Translation from Kanz-ul-Iman: And the evil scheming befalls only those who scheme it. (Part 22, Surah Al-Faatir, Ayah 43)

صَلُّوۡا عَلَى الۡحَبِيۡب     صَلَّى اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى عَلٰى مُحَمَّد

Dear Islamic sisters! Remember! Hirs and Lalach (greed) are two such words which mean the same. Lalach is an Urdu word and Hirs is an Arabic word. Hirs and Lalach [greed] is the name of desiring something more and it can be for anything.

Definition of Hirs [greed]

Mufti Ahmad Yar Khan Na’eemi رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه has said, ‘The acts of not being satiated with anything and always desiring to have in excess [of something] are called Hirs (greed) and the one who desires to have more of something is called greedy. (Mirat-ul-Manajih, vol. 7, pp. 86) So the one who desires to have more wealth is called ‘greedy for wealth’, the one who desires to eat more is called, ‘greedy for eating food’, the one who desires to increase his virtues is called ‘greedy for virtues’, whereas the one who increases the burden of sins is called ‘greedy  for sins’.

On page 111 of ‘Jannati Zaywar’ published by Maktaba-tul-Madinah, the publishing department of Dawat-e-Islami, it is written: The passion for greed exists for food, dresses, houses, luggage, wealth, respect, fame and, in short, for every blessing. (Jannati Zaywar, pp. 111; summarised)

But the greed about which we are going to listen today means bad greed. A greedy person is very pitiable because clever people befool her by tempting her in many different ways and get their work done.

Let’s listen to an incident of a foolish and greedy person who was earning better, but the greed for eating lavish foods made him flatter his rich friend due to which not only did he lose his respect, but he also fell into disgrace.