Poverty, Responsible Speech, People's Rights, and Self-Discipline (Hadith 115–120)

1. Conduct, responsible speech, and preparing for the end

The six reports address material hardship, how life ends, verifying information, debt and other people's rights, attachment to money, and the discipline of desires. Their common concern is responsibility in everyday choices.

Several sentences begin with a verb. The forms كَادَ, يُبْعَثُ, كَفَى, يُغْفَرُ, لُعِنَ, and حُجِبَتْ will be explained as they occur in their respective narrations, rather than in a separate technical chapter.

The goal is to connect Arabic wording, meaning, and practical conduct without making unsupported judgments about the faith or final destiny of particular individuals.

2. Hadith 115: Poverty and spiritual risk

كَادَ الْفَقْرُ أَنْ يَكُونَ كُفْرًا
Poverty may bring a person close to disbelief.

Source: البيهقي

كَادَ means “nearly” or “came close to.” الْفَقْرُ means poverty and كُفْرًا means disbelief. The warning does not mean every poor person becomes an unbeliever. Severe hardship can expose some people to despair, resentment, or wrongful choices.

In كَادَ الْفَقْرُ أَنْ يَكُونَ, كَادَ is a special incomplete verb; الْفَقْرُ is its subject, and أَنْ يَكُونَ introduces what the state may approach. The grammar conveys a danger, not an inevitable result.

3. Faith and hope during hardship

Poverty is a serious trial, but a person's income does not measure faith, dignity, or piety. Someone with little money may remain steadfast, while wealth does not guarantee good conduct.

Example 1: A person facing reduced income seeks lawful work and appropriate assistance rather than deception.
Example 2: Despair does not justify cheating, stealing, or violating others' rights; practical help and honest solutions matter.

The nominative ending of الْفَقْرُ marks it as the subject of كَادَ. The linguistic warning invites care and support, not contempt toward those in need.

4. A community response to poverty

The warning also has a social dimension. When people struggle for food, work, and basic needs, a community should respond with fairness, respectful assistance, and opportunities for lawful income. Support may reduce the pressures that tempt a vulnerable person toward harm.

Example: If a household loses its income, useful responses may include job leads, discreet material help, or a fair repayment arrangement—not humiliation or exploitation.

In أَنْ يَكُونَ, يَكُونَ is a present-tense verb made subjunctive after أَنْ. It expresses a possible outcome, not an event that has necessarily occurred.

5. Hadith 116: The state in which a person dies

يُبْعَثُ كُلُّ عَبْدٍ عَلَى مَا مَاتَ عَلَيْهِ
Every servant will be raised upon the state in which they died.

Source: مسلم

يُبْعَثُ means “will be raised.” كُلُّ عَبْدٍ means “every servant,” while عَلَى مَا مَاتَ عَلَيْهِ means “upon the state in which they died.” The report calls attention to one's final religious and moral condition.

يُبْعَثُ is a present-tense passive verb: the sentence focuses on the person raised rather than naming the agent. كُلُّ عَبْدٍ is an iḍāfah expression, and كُلُّ is the passive verb's grammatical subject (nāʾib al-fāʿil).

6. Daily conduct and concern for one's ending

Nobody knows when their life will end. The practical response is to attend to faith, worship, honesty, and other people's rights now. Concern for one's ending should lead to reform rather than claims about another person's final standing.

Example 1: Return something wrongfully taken and seek forgiveness for an injury caused.
Example 2: When religious duties are neglected, correct the pattern rather than treating neglect as permanent.

مَاتَ is a past-tense verb, “died.” The pronoun in عَلَيْهِ points back to the state or manner previously mentioned.

7. Universality and iḍāfah in kullu ʿabdin

The word كُلُّ means “every,” so the statement is general rather than restricted to one group. In كُلُّ عَبْدٍ, the first word is the muḍāf and the second the muḍāf ilayh. The latter therefore carries a genitive ending and tanwīn.

A person can become careless through confidence in their current conduct or hopeless because of past mistakes. The report points instead to consistent reform.

As a student cannot rely on one successful exam for an entire course, a person cannot treat one good beginning as a substitute for persevering in good conduct.

8. Hadith 117: The danger of repeating everything heard

كَفَى بِالْمَرْءِ كَذِبًا أَنْ يُحَدِّثَ بِكُلِّ مَا سَمِعَ
It is enough falsehood for a person to relate everything they hear.

Source: مسلم

كَفَى means “is sufficient,” بِالْمَرْءِ refers to a person, كَذِبًا indicates falsehood, and يُحَدِّثَ means “to relate.” Passing on every rumor can circulate falsehood, since not everything heard is accurate.

كَفَى is a past-form verb used in this expression; كَذِبًا is a specification (tamyīz) clarifying “sufficient in what respect?” The present verb يُحَدِّثَ follows أَنْ, while سَمِعَ is the past verb “heard.”

9. Verify before sharing

Before forwarding a report that may affect someone's reputation, property, or safety, verify it. An unattributed recording, forwarded message, or repeated allegation is not automatically reliable evidence.

Example 1: Do not repost an accusation against an institution without checking a trustworthy source.
Example 2: Confirm a report of illness or an accident through reliable channels before speaking to others.

The word كُلِّ in بِكُلِّ مَا سَمِعَ means “every.” The unselective repetition of everything heard is the central danger identified here.

10. Responsible communication: speech and restraint

Not everything one hears needs to be repeated. Even accurate information may be private, incomplete, or inappropriate to share without permission. Responsible speech combines truthfulness with necessity and respect for people's rights.

Three useful questions are:
1. Is this information reliably supported?
2. Is communicating it necessary and beneficial?
3. Could the manner of sharing it violate someone's rights?

يُحَدِّثَ is a present-tense verb from the form II pattern, meaning “to tell or relate.” Saying “someone told me” does not remove responsibility for forwarding a claim.

11. Hadith 118: Debt and the rights of others

يُغْفَرُ لِلشَّهِيدِ كُلُّ شَيْءٍ إِلَّا الدَّيْنَ
Everything is forgiven for the martyr except debt.

Source: مسلم

يُغْفَرُ means “is forgiven,” لِلشَّهِيدِ means “for the martyr,” and الدَّيْنَ means “debt.” The report combines the honor of martyrdom with a serious reminder about financial obligations to other people. Its point here is to respect creditors' rights, not to pronounce judgment on every debtor's circumstances.

يُغْفَرُ is a passive present verb. كُلُّ شَيْءٍ acts as the grammatical subject of the passive construction. إِلَّا introduces an exception, and الدَّيْنَ is the accusative exception.

12. Care when borrowing and repaying

Borrowing creates a real obligation. A borrower should consider a reasonable repayment plan, record the amount and terms, and make sincere efforts to repay. If genuine hardship arises, honest communication and a request for an appropriate extension are better than avoidance.

Example 1: When borrowing from a friend, make sure both parties know the amount and expected repayment date.
Example 2: If repayment becomes difficult, explain the situation instead of disappearing.

In لِلشَّهِيدِ, the prefix لِـ means “for,” and الشَّهِيدِ is genitive after it.

13. Worship and people's financial rights

Worship and the protection of other people's property are both religious responsibilities. One beneficial act does not automatically erase an unpaid obligation. The report singles out debt so that the creditor's claim is not treated as trivial.

Example: A person wishes to support a charitable project while also owing money that is due. The existing financial obligation needs serious attention. Detailed legal rulings about particular circumstances are a separate subject.

إِلَّا الدَّيْنَ is an exception construction. The word إِلَّا directs attention to the specific right excluded from the general expression.

14. Hadith 119: Attachment to money and inner freedom

لُعِنَ عَبْدُ الدِّينَارِ، وَلُعِنَ عَبْدُ الدِّرْهَمِ
The slave of the dinar is cursed, and the slave of the dirham is cursed.

Source: الترمذي

عَبْدُ الدِّينَارِ and عَبْدُ الدِّرْهَمِ literally mean “servant of the dinar/dirham.” Here they warn against becoming enslaved to the pursuit of money, as if wealth were one's ultimate purpose. Lawful work and responsible savings are not condemned by these words.

لُعِنَ is a passive past verb, with عَبْدُ as its passive grammatical subject. عَبْدُ الدِّينَارِ is an iḍāfah; الدِّينَارِ is genitive. The repeated clause intensifies the warning.

15. Money as a means, not the ultimate aim

Money supports food, clothing, housing, education, and family responsibilities. The danger begins when the desire for more money leads someone to lie, exploit others, or neglect clear duties.

Example 1: A seller uses accurate weights and honest descriptions even when that reduces profit.
Example 2: Someone breaks a promise and injures another person merely to gain a little more money.

الدِّينَارِ and الدِّرْهَمِ refer to types of coin. The report warns against slavery to wealth, not against using currency itself.

16. Iḍāfah and misplaced devotion

The iḍāfah عَبْدُ الدِّينَارِ identifies the object to which a person has become attached. The phrase is a forceful criticism of allowing wealth to govern one's decisions and loyalties.

A useful self-check is simple: when honest dealing conflicts with extra profit, which one takes priority? This is where the moral danger of attachment becomes visible.

The conjunction وَ in وَلُعِنَ links the two clauses. Repeating the passive verb لُعِنَ strengthens the warning.

17. Hadith 120: Desires and difficult good deeds

حُجِبَتِ النَّارُ بِالشَّهَوَاتِ، وَحُجِبَتِ الْجَنَّةُ بِالْمَكَارِهِ
The Fire is veiled by desires, and Paradise is veiled by difficult things.

Source: البخاري ومسلم

حُجِبَتْ means “was veiled or screened.” الشَّهَوَاتِ refers to desires that can draw a person toward wrongful pleasure, while الْمَكَارِهِ refers to things that feel difficult or unpleasant but may require patience and discipline.

حُجِبَتْ is a passive past verb. النَّارُ and, in the second clause, الْجَنَّةُ function as passive grammatical subjects. Both nouns are feminine, so the verb includes feminine تْ. The preposition in بِالشَّهَوَاتِ and بِالْمَكَارِهِ expresses their relation to the veiling.

18. Self-restraint when desires conflict with duty

Desire is not automatically evil. Food, rest, and lawful enjoyment have a legitimate place. The danger comes when desire leads toward prohibited acts, violation of rights, or neglect of essential duties.

Example 1: Choose honesty when a dishonest profit is easy to obtain.
Example 2: Control the urge to insult someone during anger.
Example 3: Fulfill a duty even when short-term entertainment appears more attractive.

الشَّهَوَاتِ is the plural of شَهْوَة. The wording warns against attraction that blinds a person to consequences.

19. Patience through difficult but worthwhile duties

Not every painful experience is virtuous, and deliberately seeking harm is not the goal. الْمَكَارِهِ points to the discomfort often involved in worthwhile obedience: maintaining prayer, telling an inconvenient truth, fulfilling a duty, or resisting a prohibited temptation.

For example, sustained study can be tiring but worthwhile. Similarly, religious and ethical responsibility sometimes requires effort that is not immediately pleasant.

In connected recitation, حُجِبَتِ الْجَنَّةُ has a linking kasrah on the final t because of the following word. The verb's underlying form is حُجِبَتْ.

20. Recognizing verb-first expressions

Several key expressions begin with verbs. Understanding the verb opens the meaning of the whole clause:
كَادَ — nearly became.
يُبْعَثُ — will be raised.
كَفَى — was sufficient.
يُغْفَرُ — is forgiven.
لُعِنَ — was cursed.
حُجِبَتْ — was veiled.

Some are active and others passive. A passive verb foregrounds what happens rather than naming who performs the action. After identifying the verb, find the person or thing it refers to.

21. Balancing personal needs, others’ rights, and desires

The reports reinforce one another:
1. The warning about poverty encourages ethical resilience and compassionate support.
2. Remembering one's end encourages continued reform.
3. Not forwarding every report protects truth and reputation.
4. Repaying debt protects the property and trust of others.
5. Resisting slavery to money keeps livelihood in its proper place.
6. Restraining desire distinguishes lawful needs from wrongful cravings.

Together they show that honesty, safeguarding rights, and disciplining oneself are related parts of a responsible life.

22. Practical decisions: which principle applies?

Scenario 1: A student cannot afford necessary fees. Respond with respectful assistance rather than humiliation.
Scenario 2: A friend sends an accusation with no source. Check it instead of amplifying it.
Scenario 3: Someone struggles to repay a loan. They should communicate honestly and work toward fulfilling the obligation.
Scenario 4: A trader could profit more by lying. Integrity should govern the transaction.
Scenario 5: A worthwhile duty feels burdensome. Mere discomfort is not a reason to abandon it.

A common guiding question runs through these cases: does the decision respect truthfulness, fairness, and other people's rights?

23. Lesson recap and core Arabic vocabulary

These six reports emphasize maintaining faith and honesty in hardship, working toward a good ending, verifying information, respecting debts, refusing slavery to wealth, and controlling wrongful desires.

Core vocabulary:
الْفَقْرُ — poverty; يُبْعَثُ — will be raised.
كَذِبًا — falsehood; الدَّيْنَ — debt.
الدِّينَارِ — dinar; الْمَكَارِهِ — difficult or disliked things.

The common practical lesson is sustained responsibility in conduct, speech, and dealings with others.