dirhams, dînârs and all types of wealth including merchandise, animals and properties. The more a person has over and above his essential amount of f… - Al-Ghazali

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dirhams, dînârs and all types of wealth including merchandise, animals and properties. The more a person has over and above his essential amount of food and basic needs, the more Satan finds a place to inhabit [a person’s life]. Thâbit al-Bunânî said: “When the Messenger of Allâh was commissioned as a Prophet, Satan said to his smaller devils: “A certain incident has taken place. Go and see what it is.” They all dispersed and searched until they could discover nothing. They returned to him and said: “We do not know.” Satan said to them: “I will go and bring you some information.” He went and returned, and said to them: “Allâh has commissioned Muhammad .” Satan then began dispatching his smaller devils to the Companions of the Prophet [in order to delude them], but these devils would return losers and say: “We have never met anyone like this before. We delude them and then they stand up for their salâh. This salâh then wipes out whatever we achieved.” Satan said to them: “Be a bit patient with regard to them. Perhaps Allâh will open the world to them [by giving them material wealth], we will then be able to achieve our goals from them.” Among them are stinginess and fear of poverty. It is these qualities that prevent a person from spending and giving in charity. It is these qualities that urge man towards hoarding, accumulating and a painful punishment. From among the calamities of stinginess is the intense desire to remain in the market places [and businesses] in order to amass wealth. And these market places [and businesses] are the nesting places of Satan and his armies.