Alhamdulillah, we are now coming to the end of the Gregorian and academic year (in South Africa). Everyone is on holiday from work and studies. Some families may want to go on an outing, others may need to stock up on stationary or work tools for the following year. Naturally, this increases our expenditure. A wealthy man may not notice but the working class people will have this worry on their minds. It is also the time of the year when businessmen are hopeful of doing well in their businesses.
During these moments, do not lose focus on the fact that Allah is our sole provider. It is not our acumen or hard work that provides, it is the grace of Allah upon us. Only what He decrees is what we will receive in our sustenance. Therefore, do not miss Salah to keep your business open, there is no logic in this. If Allah is blessing you with more wealth in December, we should pray more not less! Do not resort to haram means to bring people to your shop, like playing music, or else in seeking money from people, you risk losing the pleasure of Allah.
Help your neighboring businesses and Allah will help you too. Be supportive not competitive, as competing will not increase the amount of wealth you are decreed to earn, so why bother? Maintain good character with your employers. Sometimes we take this world too seriously and we break hearts over it. Imagine shouting at your employer and hearing they passed away the next day. How would you live with that regret? If they make a mistake, remember that we do too so have mercy.
Lastly, be simple, don’t let the December holidays make you extravagant. Marketing preys on our nafs causing us to become discontented with what we have. There is no point in buying more than we need, stressing because we cannot afford it and then spending a lifetime worrying about how to pay it all back. Luxuries are meant to make life easier but when it snatches our peace of mind, it makes life harder. We cannot dictate to Allah how much we want and expect Him to give us wealth accordingly. It does not work that way. The solution to this problem is simplicity and contentment with decree. Live within your means, not beyond it. This will help us to stress less and be happier, which are blessings that money can’t buy. May Allah grant us the tawfiq, aameen.
— Shaykh Dawood Seedat حفظه اللّٰه
Above is an extract from Shaykh’s talk on 03/12/18. To listen to the full talk, please click here.
