O’ Men Know! Wealth is not proof of truth or closeness to God - Al Qur'an

For many, Material success means being of the selected few and thereby their closeness to the Creator. They think God has been very kind to  them that is why they have been chosen from many around them to have wealth and other material means. However, they forget to note that material means are in fact a distraction from one's spiritual life and thus away from the remembrance of their Creator. And when that happens, inadvertently they are failing a test for which God gave them material success to know whether being blessed do they still remember Him or only brag to be the selected few chosen to be close to the God.

Wealth or material success is in fact not the True Wealth. In fat true wealth is Spiritual: True closeness to God is measured by spiritual riches—such as faith, love, and righteousness—rather than financial status.

With this premise in the background, we share the verses 43:33–35 from Surah 43. Az-Zukhruf, which together form a very striking passage about wealth, material life, and belief. Let us dwell on the true meaning of these verses and how can we correlate these to our wordily life and how can we pass the Divine test by not be devoured by the love of material success and getting close to our Creator spiritually.

The Verses 43:33-35

(43:33) Were it not that people might ˹be tempted to˺ become one community ˹of disbelievers˺, We would have supplied the homes of ˹only˺ those who disbelieve in the Most Compassionate with silver roofs and ˹silver˺ stairways to ascend, (43:34) as well as ˹silver˺ gates and thrones to recline on, (43:35) and ornaments ˹of gold˺. Yet all this is no more than a ˹fleeting˺ enjoyment in this worldly life. ˹But˺ the Hereafter with your Lord is ˹only˺ for those mindful ˹of Him˺.

Meaning

These verses describe a hypothetical scenario - If it were not that people might all become one community (inclined toward disbelief), Allah could have given those who reject Him:

1. houses with silver roofs and stairways,
2. doors and couches adorned with luxury,
3. and even golden ornaments.

But all of this is only the enjoyment of worldly life, while the Hereafter with your Lord is for the righteous.

What is the point here? The verses are not praising luxury—they are making a powerful argument: If material wealth were a sign of truth, then disbelievers could be given the most wealth of all.

But that would mislead people into thinking that Rich are always right and the poor are always wrong. That is why Al Qur'an is warning the wealthy in particular and others in general (who are always in quest of more wealth and gain material success) warns that "the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil," and hat greed can drive a person away from God.  

Remember! Wealth should be viewed as a responsibility and a resource to be managed for God's purposes (such as generosity and caring for others) rather than a reward for a special relationship. 

This explanation clearly means that wealth is not proof of truth or closeness to God - but a Divine test to gauge the sincerity of the wealthy to their Creator by being humble and charitable and helping the poor from the wealth they have been blessed with. For this very reason, Allah restrains such imbalance to prevent humanity from collectively drifting into false conclusions.

Explanation by Eminent Muslim Scholars

• Ibn Khatir
• Contemptibility of Worldly Wealth: The verses emphasize that gold and silver are insignificant in the sight of Allah, and their abundance is not a reflection of a person's worth or righteousness [35, 33-35].
• Protection of Faith: Allah withholds excessive wealth from disbelievers to protect believers from being tempted to abandon their faith for material gain [34-35, 33-35].
• True Reward: The ultimate, lasting prosperity is reserved for the Muttaqun (the pious/righteous) in the Hereafter [34-35, 35].
• That is were it not that many ignorant people would believe that Our bestowal of wealth is indicative of Our love for the recipient, so they would all come under the banner of disbelief for the sake of wealth – this is what was meant by the words of Ibn ‘Abbaas, al-Hasan, Qataadah, as-Suddi and others – “We would have provided for those who disbelieve in the Most Beneficent (Allah), silver roofs for their houses, and elevators (and stair-ways)” that is, staircases and steps of silver.
• Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi
• That is, "This silver and gold whose possession by somebody is the highest blessing and the very climax of good fortune in your sight, is so base and contemptible a thing in the sight of Allah that had there been no danger of all human beings being inclined towards unbelief, He would have made every disbeliever's house of gold and silver. 
• Since when has the abundance of this worthless commodity become proof of man's nobility and his piety and his spiritual purity? This kind of wealth is even found in the possession of those foul and wicked people whose filthy characters make the whole society stink. And this you have made the criterion of man's greatness of character. " 

How this reflects today’s world

These verses feel surprisingly modern because they speak directly to patterns we still see:

• Wealth is status and a tool to influence
• Today, billionaires, celebrities, and powerful figures often shape opinions. Platforms amplify voices with money and visibility.
• People may assume: “They’re successful, so their worldview must be correct.”
• Through these verses, The Qur’an challenges that assumption directly and negate any such notion that wealth alone is staircase to reach to the Creator.
• Material success as a measure of worth
• Modern culture often equates success with luxury homes, expensive lifestyles, and visible status symbols.
• This is exactly the imagery in the verses: silver roofs, gold, decorated homes.
• Yet the verses say that all of that is just temporary enjoyment - real success lies in spiritual closeness to Allah, a way that is open to everyone, with disregard to one being rich or poor.
• The risk of collective misguidance
• The verse warns that if wealth were overwhelmingly tied to disbelief, society might follow it blindly.
• Look at trends today:
• Consumerism shaping identity
• Social media glorifying luxury lifestyles
• People chasing appearance over substance
• It’s not identical, but the principle holds: People are easily influenced by what looks successful.
• Reframing success
• The passage redirects attention: Worldly wealth is temporary, while the Real success is moral and spiritual standing (taqwa)
• This creates a tension with modern values, where long-term spiritual accountability is often ignored.

In simple terms

These verses are saying: “Don’t confuse luxury with truth. If material wealth were proof of being right, then it could be given in excess even to those who reject faith—but that would mislead everyone.”

The Bottom line

The message is highly relevant today, for:

• It challenges the idea that visible success equals correctness.
• It explains why wealth distribution is not a moral indicator.
• It invites people—believers or not—to question how much they let material success shape their beliefs.

A deep reflection of these three verses can make a difference in our thinking and approach to the concept of closeness to Allah. For Allah does not want our wealth unless it is taken as a responsibility to help others for the love of Allah, rather than spending wealth as a show off to register personal glory and to show their magnanimity. Let us not deceive Allah for He is well aware of what resides inside us, and certainly we cannot hoodwink our Creator.

Therefore what the Muslim must do, if he is living a life of hardship in this world and he sees the disbeliever living a life of ease, is not to be sad; rather he should think positively of Allah and understand that Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, is not withholding worldly gain from him because he is insignificant to Him, and He does not give it to the disbeliever as an honour to him; rather it is the other way round. 

May Allāh (سبحانه و تعالى‎) help us understand Qur'ān and follow the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, which is embodiment of commandments of Allah contained in the Qur'ān. May Allah help us to be like the ones He loves and let our lives be lived helping others and not making others' lives miserable or unlivable. May all our wrong doings, whether intentional or unintentional, be forgiven before the angel of death knocks on our door. 

وَمَا عَلَيۡنَاۤ اِلَّا الۡبَلٰغُ الۡمُبِيۡنُ‏ 

(36:17) and our duty is no more than to clearly convey the Message.”

That is Our duty is only to convey to you the message that Allah has entrusted us with. Then it is for you to accept it or reject it. We have not been made responsible for making you accept it forcibly, and if you do not accept it, we shall not be seized in consequence of your disbelief, you will yourselves be answerable for your actions on Day of Resurrection.

May Allah forgive me if my posts ever imply a piety far greater than I possess. I am most in need of guidance.

Reading the Qur'ān should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully. It will also help the Muslims to have grasp over social issues and their answers discussed in the Qur'an and other matter related to inter faith so that they are able to discuss issues with non-Muslims with authority based on refences from Qur'an.

Note: When we mention God in our posts, we mean One True God, we call Allah in Islam, with no associates. Allah is the Sole Creator of all things, and that Allah is all-powerful and all-knowing. Allah has no offspring, no race, no gender, no body, and is unaffected by the characteristics of human life.

This verse is part of Selected Verses from Sürah (43) Az-Zukhruf (Ornaments of Gold / luxury)  already published.

You may also refer to our exclusive reference pages: 

• Selected verses from selected Surahs of Al-Qurʾān for compiled verses from other surahs.
• Selected Verses from Al Qur'an about a Specific Subject (Reference Page) to know more about what Qur'an says about specific subjects
• Selected Verses from the Qur'an. 

You may also refer to our Reference Pages  and Understanding Al Qur'an for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.

Photo | Reference: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |

An effort has been made to gather explanation / exegesis of the surahs and selected verses of Al-Qurʾān from authentic sources and then present a least possible condensed explanation of the surah. In that the exegesis of the chapters of the Quran is mainly based on the "Tafhim al-Qur'an - The Meaning of the Qur'an" by one of the most enlightened scholars of the Muslim World Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi.  

In addition, other sources which have been explored and views of other scholars have been incorporated while explaining meaning of a verse. Those desirous of detailed explanations and tafsir (exegesis), may refer to these sites. For expansion of meaning and themes / contextual background help from ChatGPT is also taken.

Disclaimer: The material for this post has been collected from the references given above. If anyone differs with the material contained in this post, one may consult the references and their authors.  If someone has more material about the subject, he/she is most welcome to share in the comments box to make the post all encompassing.

If you like Islam: My Ultimate Decision, and to keep yourself updated on all our latest posts to know more about Islam, follow us on Facebook. You may also refer to our Facebook  Group Islam: The Ultimate Truth for more on Islam and Da'wah.

Follow @IslamUltimate

Please share this page to your friends and family members through Facebook, WhatsApp or any means on social media so that they can also be benefited by it and better understand Islam and the Qur'ān - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.

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How wealth can corrupt quietly, without a person even realizing it - A subtle parable from Al Qur'an

There is no harm in earning more if one wants to lead a comfortable life, so long it is warned the Halal (permissible) way. But amassing wealth from Haram (not permissible) means through unfair means like corruption and usurping rights of others is never prescribed in any society. Wealth itself isn’t evil—in the Qur’an it’s a ni‘mah (blessing). But it has a unique power to quietly corrupt the heart if it’s not controlled - that is why Allah in Al Qur'an calls wealth a fitnah (test). 

This is the theme of a parable mentioned in Surah Al-Qalam (68:17–33) — often called “the story of the أصحاب الجنة (People of the Garden).” It is one of the Qur’an’s most subtle and powerful lessons on how wealth can corrupt quietly, without a person even realizing it. Let us read the parable and see how money corrupts a man, him not even realizing it:

The Story (Simple Summary)

Allah says He tested the people of Makkah just like He tested a group of men who owned a lush garden (orchard). The story began from a noble man who harvested a garden and was always blessed with the best produce since he used to give out a portion of it to the poor. For this noble act, Allah blessed him with more with each yield. But after his death, his sons who inherited the garden were not not as generous as their fathers to dole out a part of the produce in charity. So, they made a secret plan: “We will harvest it early in the morning… and we will not allow any poor person to enter.” (68:23–24)

And obviously,  their greed for  more made them exclude the needy intentionally. And quite naturally Allah did not like their sinister plan and destroyed their garden overnight. And when the owners arrived in the morning, they were shocked to see a devastated garden. Initially they thought they have lost their way and come to a different place. But then they realized: “No, we have been deprived.” (68:27)

And then the though dawned on them and admitted their greed which corrupted their hearts and took away the gratitude of thanking Allah for the blessing them: “Glory be to our Lord! Indeed, we were wrongdoers.” (68:29)

Why this is called “Wealth corrupts silently”

The story is not about sudden evil — it is about gradual moral decline which slowly polluted their heart and mind from doing good. They never knew that it is not greed but remembrance and gratitude that brings blessing and pleasure of Allah. Let us see how ordinary men are lured into evil:

• They were not originally evil
• Their father was righteous and obviously inherited goodness and knew what was charity.
• But their hearts and minds started to corrupt after wealth started to land into their hands.
• The corruption was internal first
• They didn’t initially act — they first changed intention and planned secretly, agreed on not paying charity and justified their decision.
• This shows that Moral سقوط (decline) begins first in the mind and intention, not in action.
• They used strategy to avoid responsibility
• They said: “Let’s go early - So no poor person sees us”
• This is very subtle: They didn’t deny charity openly - but engineered a way around it.
• This is silent corruption: Not rejecting الخير (good), but avoiding it cleverly.
• They forgot to say “In Shā’Allāh”
• The Qur’an points this out: “They did not make any exception (i.e., say ‘if Allah wills’).” (68:18)
• That is they thet though that they had become self-reliant and were in full control and ignored dependence on Allah
• This is spiritual corruption behind material greed.
• The punishment was immediate and symbolic
• The wrath of Allah does not fall immediately inn many cases. But sometimes an immediate Divine reaction is needed to teach timely lesson to someone.
• In this case, their garden — source of pride — was destroyed overnight. 
• This was to teach a lesson that the same wealth that gives security can vanish instantly if one is not grateful to Allah for His blessings.
• Realization came only after loss
• It is human nature that realization comes only when after one loses.
• In this case, only when everything was gone did they say: “Indeed, we were wrongdoers.”
• This reflects a deep human pattern " People often recognize فساد (corruption) after consequences appear."

Deep Psychological Message

• This parable shows that wealth corrupts not always through: (1) Arrogance, (2) Oppression - open ظلم.
• But through subtle shifts like Greed, neglect of the poor and loss of gratitude
• This is far more dangerous because: The person still thinks they are “good.”

Modern Relevance

This story applies directly today:

• Corporate greed: Profit over people and avoiding responsibility through systems
• Personal wealth: “I earned it, I deserve it” - Ignoring zakāh/charity spirit
• Global inequality: Hoarding resources, Structuring systems that exclude the needy
• Psychological state: Comfort leading to forgetfulness of Allah leads to Subtle hardening of the heart

The Central Lesson

The Qur’an is teaching that though Wealth is not the problem — What wealth does to the heart is the problem.

The Final Warning (68:33) After the story, Allah says: “Such is the punishment — but the punishment of the Hereafter is greater, if only they knew.”

This means that this worldly loss was a warning - the real danger is moral failure leading to the Hereafter

One-line summary: The parable of the garden in Surah Al-Qalam shows that wealth can corrupt silently by changing intentions, creating entitlement, and distancing the heart from Allah and the needy — until a person loses both moral clarity and divine blessing.

May Allāh (سبحانه و تعالى‎) help us understand Qur'ān and follow the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, which is embodiment of commandments of Allah contained in the Qur'ān. May Allah help us to be like the ones He loves and let our lives be lived helping others and not making others' lives miserable or unlivable. May all our wrong doings, whether intentional or unintentional, be forgiven before the angel of death knocks on our door. 

وَمَا عَلَيۡنَاۤ اِلَّا الۡبَلٰغُ الۡمُبِيۡنُ‏ 

(36:17) and our duty is no more than to clearly convey the Message.”

That is Our duty is only to convey to you the message that Allah has entrusted us with. Then it is for you to accept it or reject it. We have not been made responsible for making you accept it forcibly, and if you do not accept it, we shall not be seized in consequence of your disbelief, you will yourselves be answerable for your actions on Day of Resurrection.

May Allah forgive me if my posts ever imply a piety far greater than I possess. I am most in need of guidance.

Reading the Qur'ān should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully. It will also help the Muslims to have grasp over social issues and their answers discussed in the Qur'an and other matter related to inter faith so that they are able to discuss issues with non-Muslims with authority based on refences from Qur'an.

Note: When we mention God in our posts, we mean One True God, we call Allah in Islam, with no associates. Allah is the Sole Creator of all things, and that Allah is all-powerful and all-knowing. Allah has no offspring, no race, no gender, no body, and is unaffected by the characteristics of human life.

You may refer to more Selected Verses from Surah 68 Al Qalam (The Pen)  already published. You may also refer to our exclusive reference page: Selected verses from selected Surahs of Al-Qurʾān for compiled verses from other surahs.

For verses on Selected Subjects, please refer to our reference page: Selected Verses from Al Qur'an about a Specific Subject (Reference Page) to know more about what Qur'an says about specific subjects and our reference page: Selected Verses from the Qur'an. 

You may also refer to our Reference Pages  and Understanding Al Qur'an for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.

Photo | Reference: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |

An effort has been made to gather explanation / exegesis of the surahs and selected verses of Al-Qurʾān from authentic sources and then present a least possible condensed explanation of the surah. In that the exegesis of the chapters of the Quran is mainly based on the "Tafhim al-Qur'an - The Meaning of the Qur'an" by one of the most enlightened scholars of the Muslim World Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi.  

In addition, other sources which have been explored and views of other scholars have been incorporated while explaining meaning of a verse. Those desirous of detailed explanations and tafsir (exegesis), may refer to these sites. For expansion of meaning and themes / contextual background help from ChatGPT is also taken.

Disclaimer: The material for this post has been collected from the references given above. If anyone differs with the material contained in this post, one may consult the references and their authors.  If someone has more material about the subject, he/she is most welcome to share in the comments box to make the post all encompassing.

If you like Islam: My Ultimate Decision, and to keep yourself updated on all our latest posts to know more about Islam, follow us on Facebook. You may also refer to our Facebook  Group Islam: The Ultimate Truth for more on Islam and Da'wah.

Follow @IslamUltimate

Please share this page to your friends and family members through Facebook, WhatsApp or any means on social media so that they can also be benefited by it and better understand Islam and the Qur'ān - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.

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Store your wealth as reward for life in the Hereafter (Hadith Prophet Muhammad ﷺ)

Wealth has always dazzled man and he feels like amassing as much as he can. He then boastfully wears expensive clothes and lives a luxurious lifestyle, squandering his wealth which goes down the drain no sooner it is spent. But wise are those who spend their wealth which is not wasted away, rather it is stored as a reward for their lives in the hereafter. Do you know what wealth that is?

We share a hadith attributed to Prophet Muhammad ﷺ which tells about this wealth. This hadith is mentioned in Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim the Book (#55) of Zuhd and Softening of Hearts كتاب الزهد والرقائق  ‏) as Hadith number # 2958a as under:

حَدَّثَنَا هَدَّابُ بْنُ خَالِدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا هَمَّامٌ، حَدَّثَنَا قَتَادَةُ، عَنْ مُطَرِّفٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، قَالَ أَتَيْتُ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَهُوَ يَقْرَأُ ‏{‏ أَلْهَاكُمُ التَّكَاثُرُ‏}‏ قَالَ ‏ "‏ يَقُولُ ابْنُ آدَمَ مَالِي مَالِي - قَالَ - وَهَلْ لَكَ يَا ابْنَ آدَمَ مِنْ مَالِكَ إِلاَّ مَا أَكَلْتَ فَأَفْنَيْتَ أَوْ لَبِسْتَ فَأَبْلَيْتَ أَوْ تَصَدَّقْتَ فَأَمْضَيْتَ ‏"‏ ‏.‏

Mutarrif reported on the authority of his father: I came to Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) as he was reciting:" Abundance diverts you" (cii. 1). He said: The son of Adam claims: My wealth, my wealth. And he (the Holy Prophet) said: O son of Adam. Is there anything as your belonging except that which you consumed, which you utilized, or which you wore and then it was worn out or you gave as charity and sent it forward?

A similar hadith has been mentioned by Abu Huraira who reported Allah's Messenger ( ‌صلی ‌اللہ ‌علیہ ‌وسلم ‌) as saying: A servant says, My wealth. my wealth, but out of his wealth three things are only his: whatever he eats and makes use of or by means of which he dresses himself and it wears out or he gives as charity, and this is what he stored for himself (as a reward for the Hereafter), and what is beyond this (it is of no use to you) because you are to depart and leave it for other people.

As can be seen from the above quoted Hadith, it is part of the wealth of the man which he spends on charity which never gets wasted away and is in fact stored in his account as reward for his life in the Hereafter. So why not cash in the opportunity as long as we live to doll out an adequate part of our wealth in charity. This will not only earn us the prayers of those who are receiving our charity, but also a much-multiplied reward in the life of hereafter.

May Allāh (سبحانه و تعالى‎) help us understand Qur'ān and follow the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, which is embodiment of commandments of Allah contained in the Qur'ān. May Allah help us to be like the ones He loves and let our lives be lived helping others and not making others' lives miserable or unlivable. May all our wrong doings, whether intentional or unintentional, be forgiven before the angel of death knocks on our door. 

وَمَا عَلَيۡنَاۤ اِلَّا الۡبَلٰغُ الۡمُبِيۡنُ‏ 

(36:17) and our duty is no more than to clearly convey the Message.”

That is Our duty is only to convey to you the message that Allah has entrusted us with. Then it is for you to accept it or reject it. We have not been made responsible to make you accept it forcibly, And if you do not accept it, we shall not be seized in consequence of your disbelief, You will yourselves be answerable for your actions on Day of Resurrection.

May Allah forgive me if my posts ever imply a piety far greater than I possess. I am most in need of guidance.

Reading the Qur'ān should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully. It will also help the Muslims to have grasp over social issues and their answers discussed in the Qur'an and other matter related to inter faith so that they are able to discuss issues with non-Muslims with authority based on refences from Qur'an.

Note: When we mention God in our posts, we mean One True God, we call Allah in Islam, with no associates. Allah is the Sole Creator of all things, and that Allah is all-powerful and all-knowing. Allah has no offspring, no race, no gender, no body, and is unaffected by the characteristics of human life.

Please refer to our reference page: Sunnah and Hadith of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ to know more about sunnah of Prophet of Allah. You may also refer to our Reference Pages for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.

Disclaimer: The material for this post has been collected from the references as given below. If any one differs with the material contained in this post, one may consult the references and their authors.  If someone has more material about the subject, he/she is most welcome to share in the comments box to make the post all encompassing.

Photo | Hadith Reference

If you like Islam: My Ultimate Decision, and to keep yourself updated on all our latest posts to know more about Islam, follow us on Facebook

Follow @IslamUltimate

Please share this page to your friends and family members through Facebook, WhatsApp or any means on Social Media so that they can also be benefited by it and better understand Islam and the Qur'ān - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.

Read More

Fitnah (test) of Wealth (Hadith Prophet Muhammad ﷺ)

Man has always been tempted to making fortunes and profits. Although there is nothing bad in doing business, earning profits and amassing wealth has its own demerits. It is generally seen that wealth accumulation from unfair means makes a man arrogant and is interjected with a false sense of pride of being superior to others. The more one amasses money, the lust for more creeps in. And when one is blinded by the glitter of gold, his morality usually takes a nose dive, which robs him of soft corners for those who cannot afford even a decent meal in a day.

Believers have always been cautioned about the lust for wealth, as Allah, The Exalted, says in the 15th verse of Surah 64. At Taghabun (Mutual Loss and Gain) of Qur'an: Your possessions and your offspring are nothing but a trial for you. It has also been said in Surah (Al-Anfaal, Ayat 28), Allah says: If you save yourselves from the temptation and allurements of worldly possessions and children and succeed in keeping love of them subject to the love of Allah, there are rich rewards for you with Allah.

That is to say that wealth is a trial, and this is the supportive argument of those who believed that poverty is better than wealth. They said that if the only problem with richness is being a source of Fitnah, and only a few are saved from its negative impacts on their religiosity, then it would be a sufficient proof (of the merit of being poor).”

Prophet Muhammad ﷺ too has termed wealth as a trial (Fitnah) for his Ummah. This Hadith is mentioned Jami` at-Tirmidhi  (Book # 36 Chapters on Zuhd  كتاب الزهد عن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم / Chapter # 26 What Has Been Related About 'The Fitnah of this Ummah is waelth باب مَا جَاءَ أَنَّ فِتْنَةَ هَذِهِ الأُمَّةِ فِي الْمَالِ‏ ) as Hadith number # 2336:

Ka'b bin 'Iyad narrated that the Prophet (s.a.w) said:

حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مَنِيعٍ، حَدَّثَنَا الْحَسَنُ بْنُ سَوَّارٍ، حَدَّثَنَا لَيْثُ بْنُ سَعْدٍ، عَنْ مُعَاوِيَةَ بْنِ صَالِحٍ، أَنَّ عَبْدَ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنَ جُبَيْرِ بْنِ نُفَيْرِ، حَدَّثَهُ عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ كَعْبِ بْنِ عِيَاضٍ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ ‏ "‏ إِنَّ لِكُلِّ أُمَّةٍ فِتْنَةً وَفِتْنَةُ أُمَّتِي الْمَالُ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ صَحِيحٌ غَرِيبٌ إِنَّمَا نَعْرِفُهُ مِنْ حَدِيثِ مُعَاوِيَةَ بْنِ صَالِحٍ ‏.‏

"Indeed, there is a fitnah for every Ummah, and the Fitnah for my Ummah is wealth."

Grade: Sahih (Darussalam)

The Arabic word Fitnah " فتنة " is very hard to define. Here we would like to explain the word as described in the Wikipedia:

Edward William Lane, in his Arabic-English Lexicon compiled from various traditional Arabic lexicographical sources available in Cairo in the mid-19th-century, reported that "to burn" is the "primary signification" of the verb. The verb then came to be applied to the smelting of gold and silver. It was extended to mean causing one to enter into fire and into a state of punishment or affliction. Thus, one says that something caused one to enter al-fitna, i.e. trial, affliction, etc., or more generally, an affliction whereby some good or evil quality is put to the test. Lane glosses the noun fitna as meaning a trial, a probation, affliction, distress or hardship, and says that "the sum total of its meaning in the language of the Arabs" is an affliction whereby one is tried, proved or tested.

Thus, the above quoted verse from Qur'an and the Hadith clearly show that man will be tested with children and wealth and position. And those, who despite being blessed with children, wealth and position in the community, do not forget to thank Allah for His blessings and help others from what they have been blessed with, are the ones who will be rewarded both in this world and in the life in the Hereafter.

On the contrary, those who forget to thank Allah for His kindness to them and become arrogant and boastful of their possessions, children and wealth, and do not give out a position of their wealth in charity to help the poorwill bear the wrath of Allah, both in this world and the in the Hereafter.

Prophet Muhammad ﷺ has also been quoted as saying, which Tabarani has related on the authority of Abu Malik al-Ashari, saying: Your real enemy is not he whom, if you kill there is success for you, and if he kills you, there is Paradise for you; but your real enemy may be your own child who is born of your own loins, or the wealth of which you are the owner. 

Let us cleanse our possessions and let not blessings form Allah make us proud and arrogant and rob us from the soft corner for the poor, lest our wealth becomes a fitnah for us.

May Allāh (سبحانه و تعالى‎) help us understand Qur'ān and follow the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, which is embodiment of commandments of Allah contained in the Qur'ān. May Allah help us to be like the ones He loves and let our lives be lived helping others and not making others' lives miserable or unlivable. May all our wrong doings, whether intentional or unintentional, be forgiven before the angel of death knocks on our door. 

وَمَا عَلَيۡنَاۤ اِلَّا الۡبَلٰغُ الۡمُبِيۡنُ‏ 

(36:17) and our duty is no more than to clearly convey the Message.”

That is Our duty is only to convey to you the message that Allah has entrusted us with. Then it is for you to accept it or reject it. We have not been made responsible for making you accept it forcibly, and if you do not accept it, we shall not be seized in consequence of your disbelief, you will yourselves be answerable for your actions on Day of Resurrection.

May Allah forgive me if my posts ever imply a piety far greater than I possess. I am most in need of guidance.

Reading the Qur'ān should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully. It will also help the Muslims to have grasp over social issues and their answers discussed in the Qur'an and other matter related to inter faith so that they are able to discuss issues with non-Muslims with authority based on refences from Qur'an.

Note: When we mention God in our posts, we mean One True God, we call Allah in Islam, with no associates. Allah is the Sole Creator of all things, and that Allah is all-powerful and all-knowing. Allah has no offspring, no race, no gender, no body, and is unaffected by the characteristics of human life.

Please refer to our reference page: Sunnah and Hadith of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ to know more about sunnah of Prophet of Allah. You may also refer to our Reference Pages for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.

Disclaimer: The material for this post has been collected from the references as given below. If anyone differs with the material contained in this post, one may consult the references and their authors.  If someone has more material about the subject, he/she is most welcome to share in the comments box to make the post all encompassing.

Photo | Source of Hadith | Other references: | 1 | 2 |

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If We Only Had Time

Sometime back, I visited my city of birth and had plans to call on one of my long lost friends. When I had just reached my guest room, I received a message that my friend had passed away moments ago. I was simply stunned to read the message - but he did not have time more than what was granted to him. I went to his funeral and was thinking that while I had come for some other purpose but Allah had actually called me to  attend my friend's funeral.

We commence each day of our life with renewed vigour and aspirations to do many things. Most of us are worried about earning more than yesterday to realise many of our unfinished plans or to buy a better living for our family and children. And most of our lives is spent in such pursuits. But what we normally forget is the bitter fact that while we may have wealth, would we have TIME?

Life is all about time, not wealth, for Allah has promised us that He would make arrangements for our sustenance and living. But He never promises us to give TIME for it may run out of our lives in the click forward of second showing hand of of our watches.

Stressing the importance of time for the Muslims, the Almighty Allah says in the Holy Quran: “By time, indeed, mankind is in loss, Except for those who have believed and done righteous deeds and advised each other to truth and advised each other to patience.” (Quran, Surah Al Asr 103: 1-3).

Surely indeed, those who make best use of their time and are never ignorant of their prayers, and righteous deeds to please Allah by remaining on the straight path and helping others and always keep in mind that time may run out of their lives at anytime - a time that will come unannounced. So a true Muslim should be ready all the time to face the day when the time will stop clicking for him.

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) has been quoted as saying: “Take advantage of five matters before five other matters: your youth before you become old; your health, before you fall sick; your wealth, before you become poor; your free time before you become preoccupied, and your life, before your death” (Musnad Imam Ahmad). All these five things hinge on time. For as long as all is going well, we do not know of the hard times that can befall on us at any time. This cautions us to be ready not only to brave out bad times, bad health, or loss of wealth and last of all the time when the life may end suddenly.

So be ready for the end time and always pray for your forgiveness, continuously seek repentance for one's sins or follies and times aimlessly spent in leisure that took us from remembering Allah. Remember, Time is running out !!

Photo | Reference: | 1 |

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