The Meanings of Bukhul (Stinginess) and Shuhh (Greediness) in Language and Terminology

Meaning of Bukhul (Stinginess) in the Arabic Language:

• Bukhul (البخل) can be pronounced in various ways:

  • Bukhul (بُخْلُ) with a single "Dammah" (ُ).
  • Bakhil (بَخِيلُ) with a "Kasrah" (ِ).
  • Bukhul (بُخُلُ) with a "Dammah" (ُ) and "Fathah" (َ).

  All forms carry the same meaning, which is stinginess or reluctance to spend or share.

  • To bakhila (بَخِلَ) with something means to withhold or be miserly with what one possesses.
  • The term bakhil (بَخِيلُ) is used to describe someone who is stingy, and the plural form is bukhala' (بُخلاء).
  • When someone says abkhalahu (أَبْخَلَهُ), they are saying they made someone appear stingy or found them to be miserly.
  • Bakhalah (بَخَّلَهُ) is used to mean that someone has been accused of stinginess, or the act of making someone stingy.
  • The verb istabkhala (استبخله) indicates the act of considering someone to be stingy.

Meaning of Bukhul (Stinginess) in Terminology:

• According to Al-Raghib Al-Asfahani, Bukhul means:

  "Withholding possessions from those who have the right to them."

• Al-Jurjani states that Bukhul refers to "the act of holding back one's own wealth."

• Ibn Hajar explains Bukhul as "the refusal to provide what is requested from what is owned, especially when the requestor is entitled to it, particularly if it is not a matter of personal wealth."

Meaning of Shuhh (Greediness) in the Arabic Language:

• Shuhh (الشُحُّ) is a more intense form of Bukhul, with a connotation of extreme greed.
  • Shahhihtu (شَحِحْتُ) means to be greedy.
  • The verb Tashahhu (تَشَحُّ) refers to the act of becoming or showing greediness.
  • A shahh (شَحّ) person is someone who is extremely greedy, while Shihah (شِحاحٌ) refers to greedy people.

Meaning of Shuhh (Greediness) in Terminology:

• Al-Nawawi explains that Shuhh is "the stinginess in fulfilling the rights of others, and the extreme desire for what does not belong to one."
• Al-Tabari defines Shuhh as "an excessive desire or greed for something."
• Al-Raghib Al-Asfahani mentions that Shuhh is "a combination of stinginess and greed, especially when one holds tightly to what one is accustomed to having."

Key Differences Between Bukhul and Shuhh: