that this disease can be cured only with knowledge and practice. Service to God is the job of earning a secondary disposition by putting Islam’s orders into practice. One can escape stinginess by being generous. One should believe that boons come only if Allah endows them and one should learn to be generous and get accustomed to be generous by supplicating beginning from the childhood.

Treatment through knowledge: It is possible to get over the disease of stinginess only by learning its harms related to ethics, religion and social aspects and the ways of getting rid of it. A person who knows dangers of stinginess refrains from it. For instance, would a person who knows how dangerous a snake is play with it? Would he let that snake sleep with him in his bed? Similarly, a person who knows how dangerous stinginess is quits this negative characteristic.

Anneka101:
A stingy Muslim won't have access to their 72 virgins in paradise as the stingy women association would be waiting in janal.

Anneka101:
A stingy Muslim won't have access to their 72 virgins in paradise as the stingy women association would be waiting in janal.

Anneka101:
A stingy Muslim won't have access to their 72 virgins in paradise as the stingy women association would be waiting in janal.

AfonjaMuslim:
As a good Yoruba Muslim, I am not stingy. I spend money on pussies here on earth while awaiting the 72 virgins in heaven

Ask4bigneyo:
Ok

sunshineV:
so we should not be stingy but if u ask allah for money he will air you. audio God

uthlaw:
the way you are paying your pastors money to be rich and begging Jesus to return the favor....hope is doing it!

swtdrms:
Some accounts need to be blocked from accessing Muslim threads, Mods need to look into that and devise means by which people who derail muslim threads can be banned from accessing muslim threads. This is really irritating. In the mean time, why not block those post making fun of the topic

OAM4J please look into this. This is too much and disturbing!