As a Muslim living in the West, it is easy to fall into a busy lifestyle. Go to school to get a job; get a job so you can work, and have money to enjoy life. As Muslims, we know our purpose in life is to worship Allah financially strong.
وَمَا خَلَقْتُ ٱلْجِنَّ وَٱلْإِنسَ إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُونِ
“And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me.”
(AlQuran 51:56).
But what does that mean? Does that mean we quit our jobs and worship Allah through prayer and fasting every day? An extreme example, and I know many of you would disagree with this. But what about that looming questions,
“Am I allowed to enjoy the money I earn, or is that following the pleasures of worldly life?”
What should the vision be behind earning and being financially strong as a Muslim?
As we know, our purpose in life is to worship Allah. When we say the word worship, we usually think of fasting, praying, reciting Quran, etc., but worship here is not limited to those things. Doing our best to live by the commandments of Allah (SWT) and staying away from what He has made a haram is an act of worship. Therefore, working honestly and earning a halal income can be considered a form of prayer, and it helps you be financially strong. Secondly, Rizq (provision) comes from Allah (SWT). The Rizq that was written for you will never escape you,
لِيَجْزِيَهُمُ ٱللَّهُ أَحْسَنَ مَا عَمِلُوا۟ وَيَزِيدَهُم مِّن فَضْلِهِۦ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ يَرْزُقُ مَن يَشَآءُ بِغَيْرِ حِسَابٍ
“Allah may reward them [according to] the best of what they did and increase them from His bounty. And Allah gives provision to whom He wills without account [i.e., limit].”
(AlQuran 24:38).
In this way, there is no clash between the desire to be financially stable and Islam. Islam is a balanced religion. Just know that Allah (SWT) is the Provider and that you will always, without a doubt, obtain the Rizq that was decreed for you by Allah (SWT). If you are a workaholic and struggle with the work/life balance, that realization may help you. The vision of being financially stable should thus be to continue and improve your acts of worship.
- Increase your charity,
- save up for Umrah/Hajj,
- take time off in the last ten days of Ramadan, etc.
Rizq is a blessing from Allah, and it is something for which Allah will hold you accountable. Therefore, it is necessary that, as Muslims, we try to be financially strong and strike a balance between our spending of His blessing and not spending unnecessarily, as that is a sign of ungratefulness. Allah says in the Quran,
إِنَّ ٱلْمُبَذِّرِينَ كَانُوٓا۟ إِخْوَٰنَ ٱلشَّيَٰطِينِ ۖ وَكَانَ ٱلشَّيْطَٰنُ لِرَبِّهِۦ كَفُورًا
“Indeed, the wasteful are brothers of the devils, and ever has Satan been to his Lord ungrateful.”
(AlQuran 17:27).
So, as a Muslim, one should spend appropriately and trust Allah to provide for Him through hard work. Please share your thoughts/viewpoints, or questions with us in the comments below.
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