** * Your richness before your poverty
*
**
One day we might not have anything, and the next day we might have
much more than we need. One day, a person has a great job and a fat pay
check, yet the next day, something happens and he does not have that job
anymore and loses his source of income. So, the wise person uses his
richness before he becomes poor. He invests for his future.
As for the investments of this world, then the Muslims and non-Muslims are
somewhat same, in the sense they both invest in it. The Prophet (peace be
upon him) would store staple food items up to a year. Sometimes he would
store barley and grain for a whole year for his family. This is obviously
something Halaal as the Prophet (peace be upon him) himself did it, and we
should do it too. We should make sure we have enough money for our family,
so we do not turn beggars. There is no doubt that this is part of our
Shariah.
But while we do this, let us not forget that we should also invest for the
hereafter. Should we not think about investing money so we can pluck its
fruits in the hereafter, where we will need it far more than currently in
this world? We should invest for the real future – in our life after death.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) once asked his companions, “Who amongst you
loves his inheritors’ money more than his own money?”
A father, for example, will love his own money more than his son’s money.
This is something natural. Every person will love his own money more than
other people’s money.
The Companions said, “O Messenger of Allah, all of us love our own money
more than we love the money of our inheritors. We all love our own money. We
guard it and protect it more than the money of our inheritors.”
Then the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Verily, the money that you spend
in charity is your money, and the money that you leave behind is the money
of your inheritors*.” (Al-Bukhari, 4/217)*
Ponder over that *Hadith* for a while. How true it is. Do we not realize
that all our lifelong savings enough to feed generations of people will be
of no benefit to us? It will all be our inheritors’ money. But the money we
spend in our lifetime for the sake of Allah will be ours permanently.
*Remember that feeding your family is a type of worship if you are doing it
for the sake of Allah.*
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Whatever you spend in Allah’s Cause,
you will get reward for it, even for the morsel of food which you put in
your wife’s mouth.” *(Al-Bukhari) *
Now everybody feeds his family. But will everybody be rewarded? No. Because
only the one who does it remembering Allah, thinking about Allah, and doing
it for the sake of Allah will be rewarded.
Ask yourself if the last time you went shopping, was Allah in your mind? Did
you think of doing this for Allah? When you picked up the milk and the
bread, was your heart thinking,
*“O Allah, I am buying this food through Halaal money, and this is Halaal
food, because I want to feed my family and this is an obligation that You
have put upon me, therefore, I am doing it for your sake.”* Who amongst us
has this in the mind?
When we say, “Money that is spent for the sake of Allah,” we are not just
talking about Zakat and charity. They are among the most virtuous deeds no
doubt. But do not forget that the majority of income we spend can all be for
the sake of Allah if we have the right intention. Such consciousness of
Allah all the time will also prevent us from extravagance and wasting our
money.
__._,_.___
__,_._,___
--
Faizan Shaikh,
Servant of Allah subhanau taa'la
“O Allah! Guide me to have beautiful manners and characteristics, no one can
guide me to beautify them except You. And turn me away from all evil actions
and characteristics, no one can turn them away from me except You.”
--
Nor can Goodness and Evil be equal. Repel (evil) with what is better; then the
enmity between him and you will become as if it were your friend and intimate!
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