Articles

The centrality of wealth in the human experience is an undeniable facet of socio-economic existence, shaping our aspirations, decisions, and overall well-being. Because of its importance, Allah ﷻ provided us a nuanced set of guidelines concerning its acquisition, management, and equitable distribution. The teachings of Islam regarding wealth provide a comprehensive moral and ethical framework, functioning as a guiding compass to navigate the path towards financial success, all the while nurturing the ideals of social justice and discouraging the pitfalls of greed.

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The Positives of Wealth

Wealth, in and of itself, is not inherently evil. In various instances within the Quran, Allah ﷻ refers to wealth using language that carries positive connotations. This reflects that significant good can be achieved through the acquisition and conscientious utilization of wealth, provided it aligns with the teachings of Islam.

ٱلْمَالُ وَٱلْبَنُونَ زِينَةُ ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا ۖ وَٱلْبَـٰقِيَـٰتُ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتُ خَيْرٌ عِندَ رَبِّكَ ثَوَابًۭا وَخَيْرٌ أَمَلًۭا (٤٦)

Wealth and children are the attractions of this worldly life, but lasting good works have a better reward with your Lord and give better grounds for hope. (18:46)

فَإِذَا قُضِيَتِ ٱلصَّلَوٰةُ فَٱنتَشِرُوا۟ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ وَٱبْتَغُوا۟ مِن فَضْلِ ٱللَّهِ وَٱذْكُرُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ كَثِيرًۭا لَّعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ (١٠)

Then when the prayer has ended, disperse in the land and seek out God’s bounty (wealth). Remember God often so that you may prosper. (62:10)

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Furthermore, Allah ﷻ underscores wealth as one of His most significant blessings bestowed upon the people of Bani Israel.

ثُمَّ رَدَدْنَا لَكُمُ ٱلْكَرَّةَ عَلَيْهِمْ وَأَمْدَدْنَـٰكُم بِأَمْوَٰلٍۢ وَبَنِينَ وَجَعَلْنَـٰكُمْ أَكْثَرَ نَفِيرًا (٦)

But then We allowed you to prevail against your enemy. We increased your wealth and offspring and made you more numerous. (17:6)

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The Evils of Wealth

Despite its manifold blessings, wealth serves as a trial for believers. Excessive wealth can lead to misallocation and indulgence, while its sudden loss can trigger a crisis of faith.

إِنَّمَآ أَمْوَٰلُكُمْ وَأَوْلَـٰدُكُمْ فِتْنَةٌۭ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ عِندَهُۥٓ أَجْرٌ عَظِيمٌۭ (١٥)

Your wealth and your children are only a test for you. There is great reward with God. (64:15)

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Allah ﷻ reminds us that the abundance of wealth can distract people from His remembrance.

سَيَقُولُ لَكَ ٱلْمُخَلَّفُونَ مِنَ ٱلْأَعْرَابِ شَغَلَتْنَآ أَمْوَٰلُنَا وَأَهْلُونَا فَٱسْتَغْفِرْ لَنَا ۚ (١١)

The desert Arabs who stayed behind will say to you, ‘We were busy with our property and our families: ask forgiveness for us,’... (48:11)

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Wealth can also foster arrogance and delude individuals into believing they have complete control over their destinies, leading them to assume they will live indefinitely without facing consequences.

يَحْسَبُ أَنَّ مَالَهُۥٓ أَخْلَدَهُۥ (٣)

Thinking they will make him live forever. (104:3)

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Ironically, as some people accumulate greater wealth, they tend to become increasingly miserly.

فَلَمَّآ ءَاتَىٰهُم مِّن فَضْلِهِۦ بَخِلُوا۟ بِهِۦ وَتَوَلَّوا۟ وَّهُم مُّعْرِضُونَ (٧٦)

Yet when He did give them some of His bounty, they became mean and turned obstinately away. (9:76)

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The accumulation of immense wealth often leads people to engage in futile boasts against one another, forgetting that this world is transient and temporary.

ٱعْلَمُوٓا۟ أَنَّمَا ٱلْحَيَوٰةُ ٱلدُّنْيَا لَعِبٌۭ وَلَهْوٌۭ وَزِينَةٌۭ وَتَفَاخُرٌۢ بَيْنَكُمْ وَتَكَاثُرٌۭ فِى ٱلْأَمْوَٰلِ وَٱلْأَوْلَـٰدِ (٢٠)

Bear in mind that the present life is just a game, a diversion, an attraction, a cause of boasting among you, of rivalry in wealth and children. (57:20)

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Allah’s ﷻ Guidance Regarding Wealth

Allah ﷻ reminds us in the Quran that one’s proximity to Him is not determined by the abundance of wealth. Wealth can be a tool for drawing closer to Allah ﷻ, but in and of itself, it remains neutral. Instead, the onus is on us to spend money in the path of Allah ﷻ if we want to draw nearer to Him.

وَمَآ أَمْوَٰلُكُمْ وَلَآ أَوْلَـٰدُكُم بِٱلَّتِى تُقَرِّبُكُمْ عِندَنَا زُلْفَىٰٓ إِلَّا مَنْ ءَامَنَ وَعَمِلَ صَـٰلِحًۭا فَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ لَهُمْ جَزَآءُ ٱلضِّعْفِ بِمَا عَمِلُوا۟ وَهُمْ فِى ٱلْغُرُفَـٰتِ ءَامِنُونَ (٣٧)

Neither wealth nor children will bring you nearer to Us, but those who believe and do good deeds will have multiple rewards for what they have done, and will live safely in the lofty dwellings of Paradise. (34:37)

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No matter how much wealth one accumulates in this world, it will hold no benefit in the Hereafter if it was spent or earned in ways displeasing to Allah ﷻ.

يَوْمَ لَا يَنفَعُ مَالٌۭ وَلَا بَنُونَ (٨٨)

The Day when neither wealth nor children can help. (26:88)

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Allah ﷻ instructs us to earn our wealth through lawful means and to be particularly cautious about not unjustly depriving the less fortunate of their wealth.

إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ يَأْكُلُونَ أَمْوَٰلَ ٱلْيَتَـٰمَىٰ ظُلْمًا إِنَّمَا يَأْكُلُونَ فِى بُطُونِهِمْ نَارًۭا ۖ وَسَيَصْلَوْنَ سَعِيرًۭا (١٠)

Those who consume the property of orphans unjustly are actually swallowing fire into their own bellies: they will burn in the blazing Flame. (4:10)

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ لَا تَأْكُلُوٓا۟ أَمْوَٰلَكُم بَيْنَكُم بِٱلْبَـٰطِلِ إِلَّآ أَن تَكُونَ تِجَـٰرَةً عَن تَرَاضٍۢ مِّنكُمْ ۚ وَلَا تَقْتُلُوٓا۟ أَنفُسَكُمْ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ بِكُمْ رَحِيمًۭا (٢٩)

You who believe, do not wrongfully consume each other’s wealth but trade by mutual consent. Do not kill each other, for God is merciful to you. (4:29)

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People often have a tendency to be impressed by and idolize those who have amassed significant wealth. However, the true measure of admiration should be based on their faith and their virtuous deeds.

فَلَا تُعْجِبْكَ أَمْوَٰلُهُمْ وَلَآ أَوْلَـٰدُهُمْ ۚ إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ ٱللَّهُ لِيُعَذِّبَهُم بِهَا فِى ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا وَتَزْهَقَ أَنفُسُهُمْ وَهُمْ كَـٰفِرُونَ (٥٥)

So [Prophet] do not let their possessions or their children impress you: through these God intends to punish them in this world and for their souls to depart while they disbelieve. (9:55)

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Wealth should never be spent in a manner aimed at flaunting one’s status or showing off. Instead, it should be used modestly and with sincerity.

وَٱلَّذِينَ يُنفِقُونَ أَمْوَٰلَهُمْ رِئَآءَ ٱلنَّاسِ وَلَا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِٱللَّهِ وَلَا بِٱلْيَوْمِ ٱلْـَٔاخِرِ ۗ وَمَن يَكُنِ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنُ لَهُۥ قَرِينًۭا فَسَآءَ قَرِينًۭا (٣٨)

[Nor does He like those] who spend their wealth to show off, who do not believe in Him or the Last Day. Whoever has Satan as his companion has an evil companion! (4:38)

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Allah ﷻ encourages generosity as a virtue, emphasizing the importance of sharing one’s blessings with others. It also teaches that being stingy goes against the principles of compassion, empathy, and community welfare and those who are stingy will face a great punishment. 

ٱلَّذِينَ يَبْخَلُونَ وَيَأْمُرُونَ ٱلنَّاسَ بِٱلْبُخْلِ وَيَكْتُمُونَ مَآ ءَاتَىٰهُمُ ٱللَّهُ مِن فَضْلِهِۦ ۗ وَأَعْتَدْنَا لِلْكَـٰفِرِينَ عَذَابًۭا مُّهِينًۭا (٣٧)

Who are miserly and order other people to be the same, hiding the bounty God has given them. We have prepared a humiliating torment for such ungrateful people. (4:37)

لَـٰكِنِ ٱلرَّسُولُ وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ مَعَهُۥ جَـٰهَدُوا۟ بِأَمْوَٰلِهِمْ وَأَنفُسِهِمْ ۚ وَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ لَهُمُ ٱلْخَيْرَٰتُ ۖ وَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْمُفْلِحُونَ (٨٨)

But the Messenger and those who believe with him strive hard with their possessions and their persons. The best things belong to them; it is they who will prosper. (9:88)

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Allah ﷻ discourages the hoarding of wealth, as it is believed that wealth should circulate within society to prevent economic stagnation and ensure that prosperity is distributed more equitably among all members of the community. This idea is best demonstrated through the requirement of giving Zakat.

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ إِنَّ كَثِيرًۭا مِّنَ ٱلْأَحْبَارِ وَٱلرُّهْبَانِ لَيَأْكُلُونَ أَمْوَٰلَ ٱلنَّاسِ بِٱلْبَـٰطِلِ وَيَصُدُّونَ عَن سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ ۗ وَٱلَّذِينَ يَكْنِزُونَ ٱلذَّهَبَ وَٱلْفِضَّةَ وَلَا يُنفِقُونَهَا فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ فَبَشِّرْهُم بِعَذَابٍ أَلِيمٍۢ (٣٤)

Believers, many rabbis and monks wrongfully consume people’s possessions and turn people away from God’s path. [Prophet], tell those who hoard gold and silver instead of giving in God’s cause that they will have a grievous punishment. (9:34)

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