Part One
Praise be to Allah. Praise be to Allah, Who has made His servants fluctuate
between wealth and poverty. I praise Him, Glorified be He, and thank Him for every
command and prohibition that He has made. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah
alone, Who has no partners and Who judges among His servants by truth and justice. I
also bear witness that our master and prophet, Muhammad, is His servant and messenger,
whose goodness, giving, and generosity had no limits. May Allah bestow His peace and
blessings upon him and upon his family and Companions, who were known for their
determination and grace.
Now, then!
I advise you and advise myself to fear Allah. Allah, Exalted be He, says:
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O you who believe! Fear Allah (by doing all that He has
ordered and by abstaining from all that He has forbidden)
as He should be feared. [Obey Him, be thankful to Him,
and remember Him always], and die not except in a state
of Islam [as Muslims (with complete submission to
Allah)]. (Al ‘Imran: 102)
Poverty and wealth are a test from Allah, Exalted be He, to His servants. He gives
in abundance to some in order to see whether they will praise and thank Him or will
behave arrogantly and transgress all boundaries. He also straitens the provision for others
and withholds from them some of the delights of this world to see whether they will show
patience and contentment or show annoyance and dissatisfaction. Allah, Exalted be He,
says:
... and We shall make a trial of you with evil and with
good. And to Us you will be returned. (Al-Anbiya’: 35)
How wonderful the case of a believer is! If adversity befalls him, he endures it
patiently and that is good for him, and if prosperity attends him, he thanks Allah and that
is good for him. Whether he is experiencing an affliction or receiving a favour, a believer
attains good by showing patience or giving thanks, and Allah knows his condition better
than him.
Should not He Who has created know? And He is the Most
Kind and Courteous (to His slaves), the Well-Acquainted
(with everything)? (Al-Mulk: 14)
It is variation in provision that makes people in need of one another, which is
necessary for the cycle of life to go on. Allah, Exalted be He, says:
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... and We raised some of them above others in ranks, so
that some may employ others in their work ... (Az-Zukhruf:
32)
This means that people work for one another to cater for one another’s needs, which is
bound to create harmony and solidarity among them. The rich employ the poor to work
for them, thus each party is a means of livelihood for the other – the rich with their
money, and the poor with their labour.
Poverty may be the best thing for the servant. Allah, Exalted be He, says:
And if Allah were to enlarge the provision for His slaves,
they would surely rebel in the earth ... (Ash-Shura: 27).
That is, this would cause them to neglect obedience to Him and lead them to oppression,
transgression, and arrogance towards other people. Allah, Exalted be He, says:
... but He sends down by measure as He wills. Verily, He
is, in respect of His slaves, Well-Acquainted, All-Seer (of
things that benefit them). (Ash-Shura: 27)
Should a servant be tested with poverty, he must show patience, for that is the
greatest act of worship in this case. He whose means of subsistence is straitened and who
is leading a hard life should not feel annoyed or depressed, for the Messenger of Allah,
peace and blessings be upon him, and most of his Companions had no more than the
adequate means of subsistence. Loss of the little, transient enjoyment of this world is not
worth crying over.
In order that people may feel assured, realise the value of Allah’s favours to them,
and give thanks to Him, the Noble Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, advised
us saying, “When one of you looks at someone who is superior to him in property
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and appearance, he should look at someone who is inferior to him”. In his version
of this hadith, Muslim has the following addition, “This is the more reason you
should not belittle Allah’s favour to you.”
Islam calls the poor as well as the rich to train themselves to be content with what
they have and to exercise self-restraint by curbing their desires and refining their inner
drives in order to reach a state of contentment and satisfaction with what Allah has
allotted to them, however small that may be. You will never miss anything that Allah,
Exalted be He, allotted to you when He first created you. The Messenger of Allah, peace
and blessings be upon him, said, “Be satisfied with what Allah has allotted to you
and you will be the richest of all people.”
There are certain qualities and ethics that a poor person should observe regarding
his inward feelings, outward conduct, dealings with others, and personal deeds. Inwardly,
he should be free of any feeling of hatred for the test of poverty to which Allah, Exalted
be He, has put him, i.e. he should not be resentful of the act of Allah, Exalted be He, as
such, even though he may hate poverty itself.
Outwardly, he should show decorum and abstain from begging. He should not
complain about his poverty or seek to show it to others, but should try to conceal such
poverty as much as possible. Allah, Exalted be He, says:
... The one who knows them not thinks that they are rich
because of their modesty. ... (Al-Baqarah: 273)
As regards his dealings with others, a poor person should not show humility
before the rich because of their wealth. Ali ibn Abi Talib, may Allah be pleased with him,
said, “How beautiful it is when a rich man shows humility to a poor man in the hope of
attaining the rewards of Allah, Exalted be He!” In addition, a poor person should not be
silent and abstain from telling the truth by way of flattery to the rich in the hope of
obtaining their gifts.
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As for his deeds, a poor person should not let poverty cause him to become
negligent in any act of worship or to stop giving in charity from whatever exceeds his
needs. This is the best contribution by one who is short of money, and its rewards are far
greater than those of large sums of money that a rich person may give in charity.
Allah, Exalted be He, says:
(And there is also a share in this booty) for the poor
emigrants, who were expelled from their homes and their
property ... (Al-Hashr: 8)
Allah, Exalted be He, also says:
(Charity is) for Fuqara’ (the poor), who in Allah’s Cause
are restricted (from travel), and cannot move about in the
land (for trade or work) ... (Al-Baqarah: 273)
In these two verses, Allah gives precedence to describing his loving and obedient
servants (awliya’) as poor over describing them as emigrants or as being restricted from
travel in His cause. Allah, Exalted be He, does not describe those He loves except with
what He loves. If poverty were not the most beloved attribute to Him, He would not
praise and honour His beloved ones with it. Abdullah ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased
with him and his father, narrated that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said,
“I looked into Paradise and found that the majority of its dwellers were the poor.”
In addition to calling the poor to be content with what Allah has allotted to them
and showing their favourable status, Islam provides a solution to the problem of poverty
through calling the rich to be righteous and benevolent by supporting the poor, easing
their pains, relieving their distress, and providing them with help. The Messenger of
Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “The one who looks after a widow and
a poor person is like the one who fights in the cause of Allah.” The narrator said, “I
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think he also said, ‘and like the one who fasts all the day and stands (in prayer) all
the night.’”
Islam also seeks to cure the problem of poverty by urging the poor to work and
abandon idleness in order not to be a burden on their society, their families, and their own
selves. Fighting poverty, striving in the land to attain provision, and using the lawful
means to earn a living are highly commendable deeds that are prescribed by religion.
Allah, Exalted be He, says:
... so walk in the paths thereof and eat of His provision
... (Al-Mulk: 15)
Every poor person should turn himself into an active member of society – earning
his living by his own work, providing himself with livelihood, protecting his own dignity,
raising his children to have self-esteem and honour, building his society, and contributing
to his country’s development and progress. This will help him show obedience to Allah,
to deepen his knowledge of Him, establish a good relation with Him, and aspire to the
hereafter, for that is better and more lasting.
Allah reminds His Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, of the favour that
he conferred upon him by making him rich after he had been poor, showing that this is a
sign of His grace. Allah, Exalted be He, says:
And He found you poor and made you rich (self-sufficient
with self-contentment. (Adh-Dhuha: 8)
The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, used to say the following in
supplication, “O Allah! I ask You for guidance, piety, chastity, and freedom from
want.” He also once prayed to Allah to grant his Companion and servant Anas ibn Malik,
may Allah be pleased with him, abundant wealth, saying, “O Allah! Increase his wealth
and his children and bless them for him.”
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Abundant provision, O servants of Allah, is the fruit of good deeds. The Prophet,
peace and blessings be upon him, said, “He who likes to have his provision expanded
and his term of life lengthened should maintain the ties of kinship.” The Prophet,
peace and blessings be upon him, also said, “The upper hand is better than the lower
hand. The upper hand is the one that gives, and the lower hand is the one that
begs.”
Work is honour and dignity, O servants of Allah, whether it is manual work, a
skilled trade, or a farming job. The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him,
said, “Nobody has ever eaten better food than that earned by the work of his own
hands.” He was once asked, “What is the best of earnings?” He replied, “Those made
by the work of a man’s hands or by a lawful sale.” This is the right practice and the
straight path.
Begging people for charity to increase one’s own wealth is an ugly quality and an
abominable deed. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “A man
continues to beg people until he stands on the Day of Judgement without a shred
of flesh on his face.” He also said, “Whoever begs people for money to increase
his own wealth is in fact begging for burning coal, so it is up to him to decrease it
or increase it.” This hadith urges those who give charity to search for people who really
deserve it and give it to them, to the exclusion of others. The Prophet, peace and
blessings be upon him, said, “Charity is not lawful for the rich nor for the physically
fit.” He also said, “Begging is lawful only for three [types of] people: one who is in
severe poverty, one who is seriously in debt, or one who finds it too difficult to
pay blood money.”
May Allah bless you and me with the Great Qur’an and make us benefit from its
verses and wise words. I have said what you have heard and I ask forgiveness of Allah,
the Most Great, for myself and for you. Ask Allah for forgiveness. He is the Oft-
Forgiving, the Most Merciful.
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Part Two
Praise be to Allah, the Most Sufficient, and may His peace be upon His servants
whom He has chosen for His message. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah alone,
Who has no partners in this world or in the hereafter, and I bear witness that our master
and prophet, Muhammad, is His servant and messenger and His chosen prophet. May
Allah bestow His peace upon him, his family, his Companions and all those who follow
in his footsteps.
O Muslims!
I advise you and advise myself to fear Allah.
There is no doubt, servants of Allah, that the increase of poverty in the Muslim
world today is due to various factors, including the negligence of development, the
increase of debts, the usury system which has engulfed the Muslim Ummah, and failure
of its members to make use of the means to scientific and technical progress.
Poverty has its negative effects, especially in the absence or weakness of faith. In
fact, poverty is one of the main reasons behind vice, loss of honour, immorality, theft,
bribery, taking people’s wealth unlawfully, the increasing rate of crime, family disputes,
and even murder. The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, was once
asked, “Which sin is the biggest in Allah’s sight?” He replied, “To set up rivals to Allah
though He Alone created you.” He was further asked, “What is next?” He said, “To kill
your child for fear that he may share your food with you.” Allah, Exalted be He,
says:
... Kill not your children because of poverty – We provide
sustenance for you and for them ... (Al-An‘am: 151)
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One of the negative effects of poverty on society is that it evokes feelings of
hatred and resentment. It might cause a poor person who has lost all hope in the future to
resent society, and here lies the role of scholars, thinkers, and the rich, who should
sincerely work together to address poverty, looking forward to gaining Allah’s reward
and to immunizing society against the negative effects of poverty. This can be done
though opening up new horizons for the poor, employing them in companies and
establishments owned by the rich, developing their abilities and talents, and removing
obstacles in their way. Allah, Exalted be He, says:
... And whatever good you send before you for
yourselves, (i.e. Nawafil non-obligatory acts of worship:
prayers, charity, fasting, Hajj and ‘Umrah), you will
certainly find it with Allah, better and greater in reward.
... (Al-Muzzammil: 20)
O Servants of Allah! Ask Allah to bestow His peace and blessings on the
Messenger of Guidance, as Allah has commanded you to do so in His Holy Book. Allah,
Exalted be He, says:
Allah sends His Salat (Graces, Honours, Blessings, Mercy)
on the Prophet (Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon
him)) and also His angels (ask Allah to bless and forgive
him). O you who believe! Send your Salat on (ask Allah to
bless) him (Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon
him)), and (you should) greet (salute) him with the Islamic
way of greeting (salutation, i.e. AsSalamu
‘Alaikum). (Al-
Ahzab: 56)
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O Allah! Send Your prayers upon Muhammad, his wives, and his offspring as
You have sent Your prayers upon the family of Ibrahim, and send Your blessings upon
Muhammad, his wives, and his offspring, as You have sent Your blessings upon the
family of Ibrahim; You are All-Praiseworthy, All-Glorious. O Allah! Be pleased with the
four Rightly-Guided Caliphs, Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, and Ali, along with their
families and the Prophet’s honourable Companions, and also be pleased with us together
with them, by Your forgiveness, generosity, grace, and benevolence, O Most Merciful of
All the merciful!
O Allah! Grant power and glory to Islam and Muslims. O Allah! Grant power and
glory to Islam and Muslims. O Allah! Grant power and glory to Islam and Muslims,
subdue disbelief and disbelievers, and destroy Your enemies, the enemies of Your
religion. O Allah! Make this country of ours and all other Muslim countries safe and
secure.
O Allah! Grant victory to Your religion, Your Book, the Sunnah of Your Prophet,
and Your believing Servants!
O Allah! Grant victory to whoever supports Your religions, and forsake, O Allah,
whoever forsakes Islam and Muslims! O Allah! Grant victory to those who strive in Your
cause to make Your word reign supreme everywhere. O Allah! Unite their rows, make
their hearts firm and strong, guide their shots, bring their hearts together, and gather them
around the word of truth, O Lord of the Worlds!
O Allah! We ask you for Paradise and every word or deed that brings us closer to
it, and seek refuge in You from Hellfire and every word or deed that brings us closer to it.
O Allah! Make good for us our religion, which safeguards our affairs; make good
for us this world in which we live; and make good for us the hereafter which will be our
eternal abode. O Allah! Make our life an increase for us in all goodness and our death a
respite for us from all evil, O Lord of the Worlds!
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O Allah! We ask You for guidance, piety, chastity, and freedom from want. O
Allah! Be with us and not against us, render us victorious and not defeated, and plan for
us and not against us. Guide us and lead us to guidance; and grant us victory over those
who have oppressed us.
O Allah! Make us among those who remember You and praise You, who are
humble to You, and who often implore You and return to You in repentance.
O Allah! Accept our repentance, forgive our sins, approve our cause, guide our
tongues to say the truth, and purify our hearts from envy.
O Allah! We ask You for the ways to good, the outcomes of good, the beginnings
of good, and the ends of good, and we ask You for all good. We ask You for the highest
ranks of Paradise, O Lord of the Worlds!
O Allah! Lavish upon us some of Your blessings, mercy, grace, and provision. O
Allah! Lavish upon us some of Your blessings, mercy, grace, and provision. O Allah!
Bless our wealth, our children, our deeds, our spouses, our offspring, and our health, and
make us blessed wherever we may be, O Lord of the Worlds!
O Allah! Relieve our distress, remove our difficulties. O Allah! Forgive the sins
of all dead Muslims, O Lord of the Worlds! O Allah! Forgive their sins, have mercy on
them, grant them safety, pardon them, and give them generous rewards, O Most Merciful
of all the merciful!
O Allah! Guide our Imam to what You love and accept. O Allah! Lead him to
Your guidance and make him do what pleases You, O Lord of the Worlds! O Allah!
Guide his two Deputies to what You love and accept, O Most Merciful of all the
merciful!
O Allah! We beseech You, O Allah! You are the One Free from all needs, and we
are the poor who are in need of Your favours. O Allah! Send down rain upon us and do
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not make us among the despairing. O Allah! Grant us rain. O Allah! Grant us rain. O
Allah! Grant us rain. O Allah! Let the rain bring forth mercy with it and let it not cause
torment, affliction, destruction, or flooding, by Your mercy, O Most Merciful of all the
merciful!
... Our Lord! We have wronged ourselves. If You forgive
us not, and bestow not upon us Your Mercy, we shall
certainly be of the losers. (Al-A‘raf: 23)
... Our Lord! Forgive us and our brethren who have
preceded us in Faith, and put not in our hearts any hatred
against those who have believed. Our Lord! You are indeed
full of kindness, Most Merciful. (Al-Hashr:10)
... Our Lord! Give us that which is good in this world and
that which is good in the Hereafter, and save us from the
torment of Hellfire! (Al-Baqarah: 201)
Verily, Allah enjoins AlAdl
(i.e. justice and worshipping
none but Allah Alone – Islamic Monotheism) and AlIhsan
[i.e. to be patient in performing your duties to Allah,
totally for Allah’s sake and in accordance with the Sunnah
(legal ways) of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon
him) in a perfect manner], and giving (help) to kith and
kin (i.e. all that Allah has ordered you to give them, e.g.
wealth, visiting, looking after them, or any other kind of
help), and forbids AlFahsha’
(i.e. all evil deeds, e.g. illegal
sexual acts, disobedience of parents, polytheism, to tell
lies, to give false witness, to kill a life without right), and
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AlMunkar
(i.e. all that is prohibited by Islamic law:
polytheism of every kind, disbelief and every kind of evil
deeds), and AlBaghy
(i.e. all kinds of oppression). He
admonishes you, that you may take heed. (An-Nahl: 90)
Remember Allah and He will remember you. Thank Him for His favours and He
will give you more. Verily, remembrance of Allah is greater than all, and Allah knows
what you do.
