What Don’t We Do For Financial Gain?

Today, almost every person is lost in the materialistic world, seeking out his ‘Dream Fortune’. Our ambition has become finance, and our love for the wealth of this Duniya is destroying us, like it destroyed many nations before us. Today, people even compromise their Imaan (Allah Forbid) for the sake of financial gain and to attain worldly name and fame. Have such people no shame? Do we not fear Allah? Do we have no shame in the Court of Rasoolullah (Sall Allahu alaihi wa Sallam)? We are so lost in trying to make millions that we have forgotten that sustenance comes from Allah! Have we forgotten that Allah is the True Provider! Have we forgotten that you will only get what is due to you?

We should try to understand and realise, that it is all about ‘Yaqeen’ (having true conviction). If a Believer keeps faith in Allah and is sincere in his efforts to please Allah and His Rasool (Sall Allahu Alaihi wa Sallam), he will In Sha Allah always receive his sustenance. Allah will provide for him from where he could not imagine. We must learn to have trust in Allah and understand that Allah provides for us. He is Raz’zaaq. A Beautiful Incident with regards to trust in Allah comes to mind. Let me share with you this beautiful incident that teaches us that the sustenance of those who have full trust and Faith in Allah reaches them from where they cannot even imagine.

It is mentioned that once, Shaykh Abu Ya’qub Basri (Rahmatullah alaih) remained without food in the Holy Haram for ten days (consecutively). He started to experience symptoms of debility. In this condition, a thought entered his heart that it would seem advisable to go out towards the wastelands, as there was possibility of finding something there which will be sufficient to eradicate the intense hunger. When he reached the wastelands, he found a turnip which was already rotten. He picked up the turnip, but from within he felt uncomfortable and unclear. His heart said to him, ‘After suffering with hunger for ten days, is a rotten turnip all that is meant for you?’  He threw away the turnip and returned to the Masjid-e-Haraam. After a short while, a person entered the Haram and approached the Shaykh. He sat in front of the Shaykh and began opening a bag. Whilst doing so, the person said, ‘Here are five hundred Ashrafis (gold coins), and they belong to you.’ Astonished, the Shaykh said, ‘Why is it for me?’ The man answered, ‘Ten days ago, I was travelling by sea and it was near that our ship would sink. All those on board took vows, each making an intention which could save his life. I too took a vow, that if we were saved from drowning, I would go to the Holy Kaaba and hand these five hundred Ashrafis to the first attendant whom I see on entering the Haram. Hence, you are the first person whom I saw when I entered the Holy Haram, so please accept this from me.’ The Shaykh requested the man to open the bag. When the man opened the bag, they found it also contained, bread, peeled Egyptian Almonds and sugar candy. The Shaykh took a handful of these items and said, ‘Take whatever else is in this bag and share it with your family. It is a gift from me.’

Shaykh Abu Ya’qub Basri (Rahmatullah Alaih) then says, I addressed myself and said:

“O Nafs! Your Rozi (sustenance) was on its way you for the past ten days, yet you went out into the wastelands in search of it.”

This does not mean that you should sit around lazily, waiting for your sustenance to come to you, but what it really means is that you should fulfil your obligations to Allah and strive for Halaal sustenance to the best of your ability, without compromising your faith, and undoubtedly, your sustenance will come to you.