How to achieve contentment

Contentment

فصرت بأذيالها ممتســك	رأيت القناعة رأس الغنى
ولا ذا يراني به منهمــك	فلا ذا يراني على بابـه
أمر على الناس شبه الملك	فصرت غنيا بلا درهـم

Translation:

I saw that contentment was the essence of wealth,

So I took firm hold of its robe-hem.

And you won’t see me at anyone’s door, and you won’t see me infatuated by anyone.

For I became rich without a dirham,

I walk amongst the people like a king.

Explanation:

The Arabic word that is used for “wealth” is actually more accurately translated as to “not be in need of” or “to be able to spare” or “to manage without”. And this really is the heart of wealth because money enables one to be self-sufficient and not have to rely on charity from others. And what Shafi’i is arguing is that if one is content with what one has and thus doesn’t ask for charity, then he is set free and has achieved the real wealth. 

This person is also saved from any false ingratiating behaviour towards rich people which Shafi’i represents by the imagery of standing at someone’s door to beg.    

Of course wealth gives a lot of confidence to the one it is bestowed upon because money makes most things possible. A rich man can walk down a street and know that he owns enough money to buy anything he can see. But a contented man feels exactly that same confidence and feeling of satisfaction because he doesn’t need any of those things. Of course the end result is the same. Neither rich man nor the poor contented man actually buy anything, but both share in the same satisfaction.