ISTIGHNÂ -  استغنا

 

Literally: Being sufficiently rich to have no need of help. Content. Contentedness. Independence. The religious disdain of earthly things.

There is positive and negative istighnâ.

Negative istighnâ: As is declared in the âyah 1 اَنْ رَاٰهُ اسْتَغْنٰىۜ * كَلآَّ اِنَّ اْلاِنْسَانَ لَيَطْغٰىۙ , it is to display istighnâ before Allah ‘Azza wa jalla. Man’s rebelliousness against his Rabb, by considering himself to be independent and forgetting his impotence, poverty and fault.

Positive istighnâ: As is declared in the âyahs اِنْ اَجْرِىَ اِلاَّ عَلَى اللّٰهِ2 and اِتَّبِعُوا مَنْ لاَ يَسْئَلُكُمْ اَجْرًا وَهُمْ مُهْتَدُونَ3 it is to display istighnâ before the creatures of Allah. Man’s seeking refuge in Allah by accepting his impotence, poverty and fault. Not waiting and accepting any material or ma’nawî favours from anyone except Allah ‘Azza wa jalla. The basic and most important principle of the people who serve the Qur’an as a necessity of ikhlas. That is, giving up the desire and expectation of people’s attraction, being praised and known by people and material benefits but seeking the acceptance and pleasure of Allah.

(Please refer to The Second Letter, The compilation on Frugality-Iqtisâd and The Principle of Frugality-Iqtisâd)