By Deana Nassar
The basic attitude of Islam towards our position in the world is that God has made the earth for the benefit of man, to whom He has given control over.
It is our duty therefore to profit from this favour and to exert ourselves to seek God’s rewards throughout the earth.
The Quran reads: It is He Who has made the earth submissive to you; so traverse its paths and eat of what He provides you...
(Al Mulk 67: 15)
As a method of earning one’s living, it is significant and crucial for every Muslim to have the correct understanding of halal livelihood.
There is no doubt that one of the obligations upon us as Muslims is that we earn for ourselves and our family pure and lawful provisions. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “O People! Allah is pure, and He only accepts that which is pure!
Allah has commanded the believers what He has commanded the Messengers, for He said, O Messengers! Eat from the pure foods, and do right, and He said, O you who believe! Eat from the pure and good foods We have given you.” (Muslim)
There are many hadiths and verses in the Quran reflecting the significance of working and earning honest livelihood. God says:
O you who believe, do not consume your property among yourselves wrongfully, but let there be trade by mutual consent, and do not kill yourselves; indeed, Allah is ever merciful to you. And whoever does so in enmity and injustice, we shall cast him into the Fire; and that is easy for Allah. (Annisa’ 4: 29-30)
It is not permitted for a Muslim to avoid working for a living on the pretext of devoting his life to worship or trust in God; for sure money will not fall from the sky. Furthermore it is not permissible for us, as Muslims, to depend on charity while we are able to earn what is sufficient for our own and our family’s needs. In this regard, Prophet Muhammad has said:
“Charity is lawful neither for the rich nor for the able bodied.” (Ahmad)
While we hail the value of worship, Islam views the true believers not as those who remain in the mosques but rather as men and women of action, whose distinguishing characteristic is that the affairs of the busy world do not make them forget their obligations to their Creator.
Challenges of Living Halal
The general rule in regards to earning a living is that Islam does not permit us to earn money in any way without concern to what is and is not permitted. Hence, it is significant we differentiate between lawful and unlawful methods.
Islam has prohibited certain professions and industries to its followers because they are harmful to the beliefs, morals, honour, and good manners of society.
Nowadays, it is admittedly a difficult path, what with the countless and enticing attractions regarding quick and foolproof money making. There are no promises that we will never be tempted, but when we are, God will provide a way of escape. However, there are things that we can do as Muslims to avoid unnecessary enticements even if we are faced with strong temptations which may make us feel powerless to resist. Many times temptations especially living in a non-Muslim society can be completely avoided by following these tips and with God’s help we can choose the right path, we can defeat Satan’s luring and we can overcome temptation.
Of course, the best time to make decisions regarding our livelihood is before we are faced with these temptations or surrounded by those who downplay the dangers of unlawful livelihood.
For sure there are challenges as young men and women in non-Muslim and admittedly some Muslim societies to avoid temptation. We can train ourselves however to make important decisions ahead of time, and to pray constantly so that we can overcome Satan and his temptations and in turn gaining eternal life in paradise.
Temptation is like slippery ice on the parking lot. One careless move and we may fall flat before we know it, one false step and we free-fall headlong down to the next story of sin.
The circumstances and situations of temptation create a danger zone; therefore we should understand the warning signs and should be prepared. We must always and forever remain cautious to enticements and avoid those who overlook the sensitivity of honest earnings.
The fact that being tempted is not automatically sinful should not make us let down our guard. It is sinful for us as believers to deliberately place ourselves into a position of temptation. After all, to invite temptation is sinful.
To pray for being safe from unlawful earnings with integrity we must also do our part to avoid going into areas of temptation. That means avoiding the mine-fields of the mind in which we imagine situations contrary to the pure and submissive life God intended us. It also means physically and practically steering clear of certain places, circumstances, people and situations that are contrary to our Muslim living.
We must learn to understand our personal weaknesses; remember, not everyone is tempted in the same way. What is a struggle for one person may not be the least bit tempting to another person.
For example one person may be tempted with promises of a dishonest quick get rich fix offer, while for another who has never had a foothold on that person and therefore is not at all tempting, but he may be tempted by unlawful surroundings which could lead to sin. This indicates that each person has their own weak areas to deal with. Therefore we need to understand our own weakness and failings so that we will know how to combat and avoid them.
God says:
And if the people of the towns had believed and had the Taqwa (piety), certainly, We should have opened for them blessings from the heaven and the earth, but they belied (the Messengers). So We took them (with punishment) for what they used to earn. (Al Aa’raf 7:96)
In the same vein, Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said:
“A man is prevented from receiving rizq (sustenance) due to a misdeed.” (Ibn Majah)
Another hadith regarding the lawful earnings is highlighted here where the prophet, underscored its significance stating:
“An honest and trustworthy merchant will be with the martyrs on the Day of Resurrection.” (Al Hakim)
The Prophet, held the status of an honest merchant to be equal to that of a soldier or a martyr in the cause of God. His evaluation is confirmed by the experiences of life, since striving in the cause of God is not limited to the battlefield but extends to the economic front (our livelihood) as well.
The Prophet promised honest workers, businessmen, traders and professionals a high status with God and a great reward in the Hereafter. We observe that the motivating force behind much trading activity and work is greed and profit-making. Who can deny “Money makes money” and “Business begets business”?
These are real motives of much trading activity and sadly some moral downfalls. However, any person who remains within the bounds of honesty and fair-dealing in such an atmosphere is a fighter against his desires, meriting the status of a warrior in the cause of God described above by the Prophet. We must acknowledge that the temptations that come into our life are no different from what others experience.
Tips to Keep the Halal Living
A simple recipe to prepare and immune ourselves from these temptations is daily readings from the Quran. Engage in this habit and God will keep the temptation from becoming so strong that we can’t stand up against it. By religiously reading the sacred book, when you are tempted and keeping good company who will be your conscience, God will show you a way out so that you will not give in to it.
When you are face to face with temptation, look for the way out that God has promised and then run as fast as you can. God has promised to make a way to escape temptation. If you will look for the escape route then you can flee the temptation.
Many times this way of escape is to literally walk or run away. Temptation often comes when you find yourself in certain situations or places. When you recognize one of those situations it is time to pack up your stuff and get out of there.
While it is not the end of the world when we fail; God is all Merciful, yet, it is very dangerous to persist in our sin. We may not be strong enough to resist temptation on our own, but as we focus on God, and keep the company of righteous people He will give us the strength to resist and walk away from the appeal and in turn reward us accordingly.
It is comforting to understand that God has already written and preordained our earnings and Rizq and to remember that all is written and not to worry about tomorrow’s livelihood. We are ordered to perform, however, we leave the outcome to God, after all ‘the pens have lifted and the pages have dried’, just keep the faith and never give up.
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