As a Muslim you are Trying Daily to develop the Spiritual
attributes that are crucial in this world and the next. But we also need
material things in this world, and we want the capacity to pay for them. When
it comes to acquiring and spending riches, how does Islam direct us?
As Muslims we know that prosperity, and everything else at
the Universe, belongs to and comes from Allah. So how can we deal with our
prosperity accordingly?
#1 Wealth can be appreciated, but don't let it distract you.
Wealth can give us pleasure in life, but it can also be a
Distraction from what is really important. The true believer deals with his
wealth like it's merely a worldly matter since it won't follow her to the
afterlife. Muslims are warned in the Quran to be on guard against greed. A
Muslim shouldn't save and hoard excellent amounts of money, but if distribute
it to people that are needing it.
#2 Don't earn a living by doing wrong.
Muslims must earn their riches in a legal, or halal, way.
It's not to be earned by selling or purchasing things that Allah forbids us,
such as pork or alcohol, or by engaging in illegal activities. Allah advises
them against this.
#3 Practice charity toward the poor, orphans and people in
need.
The religion of Muslims is built on the five pillars of
Islam. One of those columns is providing wealth to charity, or zakat. In
actuality, in the Quran charity is frequently cited as going along with prayer.
The Prophet Mohammed provided the ultimate example of a
Muslim who spent his wealth in charity. He supplied for many others before
shooting for himself. He was an easy man and was not greedy. He himself was an
orphan and Muslims are taught in the Quran that their wealth should be spent
towards orphans and those who can't provide for themselves. Even without
abundant wealth, you're still able to give in the cause of Allah because even
the tiniest quantity is an act of charity.
At the time before Islam, the pagans would kill their Kids
in fear of poverty. After Islam was released, the partners who used to practice
this tradition started to abstain from it.
Allah is the supplier of all. A true believer shouldn't Fear
poverty since Allah provides for them. Some believers say that fearing poverty
is the same as not trusting in Allah.
#5 Giving of your wealth is the origin of true prosperity.
If one spends his wealth in the way of Allah there is no
decrease in wealth. Charity increases prosperity because Allah replaces it with
something greater and better.
These are just a few examples of the many ways Muslims are
Educated to think about and manage their wealth. Your riches should always be
Gained through lawful means should you would like to be considered a true
believer. And It's possible to avoid the pitfalls of greed by giving charity as
frequently as you can After bills, debts and other obligations are met. Islam
teaches that the Riches a Muslim spends in charity won't ever decrease.
Wealth, a topic of great interest at the moment because of
the recession and credit-crunch, is something which has bothered the children
of Adam from the very beginning of creation. The question of how much wealth
and property one possesses, or how a lot of the luxuries and pleasures of the
world one likes, have obsessed the thoughts of each and every one of us at some
point or another in our lifetimes. Wealth has been the cause of wars, the
reason behind suicide, the cause of marriages, and divorces, among many more.
But just what is wealth?
Muslims are troubled when they see that the wicked, the
Corrupt and the perpetrators of evil have anything they wish for when it comes
to wealth and perceived power, whilst those people who are virtuous, good and
honest are deprived of everything. This can cause them to wonder, and
frequently uncertainty, whether goodness, honesty and merit have some real
value, because they frequently go hand in hand with poverty and deprivation.
Some may also feel that Allah only gives in abundance to somebody who enjoys a
privileged position with Him. However, believers should always bear in mind the
corruptible nature of wealth and the fitna (trials) and evil that may accompany
it.
So we should always strive to maintain honesty and
Righteousness irrespective of the corruption that surrounds us. We should never
give into the temptations of the world nor the whisperings of Satan, as he is
to humanity 'an avowed enemy'. Believers must also keep in mind that the best
of creation, our beloved Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him)
lived in extreme poverty and endured great material deprivation. Yet, he's the
most beloved to Allah and will have the maximum standing amongst the whole
creation, in the Hereafter.
The Qur'an divides the wealth and luxuries of the world from
the values that Allah approves of. It says that Allah grants poverty or wealth
to whomever He wills, out of His mercy, and that it's not an indication of if
he's pleased or displeased with them. This is because often a person's wealth,
position and offspring can actually be a trial and test for them.
Allah tests his servants with wealth and with poverty, and each
will be rewarded or punished according to the way they conduct themselves. On
the Day of Judgment, an individual will be asked about how he or she obtained
their wealth and how they spent it, and will be judged on whether or not they
were thankful to Allah for it. The wealthier a man is, the more responsibility
that prosperity carries. Someone who's poor can't be asked about how they
obtained or invested their wealth if they didn't posses any in the first
location. Thus, there is less chance that they'll be punished for being
ungrateful for the blessings bestowed upon them by Allah.
Allah clearly tells mankind that the reason that prosperity
has Been withheld from a number of them is because if they were to own it, it
might lead them to transgress the bounds set by Allah. And finally contribute
to their destruction. It can be seen in the stories from the Qur'an that the
men and women who exude power and privilege on earth, such as Firawn and the
mushrikin of Makkah, are the people who reject the signs of Allah from
arrogance and are the most despised by Him. Wealth corrupts the soul of man
since cash opens the doors to fitna, which would otherwise stay closed.
Additionally, it becomes a source of arrogance, one of those traits hated by
Allah and the quality possessed by the worst of production, Iblis.
A true believer shows appreciation and thankfulness for the
Countless blessings bestowed on them by Allah and shows patience and entry
during times of illness and poverty. Those that are wealthy may enjoy their
affluence in this lifetime, however, they could be denied the prosperity of the
hereafter, which is much better and eternal.
True wealth is attained in the hereafter. Wealth is only
Beneficial to you if it's spent in the way of Allah, rather than hoarded.
Because what man leaves behind after death won't benefit him; unless it's pious
offspring, spiritual knowledge or continuing charity. The money saved way in
his bank accounts won't profit him at least.
The fitna that communicates wealth too Makes it more
difficult for the wealthy to enter Paradise. The more wealth you have, the more
corruption and responsibility accompanies it.
The insatiable appetite that accompanies the hoarding of
Wealth diverts believers from their spiritual obligations towards Allah, since
it raises their love of earth, which is fleeting, at the cost of the hereafter,
which is enduring. The more people become obsessed with acquiring wealth in
this world, the more they start to love this world and the less likely they are
to want to leave it. Acquiring money becomes the sole intention of their lives,
as it must be worshiping Allah. However, for the fans of riches, the worship
of Allah is substituted with the worship of money!
Wealth, when obtained by permissible means and spent at the
Way of Allah, may be an immense boon. Many pious predecessors, such as Uthman
bin Affan and Khalid bin Waleed, were wealthy and they successfully invested
their wealth in the cause of Allah.
Finally our provisions are in the care of Allah who's the
Most Beneficent, the Most Generous and the Most Loving. Our destiny was written
whilst we're still in the wombs of our mothers, so there's absolutely not any
requirement for us to stress as anything comes from Allah is the best for us.
The most important thing for a believer to remember is that
We were made for the sole purpose of worshiping the Lord of Creation alone,
and this life is simply a way of examining our obedience and faith in Him.
Whether we're granted abundant wealth or acute poverty we must always strive to
comply with the orders of Allah and to meet our responsibilities
towards Him. A believer's honor lies in Islam. The words of Allah (the Qur'an)
and the Sunnah should be our guides, not the needs of the society surrounding
us, which puts great value on wealth and materialism. We're merely travelers on
the planet and we'll soon proceed. What we will take with us from this world
will be our good deeds. They'll be our prosperity on the Day of Judgment and
they're what we'll be judged on. He whose actions are heavy on the scale, will
have succeeded and gained something that all the riches of this world can't buy, earning the reward of his Lord and eternal paradise.
