ISTIGHNÂ -  استغنا

 

Literally means sufficiently rich to have no need of help. Content. Contentedness. Independence. The religious disregard 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 forgetting his impotence, poverty and fault and considering himself to be independent.

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. It involves seeking refuge in Allah by acknowledging one’s impotence, poverty and fault; it entails neither waiting for nor accepting any material or ma’nawî favour from anyone other than Allah, seeking only Allah’s acceptance and pleasure. It is the fundamental and most important principle for those who serve the Qur’an, rooted in the principle of ikhlas that entails giving up the expectation of and desire for people’s attention, as well as the pursuit of praise, recognition, and material gains.

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