Affluence and Wealth in the Quran
Above is an artist's rendition of Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem.
When people actually refer to the Qur'an, we can see the splendid wealth and possessions that God granted to many of the Prophets. Over the centuries, Prophet Solomon's unprecedentedly glorious wealth has become legendary. Solomon, a Prophet praised by the Qur'an for his exemplary conduct, surely pursued nothing but earning God's good pleasure and had no guide other than Him. Indeed, before being endowed with great wealth, he said the following prayer:
He said: 'My Lord, forgive me and give me a kingdom the like of which will never be granted to anyone after me. Truly, You are the Ever-Giving.' (Qur'an 38:35)
If praying for wealth was a practice to be condemned, then a Prophet praised by God in the Qur'an would not have done so. Indeed, the Qur'an states that God answered his prayer. As the verse below indicates, God always mentions Prophet Solomon with praise. The story of Solomon in the Qur'an tells us that God gave him immense material riches. God places this story in the Qur'an about Solomon to confirm that it is not unrighteous in any way to have great wealth, as long as it does not distract us from our duty towards God. The verses below depict the grandeur of Solomon’s Kingdom:
And to David We gave Solomon. What an excellent servant! He truly turned to his Lord. (Qur'an 38:30)
It was said to her: "Enter the palace." So when she saw it she thought there was a pool, and she uncovered her legs. He said: "It is a palace paved with crystal." She said: "My Lord, I have wronged myself; and I submit with Solomon to God, Lord of the worlds." (Qur'an 27:44)
They made for him (Solomon) what he desired of elevated chambers, and images and pools of deep reservoirs, and heavy pots. "O family of David, work to give thanks." Only a few of My servants are thankful. (Qur'an 34:13)
Prophet Solomon is not the sole example, for God also granted authority and power to his father, Prophet David, as well as great wealth to Prophet Abraham and his family:
Or do they in fact envy other people for the bounty God that has granted them? We gave the family of Abraham the Book and Wisdom, and We gave them an immense kingdom. (Qur'an 4:54)
As we see, God condemns any feelings of jealousy over the wealth He grants to Muslims as a blessing. The Qur'an reveals that the Prophet Muhammad was also enriched by God, for:
Did He not find you impoverished and enrich you? (Qur'an 93:8)
The difference between wealth as perceived by believers and unbelievers: believers are conscious that only God, the real owner of property, gives wealth, while unbelievers perceive wealth as claiming ownership over property and disregard the fact that all the property and wealth belongs to God. This divergence also emerges when it comes to using property: believers spend their wealth for good causes, whereas unbelieving property owners commonly seek to "cause corruption in the land." (Qur'an 28:77).
It is God that gives you wealth and all other blessings:
It was Us who gave luxury to these and their fathers, until they grew old with age. Do they not see that We come to the land and reduce it from its edges? Will they be able to win?" (Qur'an 21:44)
And He is the One who makes you rich or poor. (Qur'an 53:48)
Wealth, glory, and authority are blessings that God bestows upon His servants. The essential feature here is to use this wealth in the proper way in order to give due thanks to God for them, to constantly remember His favors, and thus to draw nearer to Him and seek ways to earn His good pleasure. Indeed, Prophet Solomon words below makes his intention clear:
And he said: "Truly do I love the love of good, with a view to the glory of my Lord". (Qur'an 38:32)
We need to remember that this life is a test sent to us by God. The level of people's commitment and patience shows when they are confronted with hardships and difficulties, for their reaction reveals the profoundness of their faith. Thus, God may test people with such difficulties as death, fear, hunger, poverty, and so on both to reveal their steadfastness and other superior qualities and to reward them. However, while showing patience, Muslims must pray constantly to God for relief, increase, and an expansion of blessings.
However, it goes without saying that the criteria used to judge people in Islam is not wealth, for poverty or wealth does not determine a person's worth in God's sight. What matters is that believers spend their means, whether abundant or scarce, in compliance with God's good pleasure. Believers do not hoard possessions, for they avoid the fate awaiting those who do, which the Qur'an describes in the following verse:
"As for those who hoard up gold and silver and do not spend it in the Way of God, give them the news of a painful punishment." (Qur'an 9:34)
God tells us that believers set aside part of their wealth for charity:
"And those who set aside part of their wealth." (Qur'an 70:24)
Believers enjoy spending in God's cause just as they enjoy benefiting from His blessings. From this stance, praying for wealth, possessions, and fortune is an act of worship that brings rewards to sincere believers. God promises to increase the believers' property provided that they thank Him for them and spend it in His cause.
"Alluring for all people/mankind are the love of charms: women, children, gold and silver treasures piled up high, horses with fine markings, livestock and farmland, these may be the joys of this life - but God has the best place to return to". (Qur'an 3:14)
It is clear that God does not forbid us from having lawful possessions, hobbies, pleasures or natural God given blessings! In 11:116 below, what God is warning against is to be excessively pre-occupied with the material things in life to the extent of forgetting our prime duty of worshiping God, but as long as we worship God sincerely and observe our obligations and continue having a sense of morals and values in our lives, then we are entitled to enjoy all the blessings God made available to us. As said before, the story of Solomon in the Quran tells us that God gave him immense material riches. God places this story in the Qur'an about Solomon to confirm that it is not unrighteous in any way to have great wealth, as long as it does not distract us from our duty towards God:
"If only some of those among the previous generations possessed enough intelligence to forbid evil! Only a few of them deserved to be saved by us. As for the transgressors, they were preoccupied with their material luxuries; they were guilty." (Qur'an 11:116)
Again, this is the message of this other verse:
People who are not distracted by business or trade from commemorating God; they observe the duty/salat, and give the zakat, and they are conscious of the day when the minds and the eyes will be horrified. (Qur'an 24:37)
We also see in 38:31-32 that Prophet Solomon was distracted by beautiful horses and forgot to observe the duty/salat, until he realized that it was dark outside:
When, during dusk, well trained horses were displayed before him. (Qur'an 38:31)
He then said: "I enjoyed the material things more than I enjoyed the remembrance of my Lord, until it became totally dark!". (Qur'an 38:32)
This verse teaches us not to make the same mistake that Solomon did. We must not forget performing our duties (Salat) that God has made obligatory on us.
As we continue on, we again see how God condemns those that have an excessive love for money:
"And you love money, a love that is excessive." (Qur'an 89:20)
This verse clearly shows that God does not condemn the loving of money in itself, but rather the extreme love of money to the point that they forget to show thanks to the creator. They are those that do not realize that everything comes from God, and that everything belongs to Him.
True Believers are the Rightful Consumers of All Pleasures
Only the true believers are the rightful consumers of all the blessings, joys and pleasures available in this world. God explains as follows:
"Say, 'Who has forbidden the wonderful things and good provisions that God has brought forth for His servants?' Say, 'They are meant for those who believe during this worldly life, and they will be exclusive for them on the Day of Resurrection.' It is such that We explain the Revelations for those who know.' "
(Qur'an 7:32)
Many people wonder why a disbeliever is rewarded in this world for his efforts by God. Why do they get good things while many believers remain poor? These people do not realize that the disbelievers are given wealth and children so that God can test them to see whether they give thanks to Him or become ungrateful. As they always reject God as the provider of all blessings, the disbelievers always increase in their evil-doings in the face of every blessing given to them.
"Do not let their wealth and children impress you. God only wishes to punish them in this life through them. Their lives will vanish while they are in their state of denial." (Qur'an 9:55)
This is why they are the losers in the Hereafter. But all true believers are victorious in the Hereafter, regardless of whether they were poor or rich in this world. A believer who is poor is being tested to see if he remains loyal to God in the face of his poverty and his loyalty is rewarded. A believer who is rich is expected to give thanks to God and spend his wealth in God’s way selflessly, and this will be rewarded in return. All true believers gain the best reward of God - the Paradise of God, but they may earn it in slightly different ways due to them being tested in differing ways. God identifies this to those who believe as follows:
“If anyone desires the fleeting life, we readily grant him in it such things as We will it, but in the end, We have prepared Hell for him to burn in. But if any one desires the life to come and strives for it with due striving, being a believer, his striving will be thanked. To both the latter and the former, We give some of your Lord’s bounty – your Lord’s bounty is not restricted. See how we have given some more than others - the Hereafter holds greater ranks and greater favors!” (Qur’an 17:18-21)
"Say, 'Who has forbidden the wonderful things and good provisions that God has brought forth for His servants?' Say, 'They are meant for those who believe during this worldly life, and they will be exclusive for them on the Day of Resurrection.' It is such that We explain the Revelations for those who know.' "
(Qur'an 7:32)
Many people wonder why a disbeliever is rewarded in this world for his efforts by God. Why do they get good things while many believers remain poor? These people do not realize that the disbelievers are given wealth and children so that God can test them to see whether they give thanks to Him or become ungrateful. As they always reject God as the provider of all blessings, the disbelievers always increase in their evil-doings in the face of every blessing given to them.
"Do not let their wealth and children impress you. God only wishes to punish them in this life through them. Their lives will vanish while they are in their state of denial." (Qur'an 9:55)
This is why they are the losers in the Hereafter. But all true believers are victorious in the Hereafter, regardless of whether they were poor or rich in this world. A believer who is poor is being tested to see if he remains loyal to God in the face of his poverty and his loyalty is rewarded. A believer who is rich is expected to give thanks to God and spend his wealth in God’s way selflessly, and this will be rewarded in return. All true believers gain the best reward of God - the Paradise of God, but they may earn it in slightly different ways due to them being tested in differing ways. God identifies this to those who believe as follows:
“If anyone desires the fleeting life, we readily grant him in it such things as We will it, but in the end, We have prepared Hell for him to burn in. But if any one desires the life to come and strives for it with due striving, being a believer, his striving will be thanked. To both the latter and the former, We give some of your Lord’s bounty – your Lord’s bounty is not restricted. See how we have given some more than others - the Hereafter holds greater ranks and greater favors!” (Qur’an 17:18-21)
