Qur’anic Injunctions In Respect Of Wealth And Riches (1/3)

The relation that the man bears with his wealth is described in Qur’an by the word ‘Kasb’ (acquisition); that means man is not the real owner of that wealth but its ‘acquisitor’:

“O you who believe! Spend out of the good things you have earned…” [Surah Al-Baqarah: 267].

Moreover, in respect of this ‘acquisition’, too, the holy Qur’an avers that it is not merely your wisdom and sagacity and your ingenuity and diligence that has gone into it. It is, instead, the Guidance from Allah and the prudence that He has vouchsafed you and His Grace of facilitating the matters that has enabled you to do this ‘acquisition’. That is why it is so that the people who boasted to have acquired whatever they did by the dint of their own intellect and sagacity and ingenuity were rebuffed. Qarun (Korah or Croscius) has been quoted in Qur’an to have said:

‘I have achieved all this because of the knowledge I possess.’ [Surah Al-Qasas: 78]

Having quoted this false claim of his, the Qur’an says:

“Did he not know that Allah had destroyed before him, of the generations, who were stronger than he in might and larger in respect of following? And the culprits will not be (immediately) questioned of their sins.” [Surah Al-Qasas: 78]

At another place, the Qur’an says:

“When hurt touches a man he calls on Us, and afterwards when We have changed it into a favour from Us, he says: ‘I have obtained it by force of my knowledge.’ Nay! It is a trial, but most of them know not.” [Surah Az-Zumar: 49]

Following that it is pronounced:

“Do they not know that Allah expands provision for whom He wills, and stints it for whom He wills? Verily here are signs for them who believe.” [Surah Az-Zumar: 52]

Despite all that, however, the holy Qur’an grants recognition to man’s legitimate acquisition of wealth, its inheritance in accordance to norms laid down by the Shariah and the fair means adopted for transfer of ownership. And on this premise it deems man’s ownership justified and, so, it ascribes, off and on, the wealth to man the way the ownership of something is ascribed to someone:

“And do not give to the weak-witted the property which Allah has made for you a means of support.” [Surah An-Nisa’: 5]

Nevertheless, Qur’an does not deem the man such a permanent and eternal orphan and imbecile species as would require to have his property and wealth kept permanently under supervision and control of someone else; and so would have no right of disposal of any sort over his wealth and property. In Qur’an’s view what behoves the man’s status of glory and perfection and his intellect is that the man be made independent and empowered and enabled to administer his property. And, so, it says:

 “Allah propounds a similitude; there is a bondman enslaved who has not power over aught, and there is one whom We have provided from Ourselves with goodly provision and he spends out of it in private and public.” [Surah An-Nahl: 75]

On the one hand it does not deem the man such hapless and powerless as would render him to something to be put to operation as is put a soulless machine or a dumb animal and is utilized to generate wealth and goods but is not granted, in true sense, even the freedom to make himself any use of the wealth and goods he produces. For, it is much below his human dignity and status and gives the man an image of an inorganic object. It dispels and perishes the instinctive motives of acquisition of livelihood. It kills the legitimate and well-balanced, innate passion of competition in man and deprives him of the natural zest and dynamism so essentially needed for variegation and colourfulness of life. On the other hand, it does not leave also the man totally free, unrestrained and unbridled in disposal of these wealths and properties and their usufruct and utilization. The vast dispensations that it has made for that purpose are of the following nature:

1. It has, first of all, instilled this faith that the man is not the real owner of the wealth and property. The real owner is Allah, the Exalted. It is due to His Grace and Favour that this wealth and property fell to his lot. He (the man) is only its custodian. And he should, therefore, remain strictly observant of the limits prescribed by Him in their disposal and utilization:

“Then We appointed you in the land as successors after them, that we might see how you would work.” [Surah Yunus: 14]

2. It instilled in him the conviction that there is another life after this one in which he will have to give account of all the wealth and property that he has had in this life before the One who is the Real Owner of them; and it would be seen how far has he been able to acquit himself of the obligation of being His vicegerent, deputy and trustee. (It is Qur’an’s main topic and in hundreds of its verses this conviction is tried to be instilled in very effective and engaging style.)

3. It has very forcefully tried to instill this conviction and inculcate in mind that this world is not the ‘el Dorado’, an abode to lead a life of luxury and lust. It is, instead, the abode of ordeal.

All the wealth and riches, the articles of luxury and comfort that are there in this world are by way of ordeal. It is all trial and tribulation. This life, whether short or long, is not a respite for self-indulgence. It is, instead, a respite for performance. This wealth and property is not for acquisition of means of luxury and self-indulgence, and fun and frolic. It is, instead, the currency for buying the commodity of requital in the Hereafter and the Divine Appeasement. This life is not the actual occasion for self-indulgence and enjoyment. Its actual place is the Paradise that one would get in the life after the present one.

“We have made whatever is on the earth as an adornment of it, that We test them—which of them is best in work.” [Surah Al-Kahf: 7]

“Who has created death and life, that He might test you as to which of you is excellent in work.” [Surah Al-Mulk: 2]

“And do not strain your eyes after what We have given pairs of them to enjoy: the splendour of the life of this world, that We might try them therein; and the provision of your Lord is the best and most lasting.” [Surah Ta-Ha: 131]

Those disclaimers who, having deemed this world the be-all and end-all, would have indulged in pursuit of pleasures and had all their desires and passions fulfilled here itself doing nothing for the Hereafter would be accosted thus:

“You made away with your good things in your life of the world, and you enjoyed yourselves therewith, so today you shall be requited with the torment of ignominy…” [Surah Al-Ahqaf: 20]

4. It also made it imperative that the wealth must be earned by such means as are legitimate unsullied, un-tyrannical. For this purpose it imposed on acquisition some legal and moral restrictions. The man is not permitted to acquire wealth by means of fraud, theft, gamble, ruthlessness and highhandedness. All methods like those of perfidy, usurpation, deception and swindling, speculation and forward trading were declared forbidden. And these are the very gateways through which large amounts of wealth are suddenly, and without any exertion of labour and fair mode of exchange get into one’s hands:

“O’ you who believe! Devour not your property among yourselves unlawfully, but let those be a trading among you by mutual agreement; and kill not yourselves. Verily Allah is to you ever Merciful.” [Surah An-Nisa’: 29]

(Continued)