Giving Charity and the Fitnah of Wealth

Across the globe, you would find there is an unbalanced economical system whereby those that are rich are living worldly happiness, whilst the poor undergo struggles and hardships to provide food for their families. Thus, i will be looking at the fitnah of wealth, charity and taxes!

Having wealth is one of the greatest blessings that Allah subhanahu wa taala has given us. However, it is also one of the greatest tests in life. In the Quran, Allah subhanahu wa taala said:

"Your wealth and your children are only a trial (fitnah). And Allah - With Him is a great reward (Paradise)." 
(Surah al-Taghabun 15)

Everything obtained using wealth is merely a test that provides us pleasure in this worldly life as Allah subhanahu wa taala states:

"Beautified for men is the love of things they covet; women, children, much of gold and silver (wealth), branded beautiful horses, cattle and well-tilled land. This is the pleasure of the present world's life; but Allah has the excellent return (Paradise) with Him” (Surah Al-‘Imran 14)

It is important that we control ourselves in how we spend our money. We should know our priorities and utilize money wisely otherwise we’ll have consequences for having an unrighteous life of wealth and worldly enjoyments as Allah subhanahu wa taala stated:

"Say: If your fathers, your sons, your brothers, your wives, your kindred, the wealth that you have gained, the commerce in which you fear a decline, and the dwellings in which you delight, are more beloved to you than Allah and His Messenger, and striving in His Cause, then wait until Allah executes His Decision (torment). And Allah guides not the people who are rebellious (disobedient to Allah)." (Surah al-Tawbah, 24)

"As for man, when his Lord tries him by giving him honour and gifts, then he says (puffed up): 'My Lord has honoured me.' But when He tries him, by straitening his means of life, he says: 'My Lord has humiliated me!' Nay! But you treat not the orphans with kindness or generosity! And urge not on the feeding of the poor! And devour inheritance - all with greed! And you love wealth with a great love!" (Surah al-Fajr, 15-20)

Our Beloved Prophet salla allahu alayhi wa salam described those with greed:

"Two hungry wolves, if let loose amongst a flock of sheep, cause less harm than a man's eagerness to increase his money and his prestige." 
[Reported by al-Tirmidhi (# 2373), Ahmad and others. Al-Tirmidhl considered it authentic, as did al-Albani in Sahih al-Jami' (# 5620)]

We have a choice to either be adhered to this temporary, materialistic world or work in the duniya for the akhirah (eternity) the everlasting world. Know that we were only created to worship him and an extreme unbalanced love for this world cannot exist in a heart devoted to Allah subhanahu wa taala as one would then end up forgetting their purpose in life.

Our Beloved Prophet salla allahu alayhi wa salam said: 

"The Day of Judgement has come close, and mankind will only increase their desire for this world, and they will only go farther and farther away from Allah." 
[Reported by al-Hakim (4/324) who declared it to be authentic, and al-Albani agreed with him {al-Sahihah, # 1510).]

On the Day of Judgement, Allah will ask us how we obtained the money and what have we done with it? The more one is involved with increasing his wealth, the greater the chance that he or she will fall into sin while trying to accrue such wealth. Only the person who truly has the fear of Allah subhanahu wa taala (taqwa) will be able to save himself from such temptation.

Our Beloved Prophet salla allahu alayhi wa salam said:

"The two feet of the son of Adam will not move on the Day of Judgement in front of his Lord until he is asked about five things: about his life, and how he spent it? And about his youth, what did he consume it in? And about his money, how did he earn it? And what did he spend it on? And how much did he act upon what he knew?" 
[Reported by al-Tirmidhi (2/67) who declared it hasan sahih, and others.]

However, those that are poor will not have any money to be accountable and will enter Paradise before the rich.

"The poor will enter Paradise before the rich by half a day, and that is five hundred years." 
[Reported by al-Tirmidhi (# 2353) who said it is hasan sahih; Ibn Majah (# 4122); and Ahmad (2/513)]

This is why, Allah knows best, as to why our Beloved Prophet salla allahu alayhi wa salam used to make the following dua:

"O Allah! I seek your refuge from the evils of the fitnah of wealth, and the evils of the fitnah of poverty." 
[Reported by al-Bukhari (11/176) and Muslim (# 2078)]

Being rich or poor is a test from Allah subhanahu wa taala. We as muslims should try our best to seek the pleasure of Allah subhanahu wa taala as excessive love of wealth has a risk of compromising obedience to Allah subhanahu wa taala.

Thus, it is important to give charity to increase sustenance and protection of wealth. From the wisdom of Allah subhanahu wa taala, he has connected the cause and effect of things. For instance, if you plant a seed, you will get a plant grown. Here is the advice of Sufyan Al-Thawri to 'Alee ibn Hasan may Allah have mercy upon them both titled: The Filfth of the People which is related by Aboo Nu'aym in al-Hilyah (8/71-72).


Sufyaan ath-Thawree said to ‘Alee ibn al-Hasan, while advising him, ‎O my brother! You must take to acquiring that which is pure, and that which you yourself have earned, and beware of eating and dressing from the filth of the people [i.e. living from their charity and hand-outs]. Indeed the one who eats from the filth of the people is like a man who owns the upper story of a building, but not the lower story, so he is always afraid that the lower story will fall down causing his upper story to be demolished.

And the one who eats from the filth of the people speaks from whims and desires, agreeing with the people, out of fear of being shunned by them.

O my brother! If you were to receive anything from the people, you would hinder and prevent your tongue [i.e. from speaking the truth to them], and you would honor some people and treat others with contempt, despite the punishment that will befall you on the Day of Resurrection. For indeed the one who gives you something from his wealth, has indeed given you his filth.

And the explanation of why this is his filth is that the wealth he gives purifies his actions from sins [i.e. and hence becomes filthy for us, just like water becomes dirty in the process of cleaning a garment].

And if you were to accept anything from the people, then if they were to call you to do evil, you would accede to their wishes. Indeed the one who eats from the filth of the people is like the man who has some partners, and he feels that he is bound to them, by an oath. My brother! Hunger and starvation, and engaging in few acts of worship, is better than eating one‎s fill via the filth of the people, and [hence being able to do] many acts of worship.

And it has reached us that Allah‎s Messenger (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, ‎If one of you had taken some rope and then gathered some firewood [to sell it to the people], until his back became sore, then that would be better for you than being dependent upon his brother by asking for something or anticipating something.‎ [Related by al-Bukhaaree.]

And it has reached us that ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab (radiyallaahu ta’aalaa anhu) said,‎Whoever among you works, then we commend him and whoever does not work, then we have doubts about him.‎ And he said, ‎O Reciters! Raise your heads! [i.e. Don'‎t go about with heads bent as if out of humility, for humility is of the heart.] Do not add humility to what is in the heart, while competing with one another for good deeds, and do not be dependent upon the people, for that way has become clear.‎

And Alee ibn Abee Taalib (radiyallaahu ta’aalaa anhu) said, ‎Indeed the one who lives completely from the hands of the people, is like the one who plants a tree upon someone else‎s land.‎

So fear Allah, my brother, being conscious of Him! For no one has acquired something from the people, except that he becomes despised and contemptible with the people, and the Believers are Allaah‎s witnesses on the earth.

Be careful not to earn through evil ways and then spend that wealth in obeying Allaah, for indeed avoidance of it has been made an obligation and a duty by Allaah, and indeed He is Pure (Tayyib) and accepts only that which is pure (tayyib).

Do you not see that a man who had a robe upon which some urine dropped, so he wanted to clean it ‎but he washed it with some more urine?! Do you think that he has actually cleaned it? Of course not! Indeed dirt and filth cannot be purified except with that which is pure, and likewise the sin can only be wiped out with a good deed. And indeed Allaah is Pure and accepts only that which is pure, and indeed the Haraam is not accepted in any of the actions. Or can it be that someone commits a sin and then eradicates it with [another] sin?!‎

Taxation is a branch of this topic of wealth. Taxation is the system in which money is raised from public for finance government spending. Governments utilize the money to pay the army, police, roadwork in the community, education, health and other means. In the majority of developed countries, people pay income taxes when they earn money, consumption taxes when they spend it, property taxes when they own a home or land, and in some cases estate taxes when they die. However there are issues in wealth distribution especially in the West where the burden falls heavily upon the poor whereas the rich will find loopholes and tax havens. The level of spending in any economy is affected by the level of taxation. A high tax burden can have a drastic effect on the overall economy especially in the West where spending plays a key role.

On the other hand, Islam has a completely different perspective on the economy and tax because the Islamic basis is different to that of capitalism. Taxation in Islam and under the Khilafah puts the emphasis of taxation on wealth rather than income. In other words, the Islamic taxation system does not tax income but taxes wealth. As a consequence, this will have a positive effect on the economy, as this allows one to be left with more disposable income and will be liable for tax on whatever wealth is left at the end of the year.

 In relation to taxation on lands, the Islamic system provides Kharaj (Land tax), in which it is calculated according to the quality of the land and the possible production worth. It will also provide grants, cheap rental of land combined with agricultural policy. This will have a significant effect as opposed to the current situation today where vast amounts of productive land is not utilized or it is occupied by many land owners who inherited it from departing colonialists. There is also a tax called ‘Jizya’ which is a Head tax, that applies to all mature males. Women, children and the poor are exempt from it.

Ultimately, in terms of every household, the family should unite and protect themselves from the fitnah of wealth. This is not to say to constrict yourselves but merely to strike a balance between the worldly life and spiritual goals. We should try and help those that are less fortunate for Islam has put an emphasis on what we want for ourselves we should want for others. In terms of a country level, the unequal distribution of wealth in the Muslim countries can only be rectified unless we go back to the roots of Islam, Quran and Sunnah and the Islamic system where each one is treated fairly.


I will leave with an image to reflect and here is a rhetorical question: Do you see the consequences of the fitnah of wealth?
Figure 1: 11 million dollars was spent on a christmas tree in Emirates, whilst in Syria people are dying daily. 

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