A relative went to his wealthy uncle seeking assistance to pay his electricity bill.

Answer

The Qur'aan Majeed issues the following warning and naseehat to this evil bakheel (miser): "Those who are miserly with that (wealth) which Allah has bestowed to them by His Grace, should not think that it (their bukhl/miserliness) is best for them. On the contrary, it is evil for them. Soon shall that (wealth) with which they are miserly be strung around their necks (in the form of hot steel chains) on the Day of Qiyaamah."

In another Aayat, the Qur'aan Majeed warns: "They who hoard gold and silver, and do not spend it in the Path of Allah, give them

the tidings of a painful chastisement. On that Day (of Qiyaamah) it will be heated in the Fire of Jahannam, then their foreheads, their sides and their backs will be branded with it. (It will be said to them): 'This is what you had hoarded for yourselves. Now taste that which you used to hoard."

The heart of this uncle is further aptly depicted in the Qur'aanic aayat: "Then their hearts became hard like stone or harder than even stone, for verily from stone gush forth rivers. And some of it (rocks) split open and springs come forth. And, some of it (stones) roll down (from heights) because of fear for Allah."

Yet the heart of the miser remains unmoved by the plight of even a close relative in distress. This is the meaning of a heart harder than rock. May Allah Ta'ala save us from such calamities.