The reciter: Isma'il narrated to us, saying: Malik narrated to me from Zayd ibn Aslam from Ata' ibn Yasar from Abu Sa'id al-Khudri, who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
The greatest thing I fear for you is what Allah will bring forth for you from the blessings of the earth
إن أكثر ما أخاف عليكم ما يخرج الله لكم من بركات الأرض
It was asked, "What are the blessings of the earth?" He said:
The adornment of this world
زهرة الدنيا
A man said to him, "Does good come with evil?" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) remained silent until I thought revelation was coming to him. Then he began wiping his forehead and said:
Where is the questioner
أين السائل
He said: "I am." Abu Sa'id said: "We had praised it when it appeared." He said:
Good never brings forth but good. This wealth (of the world) is (like) green and sweet (fruit), and all the vegetation which grows on the bank of a stream either kills or nearly kills the animal that eats too much of it, except the animal that eats the Khadira (a kind of vegetation). Such an animal eats till its stomach is full and then it faces the sun and starts ruminating and then it passes out dung and urine and goes to eat again. This worldly wealth is (like) sweet (fruit), and if a person earns it (the wealth) in a legal way and spends it properly, then it is an excellent helper, and whoever earns it in an illegal way, he will be like the one who eats but is never satisfied.
لا يأتي الخير إلا بالخير إن هذا المال خضرة حلوة وإن كل ما أنبت الربيع يقتل حبطا أو يلم إلا آكلة الخضرة أكلت حتى إذا امتدت خاصرتاها استقبلت الشمس فاجترت وثلطت وبالت ثم عادت فأكلت وإن هذا المال حلوة من أخذه بحقه ووضعه في حقه فنعم المعونة هو وإن أخذه بغير حقه كان كالذي يأكل ولا يشبع .
