What does Islam say about contentment (qanāʿah)?
The Prophet ﷺ said richness is not much wealth; richness is richness of the soul. The classical scholars on the contentment that closes the door to envy, greed, and despair.
10 passages from 7 books in the library
Contentment (qanāʿah) is richness of the soul that closes the door to envy, greed and despair. Imam al-Ghazali, in his Patience and Gratitude, teaches that contentment with one's portion is 'satisfaction,' whose opposite is covetousness, and that this station rises out of patience toward the higher state of riḍā — being pleased with Allah's decree because it is His. Echoing the Prophet's word that true richness is richness of the soul rather than abundance of wealth, al-Ghazali counts contentment among the noble stations of the heart and warns, in his book on Envy, that discontent feeds the envy which sets loose the tongue and hand in vile acts.
Drawn from the classical sources below — in the scholars' own words.
The classical approach.
These passages are drawn from 7 books by Imam al-Ghazali — part of the classical Sunni tradition that carries over a thousand years of reflection on the Qurʾān, the authentic Sunnah, and the consensus of the early community. Nothing below is a paraphrase. The words are the scholars' own, translated from the original Arabic manuscripts.
11th–12th century · Ṭūs, Khurāsān
Reviving the inner life of Islam through the Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn — one of the most influential works ever written in any religious tradition.
More on Imam al-Ghazali →
· Provenance →
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"If it means desiring its absence, it is perfection relative to the state of contentment, satisfaction,"
11th–12th century · Ṭūs, Khurāsān
Reviving the inner life of Islam through the Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn — one of the most influential works ever written in any religious tradition.
More on Imam al-Ghazali →
· Provenance →
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"patience, this leads to the state of satisfaction, as will be discussed in the book on satisfaction."
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"The other is that the beloved's satisfaction becomes desirable because it is his satisfaction,"
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"is higher than that of satisfaction, just as the station of satisfaction is higher than"
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"Contentment with little fortune is called satisfaction, opposed by covetousness."
11th–12th century · Ṭūs, Khurāsān
Reviving the inner life of Islam through the Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn — one of the most influential works ever written in any religious tradition.
More on Imam al-Ghazali →
· Provenance →
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"that he does not accept at night, and he has a right at night that he does not accept during"
11th–12th century · Ṭūs, Khurāsān
Reviving the inner life of Islam through the Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn — one of the most influential works ever written in any religious tradition.
More on Imam al-Ghazali →
· Provenance →
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"patience, gratitude, fear, hope, contentment, asceticism, piety, satisfaction, generosity,"
11th–12th century · Ṭūs, Khurāsān
Reviving the inner life of Islam through the Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn — one of the most influential works ever written in any religious tradition.
More on Imam al-Ghazali →
· Provenance →
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"If one intends to buy something from them, accept a gift, or accept an invitation, and"
11th–12th century · Ṭūs, Khurāsān
Reviving the inner life of Islam through the Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn — one of the most influential works ever written in any religious tradition.
More on Imam al-Ghazali →
· Provenance →
-
"This is the sin of envy itself, not to mention how envy leads to discord, denial of truth, and letting loose the tongue and hand in vile acts in satisfaction from enemies."
11th–12th century · Ṭūs, Khurāsān
Reviving the inner life of Islam through the Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn — one of the most influential works ever written in any religious tradition.
More on Imam al-Ghazali →
· Provenance →
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"And the groom responds, Praise be to Allah, and prayers upon the Messenger of Allah. I accept her marriage with this dowry."
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