Saturday, August 8, 2015

Money: Spend Prudently

Money is not easy to obtain, especially if we mean the lawful source of money. Certainly, the acquisition of wealth requires great efforts. “One must work to earn his bread” is a phrase we hear very often. 

Allah, the Regulator of all that is in this world and in heaven has commanded us in His Blessed Book:

“It is He Who has made the earth manageable for you, so walk through its tracts and enjoy of the Sustenance which He furnishes: but unto Him is the Resurrection.” (67: 16).

Allah is the Lord of immense grace, and all that is in heaven and on earth belongs to Him. Therefore, man must know that although he is the actor of his efforts, but all that which is in his hand really belongs to Allah. Allah is He Who has power over everything he is and everything he owns. Certainly man is not the true owner of the property/wealth which is in his hands. Allah exposes this fact very clearly in His Glorious Book: “And give them of the wealth of Allah which He has given you.” (24: 34). 

If this is the case, man must be very careful about how he spends his wealth. The Quran, best guide for humanity gives him better guidance about it. “Those who when they spend, are neither extravagant nor niggardly, but they hold a just balance between the two.” (25: 68). The believer should not be an extravagant spender and on the other hand, he/she must not also be stingy. He must hold firm to a just position between the two, practicing the middle way.

Wealth is without a doubt a great trial, or even a great temptation. When a person accumulates money, he tends to make unnecessary expenses. Like the one who buys what he wants as and when he pleases without even reaping the benefit of this money/expenditure in any way. Otherwise he tries to have the money multiplied through illicit means or thrown in gambling without taking into account the great lost that awaits him both in this world and in the hereafter. Or he may spend this money in vain pursuits (reaping no benefit whatsoever) such as alcoholic drinks, cigarettes, giant screens (home cinemas), etc.


Sometimes his wealth makes him become stingy. He does not like to share it with others, or to relieve the poor with this money, or to help in the contribution of a mosque or any other community (Jamaat) project, or to fund a house to settle orphans ... he fears the depletion of his wealth if he spends in this way. Even more surprising, he deprives his wife, children, father, mother, brothers and sisters of their merits. Alas, if only he knew the wonderful words of the prophet (pbuh) whereby he said:

A dinar you spend in Allah's way, or to free a slave, or as a charity you give to a needy person, or to support your family, the one yielding the greatest reward is that which you spend on your family.” (Muslim)

It is clear therefore that the believer must show himself conscientious in the way of managing his money and to not deprive his immediate family of that money which Allah has so generously granted him. The best charity begins at home. He must learn how to spend, when to spend, and why spend. And he must also learn how to save some money for hard and difficult times that will appear later in his life, because in life there are ups and downs. When he manages his wealth or the little money he has, he becomes the heir to the gift that Allah has given to His prophets.

Abdullah ibn Sarjas (ra) narrated that the Prophet (pbuh) said: “A good manner of conduct, deliberation and moderation are a twenty-fourth part of prophecy.” (Tirmidhi).

In another Hadith, the Prophet of Allah (pbuh) is reported to have said: “A good way of acting, a good manner of conduct and moderation are twenty-fifth part of prophecy.” (Abu Dawud).

May Allah grant us the ability to manage our money and not to hesitate to spend this money in His path. The money spent in the way of Allah will never be in vain because we shall certainly reap the rewards of our sacrifices and of the management of the money by forming an integral part of the chosen people of Allah. If today, with a Divine Manifestation we, the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam, proclaim to be the chosen people of Allah, then we must also show it in our intentions and our actions with sincerity of heart only to reap pleasure Allah. Insha-Allah, Ameen!


-Friday Sermon of August 07, 2015 delivered by the Khalifatullah Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Saheb (atba) of Mauritius.