Caution: Translations of Quran and Ḥadīth may lead to possible misapplications and misinterpretations. This site is intended for students of sacred knowledge that are proficient in comprehending classical Arabic and have a strong foundation in Islamic sciences. Also note that religious injunctions rely on several aspects beyond what one may glean through reading individual aḥādīth.

Sense of contentment is what makes one truly wealthy or poor

tabarani:1643ʿAlī b. al-Mubārak > Ismāʿīl b. Abū Ūways > Ismāʿīl b. ʿAbdullāh b. Khālid b. Saʿīd b. Abū Maryam from his father from his grandfather > Nuʿaym b. ʿAbdullāh a freed slave of ʿUmar b. al-Khaṭṭāb > Abū Zaynab a freed slave of Ḥāzim al-Ghifārī > Abū Dhar

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ asked, “O Abū Dharr, Do you think that having wealth is being wealthy?” He said, “Yes.” He ansked, “And do you think that not having wealth is poverty?” He said, “Yes.” He then said three things. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “In fact, true wealth is in the heart and true poverty is in the heart: Whoever's richness is in his heart; will not be harmed no matter what happens to him in the world; Whoever is poor in his heart, he will not be satisfied no matter how much he has gained in the world. In fact he is only harmed by the greed of his own soul.”  

الطبراني:١٦٤٣حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ الْمُبَارَكِ ثنا إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ أَبِي أُوَيْسٍ ثنا إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ خَالِدِ بْنِ سَعِيدِ بْنِ أَبِي مَرْيَمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ جَدِّهِ عَنْ نُعَيْمِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللهِ مَوْلَى عُمَرَ بْنِ الْخَطَّابِ أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ أَبَا زَيْنَبَ مَوْلَى حَازِمٍ الْغِفَارِيِّ يَقُولُ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا ذَرًّ يَقُولُ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ «يَا أَبَا ذَرًّ تَقُولُ كَثْرَةُ الْمَالِ الْغِنَى؟» قُلْتُ نَعَمْ قَالَ «تَقُولُ قِلَّةُ الْمَالِ الْفَقْرُ؟» قُلْتُ نَعَمْ قَالَ ذَلِكَ ثَلَاثًا ثُمَّ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ «الْغِنَى فِي الْقَلْبِ وَالْفَقْرُ فِي الْقَلْبِ مَنْ كَانَ الْغِنَى فِي قَلْبِهِ لَا يَضُرُّهُ مَا لَقِيَ مِنَ الدُّنْيَا وَمَنْ كَانَ الْفَقْرُ فِي قَلْبِهِ فَلَا يُغْنِيهِ مَا أَكْثَرَ لَهُ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَإِنَّمَا يَضُرُّ نَفْسَهُ شُحُّها»  


See similar narrations below:

Collected by Ḥākim, Ibn Ḥibbān, Nasāʾī's Kubrá, Suyūṭī
hakim:7929Abū al-Ḥasan Muḥammad b. ʿAlī b. Bakr al-ʿAdl > al-Faḍl b. Muḥammad al-Shaʿrānī > ʿAbdullāh b. Ṣāliḥ al-Miṣrī > Muʿāwiyah b. Ṣāliḥ > ʿAbd al-Raḥman b. Jubayr from his father > Abū Dharr

[Machine] On the authority of the Prophet ﷺ , he said, "O Abu Dharr, do you consider abundance of wealth to be wealth?" I said, "Yes." He said, "And do you consider scarcity of wealth to be poverty?" I said, "Yes, O Messenger of Allah." He said, "No, that is not the case. Indeed, true wealth is wealth of the heart, and true poverty is poverty of the heart."  

الحاكم:٧٩٢٩أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو الْحَسَنِ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَلِيِّ بْنِ بَكْرٍ الْعَدْلُ ثَنَا الْفَضْلُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ الشَّعْرَانِيُّ ثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ صَالِحٍ الْمِصْرِيُّ حَدَّثَنِي مُعَاوِيَةُ بْنُ صَالِحٍ أَنَّ عَبْدَ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنَ جُبَيْرٍ حَدَّثَهُ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ أَبِي ذَرٍّ

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ أَنَّهُ قَالَ «يَا أَبَا ذَرٍّ أَتَرَى كَثْرَةَ الْمَالِ هُوَ الْغِنَى؟» قُلْتُ نَعَمْ قَالَ «وَتَرَى أَنَّ قِلَّةَ الْمَالِ هُوَ الْفَقْرُ؟» قُلْتُ نَعَمْ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ «لَيْسَ كَذَلِكَ إِنَّمَا الْغِنَى غِنَى الْقَلْبِ وَالْفَقْرُ فَقْرُ الْقَلْبِ»  

على شرط البخاري

ذِكْرُ كِتْبَةِ اللَّهِ جَلَّ وَعَلَا الْحَسَنَةَ لِلْمُسْلِمِ الْفَقِيرِ الصَّابِرِ عَلَى مَا أُوتِيَ مِنْ فَقْرِهِ، بِمَا مُنِعَ مِنْ حُطَامِ هَذِهِ الزَّائِلَةِ

ibnhibban:685Ibn Qutaybah > Ḥarmalah b. Yaḥyá > Ibn Wahb > Muʿāwiyah b. Ṣāliḥ > ʿAbd al-Raḥman b. Jubayr b. Nufayr from his father > Abū Dhar

[Machine] The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "O Abu Dharr! Do you think that having a lot of wealth is wealth?" I said, "Yes, O Messenger of Allah." He said, "Do you think that having little wealth is poverty?" I said, "Yes, O Messenger of Allah." He said, "Indeed, true wealth is the richness of the heart, and true poverty is the poverty of the heart." Then he asked me about a man from the Quraysh and said, "Do you know so and so?" I said, "Yes, O Messenger of Allah." He said, "How do you see him and how does he see you?" I said, "When he asks, he is given, and when he comes, he is welcomed." Then he asked me about a man from the people of As-Suffah (the poor companions who stayed in the Prophet's Mosque) and said, "Do you know so and so?" I said, "No, by Allah, I don't know him, O Messenger of Allah." He said, "So he continued to praise him and mention his virtues until I recognized him." So I said, "I have recognized him, O Messenger of Allah." He said, "How do you see him or how do you perceive him?" I said, "He is a poor man from the people of As-Suffah." He said, "He is better than the entire world and everything in it." I said, "O Messenger of Allah! Shouldn't he be given some of what others are given?" He said, "If he is given something good, then he is deserving of it. And if it is withheld from him, then he has been given a reward for it."  

ابن حبّان:٦٨٥أَخْبَرَنَا ابْنُ قُتَيْبَةَ حَدَّثَنَا حَرْمَلَةُ بْنُ يَحْيَى حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ وَهْبٍ حَدَّثَنِي مُعَاوِيَةُ بْنُ صَالِحٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ جُبَيْرِ بْنِ نُفَيْرٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ أَبِي ذَرٍّ قَالَ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ «يَا أَبَا ذَرٍّ أَتَرَى كَثْرَةَ الْمَالِ هُوَ الْغِنَى؟ » قُلْتُ نَعَمْ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ «فَتَرَى قِلَّةَ الْمَالِ هُوَ الْفَقْرُ؟ » قُلْتُ نَعَمْ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ «إِنَّمَا الْغِنَى غِنَى الْقَلْبِ وَالْفَقْرُ فَقْرُ الْقَلْبِ» ثُمَّ سَأَلَنِي عَنْ رَجُلٍ مِنْ قُرَيْشٍ فقَالَ «هَلْ تَعْرِفُ فُلَانًا»؟ قُلْتُ نَعَمْ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ «فَكَيْفَ تَرَاهُ وَتَرَاهُ؟ » قُلْتُ إِذَا سَأَلَ أُعْطِيَ وَإِذَا حَضَرَ أُدْخِلَ ثُمَّ سَأَلَنِي عَنْ رَجُلٍ مِنْ أَهْلِ الصُّفَّةِ فقَالَ «هَلْ تَعْرِفُ فُلَانًا؟ » قُلْتُ لَا وَاللَّهِ مَا أَعْرِفُهُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ «فَمَا زَالَ يُحَلِّيهِ وَيَنْعَتُهُ حَتَّى عَرَفْتُهُ» فَقُلْتُ قَدْ عَرَفْتُهُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ «فَكَيْفَ تَرَاهُ أَوْ تَرَاهُ؟ » قُلْتُ رَجُلٌ مِسْكِينٌ مِنْ أَهْلِ الصُّفَّةِ فقَالَ «هُوَ خَيْرٌ مِنْ طِلَاعِ الْأَرْضِ مِنَ الْآخَرِ» قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَفَلَا يُعْطَى مِنْ بَعْضِ مَا يُعْطَى الْآخَرُ؟ فقَالَ «إِذَا أُعْطِيَ خَيْرًا فَهُوَ أَهْلُهُ وَإِنْ صُرِفَ عَنْهُ فَقَدْ أُعْطِيَ حَسَنَةً»  

nasai-kubra:11785ʿAbd al-Raḥman b. Muḥammad b. Sallām > Ḥajjāj b. Muḥammad > al-Layth b. Saʿd > Muʿāwiyah b. Ṣāliḥ > ʿAbd al-Raḥman b. Jubayr b. Nufayr from his father > Abū Dhar

[Machine] The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "O Abu Dharr, do you think that wealth is abundance?" I said, "Yes, O Messenger of Allah." He said, "So, do you think that poverty is a lack of wealth?" I said, "Yes, O Messenger of Allah." He said, "Indeed, true wealth is the richness of the heart, and poverty is the poverty of the heart." Then he asked me about a man from the Quraysh and said, "Do you know so-and-so?" I said, "Yes, O Messenger of Allah." He said, "How do you see him or how do you consider him?" I said, "If he asks, he is given, and if he comes, he is welcomed." Then he asked me about a man from the people of a certain tribe and said, "Do you know so-and-so?" I said, "No, by Allah, I do not know him, O Messenger of Allah." He continued to praise and describe him until I recognized him, so I said, "I have recognized him, O Messenger of Allah." He said, "How do you see him or how do you consider him?" I said, "He is a poor man from the people of that tribe." He said, "He is better than the treasures of the earth and all that it contains." I said, "O Messenger of Allah, should he not be given some of what is given to others?" He said, "If he is given good, then he is deserving, but if it is withheld from him, then it is a good deed for him."  

الكبرى للنسائي:١١٧٨٥عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ سَلَّامٍ عَنْ حَجَّاجِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنِ اللَّيْثِ بْنِ سَعْدٍ عَنْ مُعَاوِيَةَ بْنِ صَالِحٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ جُبَيْرِ بْنِ نُفَيْرٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ أَبِي ذَرٍّ قَالَ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ «يَا أَبَا ذَرٍّ أَتَرَى كَثْرَةَ الْمَالِ هُوَ الْغِنَى؟» قُلْتُ نَعَمْ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ قَالَ «فَتَرَى قِلَّةَ الْمَالِ هُوَ الْفَقْرُ؟» قُلْتُ نَعَمْ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ قَالَ «إِنَّمَا الْغِنَى غِنًى الْقَلْبِ وَالْفَقْرُ فَقْرُ الْقَلْبِ» ثُمَّ سَأَلَنِي عَنْ رَجُلٍ مِنْ قُرَيْشٍ فَقَالَ هَلْ تَعْرِفُ فُلَانًا؟ قُلْتُ نَعَمْ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ قَالَ «فَكَيْفَ تَرَاهُ أَوْ تَرَاهُ؟» قُلْتُ إِذَا سَأَلَ أُعْطِيَ وَإِذَا حَضَرَ أُدْخَلَ ثُمَّ سَأَلَنِي عَنْ رَجُلٍ مِنْ أَهْلِ الصُّفَّةِ فَقَالَ «هَلْ تَعْرِفُ فُلَانًا؟» قُلْتُ لَا وَاللهِ مَا أَعْرِفُهُ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ قَالَ فَمَا زَالَ يُحَلِّيهُ وَيَنْعَتُهُ حَتَّى عَرَفْتُهُ فَقُلْتُ قَدْ عَرَفْتُهُ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ قَالَ «فَكَيْفَ تَرَاهُ أَوْ تَرَاهُ؟» قُلْتُ رَجُلٌ مِسْكِينٌ مِنْ أَهْلِ الصُّفَّةِ فَقَالَ «هُوَ خَيْرٌ مِنْ طِلَاعِ الْأَرْضِ مِنْ الْآخَرِ» قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولًَ اللهِ أَفَلَا يُعْطَى مِن بَعْضِ مَا يُعْطَى الْآخَرُ؟ فَقَالَ «إِذَا أَعْطِيَ خيراً فَهُوَ أَهْلُهُ وَإِنْ صُرِفَ عَنْهُ فَقَدْ أُعْطِيَ حَسَنَةً»  

Sense of contentment is what makes one truly wealthy or poor

suyuti:622-7bAbū Dhar

Do you think that having wealth is being wealthy and not having wealth is poverty? In fact, true wealth is in the heart and true poverty is in the heart: Whoever's richness is in his heart; will not be harmed no matter what happens to him in the world; Whoever is poor in his heart, he will not be satisfied no matter how much he has gained in the world. In fact he is only harmed by the greed of his own soul.  

السيوطي:٦٢٢-٧bعَنْ أَبِي ذَرٍّ

أَتَرَي أَنَّ كَثْرَةَ الْمَالِ هُوَ الْغِنَي وَقِلَّةَ الْمَالِ الْفَقْرُ؟ إِنَّمَا الْغِنَى غني الْقَلْبِ، وَالْفَقْرُ فَقْرُ الْقَلبِ، مَنْ كَانَ الْغِنَى فيِ قَلبِهِ فَلَا يَضُرّهُ مَا لَقِيَ مِنَ الدُّنْيَا، وَمَنْ كَانَ الْفَقْرُ فيِ قَلبِهِ فَلَا يُغْنِيهِ مَا أَكْثَرَ مِنَ الدُّنْيَا، وَإنَّمَا يَضُرُّ نَفْسَهُ شُحُّهَا.  

[ن] النسائي [حب] ابن حبّان [طب] الطبرانى في الكبير [ض] ضياء المقدسي في مختاره عنه
suyuti:622-75b
Request/Fix translation

  

السيوطي:٦٢٢-٧٥b

"يَا أَبَا ذَرٍّ أَتَرى كَثْرَةَ الْمَالِ هُوَ الْغِنَى، وَتَرى قلَّةَ الْمَال هُوَ الْفَقْر؟ لَيْسَ كَذلِك إنَّمَا الْغِنَى غِنَى الْقَلب، وَالْفَقْرُ فَقْر الْقَلبِ".  

[ك] الحاكم في المستدرك عن أبى ذر