We have for over a week now looked at the various bounties which we need to be grateful for but all of these were from an Islamic perspective. Over the next few days we will now look at the bounties of Allah which we ought to be grateful for as far as our possessions are concerned.

One of the great favours which Allah has granted us, albeit in different proportions, is wealth.
ٱلْمَالُ وَٱلْبَنُونَ زِينَةُ ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا
Wealth and children are an attraction of this worldly life….. [Al Kahf: 46]

The question is often asked that is wealth good or is wealth bad? And many a time wealth is portrayed as something that is unwanted, that is not in conformance with our spiritual upliftment and which was most importantly not accumulated by the Prophet of Allah ﷺ. But if wealth is all that bad than why did Allah promise it as a reward to the ones who seek His forgiveness.

فَقُلْتُ ٱسْتَغْفِرُوا۟ رَبَّكُمْ إِنَّهُۥ كَانَ غَفَّارًا يرْسِلِ ٱلسَّمَآءَ عَلَيْكُم مِّدْرَارًا
وَيُمْدِدْكُم بِأَمْوَ‌ٰلٍ وَبَنِينَ وَيَجْعَل لَّكُمْ جَنَّـٰتٍ وَيَجْعَل لَّكُمْ أَنْهَـٰرًا
“Seek forgiveness of your Rabb, He is ever ready to forgive you. He will send abundant rain for you from heaven, help you with wealth and sons, and provide you with gardens and the flowing rivers. [Nuh: 10 – 12]

Yes, it is only when you don’t earn it in the right way, or you don’t spend the obligatory dues on your wealth, that wealth is then condemned.

إِنَّمَآ أَمْوَٰلُكُمْ وَأَوْلَـٰدُكُمْ فِتْنَةٌ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ عِندَهُۥٓ أَجْرٌ عَظِيمٌ
Your wealth and your children are but a trial. It is Allah with Whom is the greatest reward. [At-Taghabun: 15]
عَنْ كَعْبِ بْنِ عِيَاضٍ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِنَّ لِكُلِّ أُمَّةٍ فِتْنَةً وَفِتْنَةُ أُمَّتِي الْمَالُ
Ka’b ibn ‘Iyad (R) reported: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “Verily, every nation has a trial, and the trial of my nation is wealth.” [Sunan al-Tirmidhī 2336]

Let us now take a look at some of the things a person who has wealth will be able to achieve.

Zakaat
Allah has created enough wealth for everyone, if only the wealthy were to discharge of their Zakaat in the correct manner and to the correct recipients.

وَمَآ أُمِرُوٓا۟ إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ مُخْلِصِينَ لَهُ ٱلدِّينَ حُنَفَآءَ وَيُقِيمُوا۟ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَيُؤْتُوا۟ ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ ۚ وَذَٰلِكَ دِينُ ٱلْقَيِّمَةِ
Yet they were commanded with nothing but to worship Allah, with their sincere devotion to Him, being True in their faith; to establish Salah ( prayers); and to pay Zakah (poor due); and that is the infallible true Religion. [Al Bayyinah: 5]

There are so many poor people who rely and are waiting for the Zakaat to reach them and are dependent on this. So the more wealth you have, the more Zakaat you will have to pay and the more people you will be able to bring joy to.

Feeding the Fasting
If you didn’t have wealth, you probably would not have had enough to sustain yourself, how would you then be able to feed the fasting?
قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مَنْ فَطَّرَ صَائِمًا كَانَ لَهُ مِثْلُ أَجْرِهِ غَيْرَ أَنَّهُ لَا يَنْقُصُ مِنْ أَجْرِ الصَّائِمِ شَيْئًا
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “Whoever helps break the fast of a fasting person, he will have the same reward as him without decreasing anything from the reward of the fasting person.” [Sunan al-Tirmidhī 807]

Now we know that you don’t have to be a millionaire to feed a fasting person, but if you have wealth, you can spend so much more on so many more people.

Spending on the poor
Apart from the month of Ramadaan (when people become extra generous) you will be able to spend on people right through the year.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,
مَا يَسُرُّنِي أَنَّ لِي أُحُدًا ذَهَبًا تَأْتِي عَلَىَّ ثَالِثَةٌ وَعِنْدِي مِنْهُ دِينَارٌ إِلاَّ دِينَارٌ أُرْصِدُهُ لِدَيْنٍ عَلَىَّ
Nothing is more delighting to me than this that Uhud should be of gold for me, and no dinar is left with me out of it before three nights pass except a dinar which I would set aside for the repayment of debt upon me. [Muslim]

There is a lot more which one can do with his wealth, our colleague Ml. Junaid Kharsany will continue the discussion later in the morning.