Wealth - it's Reality and Purpose

Taken from The Righteous Action
Shaykh Muhammad Nasirud-Din al-Albani - al-Hijra magazine (vol.4 no.2)Al-Ibaanah Magazine Issue No.1 - Dhul-Qa’dah 1415H / April 1995

The next Hadîth is also authentic. Abû Hurayrah said that the Prophet sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam said: “The servant says: My wealth! My wealth! However, he gets from his wealth three things: What he eats and finishes. What he wears and makes shabby; and what he gives away and pleases others with. Whatever else is besides this, goes and is left for the people.” [19]

This Hadîth also emphasises the subject of the previous ahâdîth. It shows us the care taken by people in amassing wealth. Allâh pointed this out in the Qur‘ân by His statement: “And for the love of good he is strong.” [20]

The Prophet depicted the nature of mankind for us in his saying: “The servant says: My wealth! My wealth!” Nevertheless, what is the amount that remains left over for him from his wealth? Is all his wealth for him? No! He gains from his wealth only the examples that the Prophet sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam specified. The first is defined by the Prophet’s statement: “What he eats and finishes.” From his wealth is that which is necessary for him to survive and that which enables him to accomplish the rights of Allâh. These rights are the rights of His Tawhîd (singling out Allâh alone for worship), as Allâh said: “And I have not created the jinn and mankind except to worship Me.” [21]

The second is what a person wears until it becomes shabby. Add to this that which he volunteers and does good with, which is mentioned in the statement of the Prophet: “Or what he gives away and pleases others with.” He got rid of his wealth by giving it away to another in charity. Therefore, the wealth that is for the servant is the amount that he eats and the amount that he wears in order to survive. However this is not an end in itself. Rather, one exists solely to accomplish the obligation of worship, as we pointed out previously.

The third kind of wealth that returns with a benefit is not only the obligatory charity, but it also includes non-obligatory charities. Then the Prophet sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam explained what is left after these categories. He said: “And other than that is gone, and is left, for the people.”
The relation of this Hadîth with the previous one is: Why do people exhaust themselves in amassing wealth, when this is the reality of wealth? They do not benefit from there wealth except the amount that they eat, drink and with which they help other people. All else will be left and it will remain for the people who inherit it.

The following Hadîth is also Sahîh (authentic). Abdullâh ibn ash-Shikhkhîr said: I came to the Prophet whilst he was reciting: “Seeking increase diverted you.” The Prophet sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam said: “The son of Âdam say My wealth! My wealth! What do you obtain, O son of Âdam, from your wealth except that which you eat and consume, or wear until it becomes shabby, or what you give as charity and accomplish.”

This hadîth is also similar in meaning to the previous one, though some of its words are different; and was recorded by Muslim, at-Tirmidhî and an-Nasâ‘î. This hadîth is clear in its wording, however, the statement of the Prophet at the end of the hadîth: “or what you give as charity and accomplish.” may not be clear to some people.

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19. Related by Ahmad and Muslim - from Abû Hurayah radiallâhu ’anhu.
20. Sûratul-’Âdiyât 100:8.
21. Sûratudh-Dhâriyât 51:56.