Our Wealth, A Favor that Must be Controlled

Our Wealth, A Favor that Must be Controlled

Our Wealth, A Favor that Must be Controlled

Understanding the line between lawful and unlawful regarding our wealth is absolutely a must. Moreover in our time now, where the lawful wealth easily mixed with the unlawful one, and because wealth is a mandate which will be accounted for later in the Hereafter.

Every muslim has probably realized the urgency of lawful business and wealth to himself, particularly today, when the unlawful wealth scatter everywhere. Whereas that unlawful business and wealth could be an obstacle for its owner to get the benefit and blessing on his wealth.

The fast spreading of the unlawful business make people to be careless of where does his wealth come from and how does obtain it? This bitter reality fits perfectly the depiction of the Messenger of Allah – peace and prayer of Allah be upon him- in his saying, “There will come a time when a person no longer cares about what he gets, whether it comes from a lawful or unlawful source?!” (Narrated by Bukhari no. 2059).

It is worsened with the condition of society that are blind about the principles of lawful and unlawful in earning their living. Therefore, studying about the matter of lawful and unlawful in wealth is a must for every muslim.

A Favor to Control

Wealth is one of the favors from Allah the Exalted that He bestows upon His slaves in this world. For a muslim, it becomes a tool to obtain benefits and enjoy the pleasures of this world, also a tool to achieve Allah’s pleasure – Exalted be He. Allah reminded His slaves in His decree, which can be translated as,

“Wealth and children are an adornment of the life of the world. But the deeds of lasting righteousness are the best in the sight of your Lord in reward, and far better a source of hope.” (QS. Al-Kahfi/The Cave : 46)

The shari’a doesn’t prohibit muslims to own some wealth. However, it does draw some rules so that this wealth will not be used uncontrollably.

The shari’a of Islam views wealth as one of the five matters that must be protected and cared for (adh-Dharuriyat al-Khams). It gravely punishes anyone who devours other people’s wealth unjustly, to the extent that it set the punishment of hand amputation for theft cases with certain restrictions. It is as an attempt to preserve and protect the wealth from any kind of harassment.

Furthermore, in several of His decree, Allah has praised the wealth, because it can be a cause to achieve some benefits in this world and in the Hereafter. Allah mentioned the wealth as “al Khair” (goodness) that became the basic of life. Allah declared, which can be translated as, “Do not entrust your properties – which Allah has made a means of support for you – to the weak of understanding, but maintain and clothe them out of it, and say to them a kind word of admonition.” (QS. An-Nisa/The Women: 5)

Basically, all wealth belongs to Allah the Exalted, and human only posses it as mandate from Allah. Their position as a receiver of a mandate thus oblige them to spend it wisely in order to achieve their happiness in this world and in the Hereafter. Allah has entrusted them with the wealth to see what will they do with it. Where do they obtain it from, and for what interest they do they spend it.

Allah the Exalted entrusted the right of of ownership of the wealth to human being. That right is honored and protected by shari’a, as long as in obtaining it, the owner committed to the shari’a principles and laws that regulate it. Hence, Allah will not let His slaves to own any wealth or spend it without following the existed rules and laws.

The determination of lawful and unlawful in Islam is based on a shari’a principles, not human’s intelligence and logic. The laws regarding wealth is not left to be decided by human’s logic, but to Allah’s laws. That is because human’s logic will not be free from their carnal desire, hence it is only natural that they will use it as they please to satisfy their desire and lust.

How Shari’a regulate the wealth

Shari’a has established evident regulations regarding wealth, thus everyone who practices it will be a man with noble manner. The shari’a doesn’t confine or restrict individual freedom to manipulate wealth, instead, it gives a set of rules to preserve the individual and social rights over wealth, thus it possesses a special feature that doesn’t exist in any other rules or regulations.

The shari’a regulations regarding wealth could be elaborated in several points below:

1. It regulates the way to obtain wealth, to nurture it, and to spend it. In obtaining wealth, Allah has established two kinds of means: the allowed and the disallowed one. Human is only asked to do the allowed means to obtain wealth.

2. It fulfills the compulsory rights that are contained in wealth, either the ones that belong to the owner or to other people. The rights that are related to the owner, for example, is that it is used to fulfill his necessities in a proper way, not extravagantly, nor too frugal in it. It is as explained in Allah’s decree, which can be translated as, “(vi) Do not keep your hand fastened to your neck nor outspread it, altogether outspread, for you will be left sitting rebuked, destitute. “(QS. Al-Isra/The Night Journey: 29).

The rights that are related to others, comprise all compulsory expenses according to shari’a, that are received by other people, such as zakat, alms, donation to family and children, and other compulsory rights in shari’a.

3. It sets the doctrine which tells that the true owner of all wealth is Allah, and human being are only given rights to use it, in order to establish the benefits for individual in particular and society in general.

4. It perceives that the material of wealth can’t expand on its own. It can only expand through work and business, and management in projects that are allowed in shari’a. Therefore, it forbids the usury, gambling, and all of its derivatives.

5. It teaches people to make the wealth as a tool to develop, and not merely to be kept. Because Allah created wealth to be circulated, to be moved from a hand to another, and not to concentrate in the hands of the rich only. Allah has confirmed this matter in the Qur’an, through His verse, which can be translated as, “Whatever (from the possessions of the towns people) Allah has bestowed on His Messenger belongs to Allah, and to the Messenger, and to his kinsfolk, and to the orphans, and to the needy, and to the wayfarer so that it may not merely circulate between the rich among you. So accept whatever the Messenger gives you, and refrain from whatever he forbids you. And fear Allah: verily Allah is Most Stern in retribution. ” (QS. Al-Hasyr/The Exile: 7)

Wealth is supposed to be used to move the economic wheel and open business chances, to improve the human resources. The hoarding of wealth is similar to paralyze its function and let it be restricted only in the hands of the rich,

But it is unfortunate that majority of the muslims would prefer to save their wealth in the banks, particularly banks that are headquartered in USA and Europe. Due to this hoarding, it is no wonder that the unemployment and decline in the number of productive projects are widely happening in Islamic countries, since the domestic capital are put in another countries.

On the other hand, countries where the wealth are been kept used it well to accelerate the growth of their economies thus it could rise and grow rapidly. It of course increase their people individual income and reduce the unemployment among them. Even undeniably, the capitals that are invested in those infidel countries might be used to construct airplane, car, war weapons, etc.

Therefore, Islam strongly fights against the hoarding of wealth and rather, it persuades the muslims to expand and manage it. For example, the principle of mudharaba, as one of the tools to eliminate the hoarding of wealth. In it, the capital owner gives his wealth to be managed and expanded by the manager, for further profit sharing over any forms of risk.

6. It plants the commitment to the laws as a basis. Because a strong and straight foundation/basis, will help to build a strong and tall building, and vice versa, a weak and bent foundation will only result in fragile and easily collapsed building.

How this Ummah is not free from transgression

Shari’a has drawn a very strict lines regarding the lawful and unlawful wealth. It has closed all gaps of usury, gambling, trade of unlawful stuffs, and it has cancelled out any kinds of unlawful transaction that violates its rules. But in reality, there are still many of the muslims who fall into violations of law and unlawful businesses. It differed from time to time. The unlawful wealth that are spreading more and more evenly today is something no one could denies. Usury has been a general activity in almost all parts of the world, both in Islamic or non Islamic countries. No wonder that lawful wealth is starting to mix with the unlawful one, until it eventually hard to distinguish one another. This grave condition obliges a muslim to be more cautious and attempt to provide himself with sufficient knowledge about the principles of lawful and unlawful wealth.

Some definitions of the Unlawful Wealth

Majority of the muslims are still unaware of the proper definition of unlawful wealth. Whereas the scholars have explained about it in several terms, among them are:

“The unlawful wealth is all wealth which has the unlawful element in it.”

“The unlawful wealth is all wealth that is forbidden in shari’a to be used in all forms.”

“The unlawful wealth is all wealth which usage is unlawful for its owner, due to the existence of valid and clear indication about the its prohibition, or the existence of firm prohibition of its usage, or the threat of chastisement for its user.”

Hence, it is evident for us that unlawful wealth is all kinds of wealth which ownership and usage are forbidden for a muslim according to shari’a, because of the prohibition in the form of unlawful attribute.

The division of unlawful wealth

The scholars have divided the unlawful wealth into two categories:

Firstly, the wealth which material itself is unlawful. it is unlawful from its origin and attributes perspectives. This category is related to any forbidden things in shari’a due to certain reason that exists on its material, and this reason is inseparable from it in all conditions. For example: the liquor (khamr), pork, carrion, etc.

Allah decreed, which can be translated as, “Forbidden to you are carrion, blood, the flesh of swine, the animal slaughtered in any name other than Allah’s, the animal which has either been strangled, killed by blows, has died of a fall, or by goring or devoured by a beast of prey – unless it be that which you yourselves might have slaughtered while it was still alive – and forbidden to you also that which was slaughtered at the altars.  You are also forbidden to seek knowledge of your fate by divining arrows. All these are sinful acts.”(QS. Al-Maidah/The Table Spread:3)

This verse isn’t serve as a limitation for the forbidden things, rather, all harmful materials to human being are analogized with it, such as the narcotics, and all kind of cigarettes that are already proven to be dangerous to human’s health.

Secondly, the unlawful wealth due to some external factors, which often labelled as unlawful by certain causes (al-Muharram Bi sababihi) or unlawful wealth due to the way it was obtained (al-Haraam li Kasbihi).

It is forbidden not because of its material or attribute, but because of some external, separated causes from its material. It is forbidden because of the external factors that influence its attribute, and not its material, for example the usury wealth.

The usury wealth is not forbidden due to its material, but to its attribute. The material itself is lawful, but it becomes unlawful for those who acquired it from usury transaction. Since the prohibition of this wealth is on its attribute and not on its material, then this wealth from its material point of view is not a disgraced matter, even it is still a good matter.

By this explanation, it is clear to us the difference between the unlawful wealth according to its material and the unlawful wealth according to the way to obtain it. And Allah knows best.

Author: ustadz Kholid Syamhudi LC

Article of www.WhatisQuran.com

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