A Believer’s Wealth

It is written in the Qur’an; “To those who hoard up gold and silver and do not spend it in the way of God, give tidings of a painful doom. The day will surely come when their treasures will be heated in the fire of hell, and their foreheads and their flanks and their backs will be branded therewith. They will be told: “Here are the riches which you hoarded for yourselves. Now taste what you used to hoard” (9:35). When this verse was revealed, the companions of the Prophet wondered what kind of wealth they should accumulate instead. Umer, may God be pleased with him, went to the Prophet and put this question to him on their behalf. The Prophet, may God’s peace and blessings be upon him, replied: “Each of you should acquire a heart grateful to God, and a tongue accustomed to His remembrance, and a believing spouse who will be of assistance in matters relating to eternity.” (Ibn Majah)

Wealth is of use only when it can solve the problems of life. The greatest problem of believers concerns the next world, so they consider real wealth to be that which will be of use to them there. In order to obtain such wealth, one should always be thankful to God for His blessings. One’s attachment to God should be such that He is always in one’s mind and heart. If one has set one’s sights on life everlasting, one will prefer one’s companion in life to be similarly disposed. There is no greater wealth in life than a partner who, instead of enticing one towards ephemeral, mundane pleasures, assists one on the path of eternity.

People see wealth in gold and silver, but a believer’s wealth is God. That which brings him nearer to his Lord and makes him eligible for God’s blessings in the life to come, is to him of supreme importance.