Don’t make money as much as you need! | Alireza Panahian

Don’t make money as much as you need!

A part of the meaning of passive devoutness, which makes clever people feel sick, and they’re right to feel that way, is erasing the problem. Only weak people enjoy this, and it is very bad. What does active devoutness say? It says, “Yes! You should welcome some matters, which you think may bring corruption. You should even create these issues, and then, obey religion in those situations like a real man.” An example is making money. Religious people should be able to make money.
With this introduction, be ready to hear something different. “I am a good person.” “How much do you produce? How much business do you do?” “No, I don’t do business, but I’m a good person.” Firstly, you’re out of favour with the Prophet (s). Secondly, one can’t count on you at all.
When the Prophet looked at a man and was surprised at his good points, he would say, “Does he have a profession?” (Jami al-Akhbar, p. 139) If people answered, “No,” he would say, “He is out of favour with me.” Religious people must be able to make money. A religious person shouldn’t say, “I’m religious. Give me a job.” This isn’t the way to live.
Talha and Zubayr said, “Ali bin Abi Talib doesn’t have any money to become the caliph.” (Osul al-Kafi, vol. 6, p. 440) The Commander of the Faithful, Ali (‘a), commanded his workers to bring his money, which was in their hands and they were working with. It was a mound of cash. He called Talha and Zubayr. He said, “This was only the cash of my workers who were in and around Medina. I didn’t bring my estates, farmland, wells, etc.” Were the gardens, which Imam Ali (‘a) planted, the wells he dug, the farming he was doing, and the money he made, as much as he needed or more than that? Right.
Don’t make money only as much as you need! “We’re afraid we will become corrupted!” “You will become corrupted without money too. Even now you are corrupted!” If they taught you the ethics of being content, but didn’t read this tradition from Imam Sadiq (‘a) for you, “There is no good in a person who doesn’t like to increase his wealth,” (Osul al-Kafi, vol. 5, p. 72) that is being passively religious. It is harmful for the society!
A tradition says, “The survival of Islam and the Muslims requires that money be in the hands of people who know the truth. One of the factors, which destroys Islam and the Muslims, is for money to be in the hands of people who don’t know the truth and don’t use it for good deeds.” (Osul al-Kafi, vol. 4, p.25) If the rich people are the ones who don’t understand where to spend, instead of spending for Arbaeen, they will spend their money in Antalya. This destroys the Islamic society!
“So, you’re encouraging people to be rich?!” A religious person, whose poverty is due to his ineptitude, shouldn’t count this as being due to his piety. He should struggle. If he became rich, God gave it. If he didn’t become rich, God didn’t give it. Having this mind-set is perfect.
A religious person, whose poverty is due to his ineptitude, shouldn’t count this as being due to his piety. Why don’t religious groups encourage the culture of striving for wealth? I don’t know why they don’t start a factory or plant a garden to make money.
The command to pay Zakat (Islamic poor tax) always comes next to praying. You don’t have any money to pay Zakat! You have amputated your arms so that you don’t need to make an ablution. Fine, make your ablution with dust. Rub your face on dust. Fine, you’ve erased the problem description. How hard was ablution? You amputated your arms so as not to make an ablution?! You have become poor so as not to pay Zakat?!
Don’t make money only as much as you need! The Prophet of God (s) said, “When the end of time comes, the only way is for people to have money to maintain their religion and their worldly life.” People need money to keep their religion in the end of time.
Were the gardens, which Imam Ali (‘a) planted, the wells he dug, the farming he was doing, and the money he made, as much as he needed or more than that? A religious person, whose poverty is due to his ineptitude, shouldn’t count this as being due to his piety.
[From the series of speeches under the topic of, “Lifestyle, More Effective than Knowledge and Belief”]