This is absolutely true that Allah has distributed Rizkh as he will to his servants.If a person gets riches the real test comes whether he follows the commands of Allah and the following of prophet.Many poeple become proud and use the wealth in satiation of self and glory.If a rich person remain modest and takes care of his poor brothers relative and neigbours and thank Allah for hisd blessings day and night, then he has passed the test otherwise an ioata of pride is sufficent to take him to hell fire.May allah always keep us in his refuge for any position in life.

what the article is exactly correct.atlease in my case.i born and brought up in a family which has no problem dealing with money.that had surely caused me to turn my heart away from my sustainer..i knowlingly and unknowingly had done manu bad things..my heart is filled with kibr when i see others.but when i saw the people much below me,i was really astonished..i was a million times better than them (i mean the wordly things given to me)...i now turn to allah in repentence but satan sometimes play tricks on me...i sometimes feel that poor doesnt have to give correct statements to allah regarding the money given to them ,since they were given less money.in my case,i am given money to spent,but that money may become the main source of problem to me.rich people doesnt pay the correct zakath.that zakath will come as a snake in the day of judgement.it is friendship with good people that makes ones heart not to divert from rememberence of allah..i also want to make some good islamic friends...all r welcome

Allah/God tests all people in different ways. Poor , wealthy, intellegent, talented, clumsy etc.
Sometimes he gives a determined ,good but poor person great wealth , Like Oprah. She has not forgotten what it was like to be poor and now that she has more money than she ever dreamed of when she was poor, she is trying to do good , like helping the poor in Africa and making problems of society visible to great populations. Then you have those that hord their money just to make more and more money but don't help populations and the betterment of the land/air/water, animals and people. These are the scrooges with long invisible chains attached to them that indicates they many not go to paradise if they don't change their ways. Their only happiness is money , ownership, power, and control over others. They don't think about the future generations to follow or the life after this one. They don't realize the potential they have if used in a positive way for Allah/God how much greater the outcomes would be.With 100,000 dollars you can build a nice home or you can feed many poor people, make them strong and what they go on to do would be far greater than one little home. By spreading the wealth you stregthen so much more and the world becomes a better place.

When a person works hard in his/her life and earns a good living he/she should deserve to have the very best that he/she can afford. On the other hand he/she should become a mentor to other people and with thier wealth help establish educational center for other people who are behind in society. I do not believe that there a such a thing as poor person. Poor is some one who does not put in 100% effort in order to make it. If every one is born with god given intelligent why some people are considered poor? Government officials or religious institutions should combine thier efforts together and help those who come forward to receive the help, training or the education for better paying jobs. I don't believe in helping the poor all the time unless he/she is handicapped, elderly, etc... I belive in this American Proverb: Give a man a fish he eats for one day, teach a man to fish and he eats forever.
Vasalam

Assalamualaikum wbt.

Thanks to Allah the Almighty the Most Merciful. The contents in this article remind us not to forget Allah especially when we are showered with happines and wealth. The minute we forget Allah, just think the consequence that could befallen to us. May Allah bless us always.

I really agree with this article. Not only that the poor people would go through the test to see if they worthy of the paradise, the rich people are too as well.

Everything Allah has given is a test to you and the best thing is to try pass the test through the answers He (Allah) has provided.

Assalamu alaikum.
I am aware of a hadith of Rasulullah(SAW) that says the poor will enter Al-Jannah 500 years before the affluent. This emphasizes the relative severity of the test that affluence can attract before Allah! May I also suggest that even the poor should be conscious of Allah for them to avoid double tragedy for if they do not hearken to the ways of piety, poverty alone will not save them from the wrath of the Almighty.
Bissalam.

Only wealth will not do every thing, It's test for a person

I agree with the article. The quran mentiones both types of trials (giving/witholding riches), and emphasizes that both "states" constitute trials of Allah (swt).

Marianne.

True.

I love what you wrote in your Article about Trials. As an African-American, i see many of famous people here with Major Trials, that people glorify...Micheal Jackson, Diana Ross, Whitney Houston & Bobby Brown, James Brown, R. Kelly, Mike Tyson....just because you are rich that still doesn't protect you from Shaytan if you don't have knowledge of Subhanah wa'ta Allah

you have good write up ,and all is true.

the author is correct in his assertion that affluence is a trial. the affluent, in this world, CAN live their lives without paying any tribute to god, and believe they are self sufficient. on the other hand, the destitute are constantly in need and are seeking assistance. when there are no opportunities to better their station, and altruism is insufficient, they naturally call on their lord for help. at the very least it gives them hope.
however, the author is incorrect when he states the wealthy have "various forms of mental worries, troubles and tribulations". many studies have been conducted to test the relationship between wealth and happiness, and the empirical evidence overwhelmingly demonstrates the strong correlation between the two: wealthier are people are generally very happy, poorer people are quite unhappy. (gallop 1971).
on another note, i am greatly alarmed by some of the other comments posted that have very strong socialisitic undertones. the accusation thhat most wealthey individuals simply inherit their fortunes is meritless. in fact, 85% of millionaires in the us are self-made, first genereation (stanley 1998). this disdain for wealth has aided our abysmal situation. i ask, what would have become of the early mulims during the embargo, if it were not for abu-bakr's wealth?
wealth is not THE end, but simply a means to an end. may allah restore our tradition of intellect and wisdom, and remove centuries of ignorance. ameen.

I enjoyed reading this article. I must say, I agree with this point of view. It seems that many forget to thank God for all that he has given us, especially when times are good. It is so easy to take things for granted and not appreciate the little things. I try to notice people that are not as well off as I might be to remind myself that things could always be worst. This makes me thankful to the All-Mighty for what little I do have!

Salam wa-alakum
I beleive in the article posted regarding wealth and poverty. However, I am a little confused. If the purpose of one on this earth is to worship the Almighty (I do believe this) then why are we placed in situations were we are almost certainly to forget Allah and sin. Example. I am a Muslim. I pray five times a day. I beleive that the path the Almighty Lord has chosen for me is the best one. Yet, I am currently mired in alot of debt. As a result, I am paying interest which is Haram. So if the above is the best choice for me from Allah, then why am in a situation were I am sinning by paying interest?? When I dream of wealth, I dream of it to pay of my debt. So, yes there are people worse than me, but I am also sinning. I will face the rath of Allah. How can this be good for me??
Please reply to [email protected] with an answer. I really need to get out of this.
Salam
Samer

I totally agree. The affluent people do have a harsher form of test because whereas the poor is tested physically; such as hunger etc, the rich are tested emotionally. Emotional pain can be just as severe if not worse than physical pain. Moreover, the affluent are inflicted with depression and psychiatric problems as a result of not withstanding the trials and tribulations from Allah. May Allah give us all the patience to endure during our trials and tribulations.

Do you not think that this is a simplistic view? Yes wealth is relative and for the all there will be someone who is tested in a different way and may appear less materistically endowed. However those amongst us who have so very little, who do not have food for their children, let alone for themselves are surely being tested to the ultimate.

It surely is hard to give thanks for your blessings as you nurse your dieing child. How can one praise the wonders of the earth when you can no longer see, blindness overtakes you through lack of food. The same sun that warms the world is sucking out the existance of your family.

Yes we all are tested but some more than others. I am blessed in this life and I give thanks for all I have but would I if my life consisted of laying in the filth, death and suffering surrounding me? I think I would be more inclined to question.

What you said is absolutely right, cause tribulations come in many forms. It may be mental, physical, phsycological,spiritual, finacial, maritial, etc. Its how you manage it that eguates you believe since Allah is judging u according to your level of understanding, also ignorace is not always an excuse. pls. I dont know how I can be a paying member from Nigeria Pls. comminicate me on how. Maa Salaam.

salam
I agree with thie article 100%. Just like the article says, we are all tested. What one does with the wealth and ones attitude toward life when he is rich changes drastically when there is an abundance of wealth. Wealth, in my opinion, can be more a negative then a blessing. It is very hard for most now a days to spend this wealth for the sake of Allah (swt). And it is even harder for the avergage person to keep his piety and not be distracted by this wealth. Jazakallahkheir.

It seems that the author fails to discuss the means by which most of the afluent come by their wealth. Rather than pulling oneself up by the bootstraps affluence and wealth is often achieved via oppression, exploitation and an imbalanced material zeal. I believe that this is also a concept that is not new to Islam considering the vision that the prophet (pbuh) had of both heaven and hell. I don't seem to remember any mention of the rich and paradise, but I clearly recollect the place of the poor. In addition, I don't disagree that humanity is filled with struggle, afterall this is NOT paradise.

A famous American once said that without struggle there can be no progress, his name was Fredrick Douglas and he spoke to the injustices imparted on the African Americans at the hands of their wealthy and oppresive slave owners. Afterall, it was these slaves that were the first Muslims to set foot in the New World and the American Slave owners stripped them of their families (wives and children), gave them the flesh of the swine, introduced alcohol and forbid them from learning to read and write. It seems these wealthy southern land owners were only struggling with how to get more work out of their free labour. There seems to be a strange value ladened within the article when a man thinks that a struggle endured by someone with material wealth takes presedence over Islam, family, eating and survival. Afterall, the slaves struggled the most, but seemed to have a greater reverence for Allah, regardless of their faith. From a comletely intuitive lense it seems that the author is trying to convince us or more accurately themself that we should somehow feel equally concerned about the status of the wealthy and it is to this concept that I say popycock!

Wasalaam

Dr. Abu Muhammad Hussein

It is easy to overcome our trials when you just look at other's trials and tribulations. Yours doesn't seem that bad anymore. When I see a woman complain of breaking a nail, I cringe. Their are people starving and she's worried about her nail. Or the man who spilled coffee on his new pants and he screams about it. He is lucky to have coffee and new pants. Wealthy people are not immune from the tribulations here. Their tribulation could be to see if they share their wealth.. I would rather be poor over being wealthy and not sharing it any day..

The prophet is our example in life, he lived and died poor amongst the poor. People who become rich have to use their wealth to help the poor in order to harmonize the world. We see the results of the gap between the rich and the poor these days, devastating results destroying people and the environment. Wars perpetuate because of people seeking more money and power.

Egosme is opposite to sacrifice, and sacrifice must be equivalent to, and even more abundant than affluence . If we want to reach a world of equity an harmony, there should be no big differences among people, there should be neither rich nor poor. These are the principles of Islam.

There is no justification for Affluence except the lack of other things like Generosity, Charity, and sacrifice.

To gain this world we tend to accept affluence, to gain the other world (prescribed in the holy books as the paradise) we tend to accept poverty, while the real affluence is only in the souls of people who give. The tough test will be the abandon of wealth, not the persistance in the luxury emprisonment, where the only god is interest and fortune.

I agree with you on this.For every time you are in think you are in need someone may be going hungry or be sick. A man's wealth is not his assets, it is how he treat his fellow man, look to who you can help not for for your own pleasures Janet

If you ask a tryly poor person whether they feel you are correct , i am sure they would disagree and feel that you are making their pain and suffering trivial.You also imply that the poorer you are , the more you are likely to show praise and belief in Allah, and because of this you are go9ig to be a better Muslim. It is the same argument i use against Muslims who only do `good` so they can recieve rewards in the hereafter. Is it not better to believe in Allah and do good for the sake of goodness.Why is Islam so hung up on reward in the hereafter?Is that just a selling point that the Mullahs have been using to spread Islam through the centuries.
I agree that anyone doing more good than they may otherwise do is fine,but i feel it is morally corrupt if they do that for reward.I would go to the extreme and say that a non-believer who does good for the sake of goodness is better than a Muslim who does good for personal reward!
This is where Islam is these days with the way it is being taught.

Alhamdulillah,this is absolutely true. Each person carries his or her own burdens of pain, trials, tribulations and sufferings...as well as personal joys and triumphs. May God be praised for his wisdom and generosity.

I agree with your comments. Money is NOT GOD, but a very precious commodity

Well said, may Allah Reward you.

its true every one in life goes through a test whether rich or poor i think its a much difficult test for rich than poor its a test for them how they cope with the wealth they have and thats not easy.Because greed is always there you see around you or any where in the world the thurst for wealth never ends.The best are thoes who dont allow greed to take over thats one in a million.