The Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) said, “The Son of Adam is made old and grey-haired by two things: Ardent seeking (of the Dunya) and envy.” [Muslim, Ibn Majah, Ahmad]
Abu Hatim: “Allah `azza wa jall constructed and placed in Man the desire and longing towards this fleeting world, so that it does not fall into ruins. This world is the residence of the righteous, the workplace of the pious, the place of provision for the believers, and the sustenance of the upright. If people turned away from the world completely, it would have become wrecked and ruined, and a person would not be able to find anything to help him fulfil the obligations of Allah let alone find what would bring him benefit in his Hereafter. However, excessive desire and covetousness (in the Dunya) is blameworthy.”
Abu Ya’la said, “They used to recite to me some time ago (poetry) from al-Shafi’i:
‘The Decree of Allah is taking place,
Wherever it is bound to occur.
His judgment has indeed been settled for you,
And your wants may have come to an end.
As for the one who covets, then his covetousness
Will never increase him in what he desires.
So like for yourself what has come to be,
If what has come to be is not as you liked.’”
Abu Hatim: “The richest of the rich is the one who doesn’t fall as a prisoner to greed and covetousness, and the poorest of the poor is the one whose greed and covetousness becomes a leader over him because covetousness is a reason for losing assets. And covetousness is a deprivation just as cowardice is a killer. If there had been no blameworthy trait in covetousness other than a consequent lengthy questioning on the Day of Judgement over what a person has gathered (of wealth and riches), then it would have been obligatory on the intelligent one to abandon excessive covetousness (in chasing after this world).”
Some people used to recite:
‘Avoid covetousness and abandon all envy,
For they are both humiliating and tiresome.’
Covetousness and chasing (after this world) does not increase one’s provisions, and the least of punishments meted out to the covetous is that he is prevented from enjoying what he already possesses. Thus he becomes worn out in seeking something which he doesn’t know: will he attain it or will death come between that and him? If only he abandoned excessiveness in his seeking, and instead relied upon the Creator of the heaven, then His Master jalla wa `azza would have presented him with the attainment of what he did not hasten towards, as well as triumph with what would’ve caused his assets to disappear had he hastened towards it.”
Al-Basami:
‘Perhaps a person seeks to fulfil a need, but does not attain it,
And yet it has been decreed for someone else who has despaired of it.
The first tries to attain it, although it has been decreed for another,
And it comes to the person it was decreed for whilst he is just sitting alone.’
Al-Abrash recited:
‘How many times has the delight of meal prevented its consumer
The consumption of many more meals to come.
And how many times does a seeker chase something
But his destruction lies within it, if only he knew.’
Abu Hatim: ‘The one who chases after this world will see no rest as this ardent seeking drives a person towards afflictions and hardships. So the intelligent one should not become excessive or extreme in his seeking of this Dunya such that he becomes blameworthy in both worlds. Rather his aim should be to establish the obligations of Allah, and his seeking should have an end to it because whoever doesn’t have an end to his aim will harm his soul and tire out his body. And whoever upholds this characteristic will be from those whose seeking is praiseworthy.’