Distance from the rich, is better!

Advising us to stay away from the rich, Shaykh-e-Tareeqat, Ameer-e-Ahl-e-Sunnat, ‘Allamah Maulana Abu Bilal Muhammad Ilyas Attar Qadiri Razavi Ziyaee دَامَـتْ بَـرَكَـاتُـهُـمُ الْـعَـالِـيَـه has said: There is safety in staying away from the authorities and the capitalists. Attending their parties and accepting their gifts are fairly risky for the Hereafter, because it will be very difficult for him to abstain from his flattery and to unnecessarily agree to everything they say. It is stated in a blessed Hadees, ‘The one, who is very polite towards a rich person because of his wealth, loses half of his religion.’ (Kashf-ul-Khifa, vol. 2, pp. 215) Regarding this blessed Hadees, Ala Hadrat رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه has said, ‘To become polite or humble for the wealth of this world is not to become polite or humble for the sake of Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ, (therefore) it is Haraam.’

(Zayl-ul-Mudda’a li Ahsan-il-Wi’a, pp. 66)

کیوں پِھریں شوق میں ہم مال کے مارے مارے

ہم تو سرکار کے ٹکڑوں پہ پَلا کرتے ہیں

صَلُّوۡا عَلَى الۡحَبِيۡب       صَلَّى اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى عَلٰى مُحَمَّد

Condemnation of flattery

In other words, showing humility to any wealthy person merely because of his wealth without Shar’i permission, is Haraam. Sadly, this sin is extremely common these days. A wealthy person is often a cause of trial for others as people are amazed by his wealth, even if he does not give a single penny. Needlessly impressed, people become very humble and flatter such a person. The father of Imam Ahmad Raza Khan, ‘Allamah Maulana Naqi ‘Ali Khan رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه has quoted: It is stated in a blessed Hadees that a Muslim is not a flatterer. False praise is even worse, because it is also flattery and lies, and a loss for that person, as to praise someone in his presence is likened to cutting the throat, according to a blessed Hadees. It is further stated, ‘Throw dust into the mouths of those who praise.’ This is strictly prohibited, especially when the one being praised is a Faasiq [transgressor] as it is stated in a