# XCIX explained — The Luzumiyat

> Chapter companion for The Luzumiyat by Abu al-ʻAlaʼ al-Maʻarri.

## What happens

The quatrain warns that wealth cannot accompany one after death nor absolve one of moral failings; it urges the reader to give freely before departing, so that others may intercede and God may listen.

## Themes in this chapter

### Mortality and Transience

The poem directly confronts the inevitability of death and the inability of wealth to alter one's fate.

### Suffering and Resilience

The advice to part with wealth freely suggests a resilient acceptance of mortality and a proactive moral stance.

## Character check-ins

### Allah

Implored as the one who hears pleas on behalf of the departed.

## Key lines

> Thy wealth can shed no tears around thy bier, Nor can it wash thy hands of shame and fear;

Your riches cannot mourn you at your funeral, nor can they cleanse you of guilt or dread.

_Highlights the impotence of material wealth in the face of death and moral accountability._

> Ere thou departest with it freely part⁠— Let others plead for thee and God will hear.

Before you leave this world, give away your wealth willingly, so that others may intercede on your behalf and God will listen.

_Encourages charitable giving as a means of securing spiritual intercession and divine mercy._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_luzumiyat_se/chapters/xcix
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_luzumiyat_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_luzumiyat_se/chapters