SACRED THINGS IN ISLAM
Al-DarUriyyAAt al-Khams
(The Five Sacred Trusts in Shariʿah)
Class 6
HIFZ AL MAAL - II
RIGHTS & RESPONSIBILITIES
In Sharīʿah most of what you earn and spend in an ordinary life is simply halal — Sharīʿah names specific things as off-limits rather than requiring a permission slip for everything else. This class walks through those specific lines first and then turns to what you owe once wealth is legitimately yours.
Riba — The Line Around Interest
The clearest, most repeated boundary around wealth in the Qur’an is riba, and the Qur’an doesn't only forbid it — it describes what it actually does to a person:
"Those who consume riba cannot stand [on the Day of Resurrection] except as one stands who is being beaten by Satan into insanity." (Qur’an 2:275 — partial)
A striking image for something that, on the surface, just looks like a loan agreement. It's worth noticing the exact contrast the Qur’an draws next, because it's not trade itself being condemned:
"But Allah has permitted trade and has forbidden riba." (Qur’an 2:275 — partial)
Trade involves risk, effort, and a shared outcome; riba is a guaranteed return on money itself, no matter what happens to the person paying it. That's the harm underneath the whole prohibition: all the risk sits with the person who is often already in need, while the lender's return is locked in regardless. That distinction is why the Qur’an's language around it escalates to some of the strongest warnings on any topic in the entire text:
"O you who have believed, fear Allah and give up what remains of riba, if you should be believers. And if you do not, then be informed of a war from Allah and His Messenger." (Qur’an 2:278–279)
A war from Allah and His Messenger — language used nowhere else in the Qur’an for a financial matter. The Prophet ﷺ placed it among a short list of sins serious enough to actively destroy a person, he ﷺ said,
"Avoid the seven destructive sins: associating partners with Allah, magic, killing a soul which Allah has forbidden except by right, consuming riba, consuming the wealth of an orphan, fleeing on the day of battle, and slandering chaste, believing women." (Sahih Bukhari)
And responsibility isn't limited to the person profiting from it, "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ cursed the consumer of riba, the one who pays it, the one who writes it down, and the two who witness it — and he said, they are all equal." (Sahih Muslim)
The Prophet ﷺ reached for one more jarring comparison, specifically so the severity of it couldn't be mistaken for a minor technicality:
"Riba has seventy-some levels, the least of which is like a man committing incest with his own mother." (Sunan Ibn Majah 2274; graded ḥasan)
The comparison isn't a literal ranking of sins — it's a deliberately shocking way of making sure no one walks away thinking a percentage on a loan is a small matter.
Maysir — Gambling and Games of Chance
Alongside khamr (covered in Class 3), the Qur’an names gambling in the very same breath, as another form of wealth acquired through chance rather than honest effort, Allah says, "O you who believe, intoxicants, gambling, [sacrificing on] stone altars, and divining arrows are but defilement from the work of Satan, so avoid it that you may be successful." (Qur’an 5:90)
The verse right after it names exactly what this does to a community, not just an individual:
"Satan only wants to cause between you animosity and hatred through intoxicants and gambling, and to avert you from the remembrance of Allah and from prayer. So will you not desist?" (Qur’an 5:91)
Honesty in Trade
A recurring theme across all of this is deception — profiting from information or access the other party doesn't have. The Qur’an opens an entire Sūrah condemning exactly this in ordinary trade:
"Woe to those who give less than due — who, when they take a measure from people, take in full, but when they measure or weigh for them, they cause loss." (Qur’an 83:1–3)
The Prophet ﷺ made the same principle concrete with an everyday example. Passing a pile of grain in the market, he ﷺ reached in and felt wetness his hand hadn't seen from the outside, he ﷺ said, "Why did you not put that which was wet on top of the food, so that people could see it? Whoever cheats us is not one of us." (Sahih Muslim)
And the same principle extends to withholding goods entirely to manipulate the market against people who need them, he ﷺ said, "Whoever hoards [withholds essential goods to raise their price] is a sinner." (Sahih Muslim)
None of these require a victim who was tricked by something elaborate — just an ordinary buyer or seller who couldn't see what the other person could.
Paying the Wages on time
The Prophet ﷺ placed withholding a worker's pay in genuinely serious company. He ﷺ said, "Allah said: I will be an opponent to three types of people on the Day of Resurrection... and a man who employs a laborer and gets full work out of him but does not pay him his wages." (Sahih Bukhari)
The Prophet ﷺ also said, "Give the worker his wages before his sweat dries." (Sunan Ibn Majah)
Bribery and Consuming Others' Wealth Unjustly
The same dishonesty, moved from the marketplace into positions of power or trust, gets an even sharper warning:
"The Messenger of Allah ﷺ cursed the one who bribes and the one who takes a bribe for a judgement." (Jamiʿ at-Tirmidhī 1336; graded hasan)
And the underlying principle behind every example in this class so far is stated directly, as a single rule covering all of it:
"O you who have believed, do not consume one another's wealth unjustly but only through business by mutual consent." (Qur’an 4:29)
Unjustly, and without genuine mutual consent — that phrase alone rules out riba, gambling, fraud, hoarding, and bribery at once. Everything covered in this class is really one principle applied to different situations.
The Cost of Haram Income
It's worth pausing here to ask why all of this matters enough to spell out in this much detail. Ḥaram income many bad effects…
1. Allah destroys it and takes the blessings away from it
"Allah destroys interest and gives increase for charities." (Qur’an 2:276)
The apparent gain from riba, fraud, or a bribe often isn't real gain at all — the numbers may go up, but the barakah, the blessing that makes wealth actually useful and sufficient, gets stripped out of it. Many people who've earned dishonestly report the same pattern: the money arrives, and somehow it never seems to be enough, or it disappears into problems that cost more than it was worth.
The Prophet ﷺ said, "If they speak the truth and make everything clear, they will be blessed in their transaction; but if they tell lies and conceal anything, the blessing (barakah) of their transaction will be wiped out." (Bukhari & Muslim)
Relying on illicit gains erodes basic moral accountability, desensitizing the individual to right and wrong. The Prophet ﷺ said, "A time will come upon the people when one will not care how one gains money, whether legally or illegally." (Sahih Bukhari)
2. Punished in the hereafter
The Prophet ﷺ said, "There is no flesh raised that sprouts from the unlawful except that the Fire is more appropriate for it." (Jamiʿ at-Tirmidhī 614; graded ḥasan)
What you eat, wear, and feed your family literally becomes part of you — a sobering way to think about where a paycheck actually comes from. And perhaps the cost felt most immediately, in this life, is spiritual access itself.
3. Duas are not accepted
The Prophet ﷺ described a man who has done everything else right — travelled far, dishevelled and humble, hands raised to the sky, calling out to his Lord with total sincerity, he ﷺ said,
"Allah is Good and accepts only that which is good... [then he mentioned] a man who, having journeyed far, is disheveled and dusty, and who spreads out his hands to the sky saying, “O Lord, O Lord,” while his food is unlawful, his drink is unlawful, his clothing is unlawful, and he has been nourished with unlawful sustenance — how then can his supplication be accepted?" (Sahih Muslim)
Notice what isn't the problem in that scene: not his sincerity, not his humility, not even his posture in duʿaʾ — all of it exactly right. The one thing standing between him and an answered prayer is what he ate on the way there.
It's a hard teaching, but an honest one: guarding this trust isn't only about avoiding a sin on a list, it's about protecting your own access to Allah.
Quotes of Salaf about Haram Income
Malik ibn Dinar said: "It is better for a man to leave one haram dirham than to give one hundred thousand dirhams in charity."
Sufyan al-Thawri said: "He who spends unlawful money in obedience to Allah is like one who cleanses his garment with urine. Surely, only water can purify a garment, just as only lawful earnings can obliterate sins."
Abdullah ibn Abbas said: "Allah never accepts the Prayer of a person who feeds on Haram until he repents."
WITH PROVISIONS COMES RESPONSIBILITES
Rizq is as much a test from Allah as lack of it is.
Al-Hasan Al-Basri (rahimahullah) said, “Whomever Allaah gives provision and he thinks that Allaah is not testing him, has no wisdom. Whomever has little provision and thinks that Allaah will not look at (provide for) him, has no wisdom.”
He then recited the Ayaah, “So, when they forgot (the warning) with which they had been reminded, We opened to them the gates of every (pleasant) thing, until in the midst of their enjoyment in that which they were given, all of a sudden, We took them to punishment, and lo! They were plunged into destruction with deep regrets and sorrows.” (Al-An’am 6:44)
He added, “By the Lord of the Ka’bah! Allaah deceived these people, when He gave them what they wished, and then they were punished.” [Ibn Abi Haatim recorded this statement].
The Prophet ﷺ said, “The son of Adam will not be dismissed from his Lord on the Day of Resurrection until he is questioned about five matters: his life and how he lived it, his youth and how he expended it, his wealth and how he earned it and he spent it, and how he acted upon his knowledge.” (Sunan al-Tirmidhī, classed as Hasan)
The responsibility with wealth can be segregated into two aspects one that are Obligatory and the those that are mustahab.
Amongst the obligations with regards to spending are
FARD
i) Giving Zakah
The payment of Zakat is obligatory, as it is one of the five pillars of Islam. Zakat is the major economic means for establishing social justice and leading the Muslim society towards prosperity and security.
Every Muslim who owns a fixed, minimum amount of wealth (called Nisab), and who satisfies certain other conditions, must pay Zakat. The Qur’an mentions Zakat in many places. For example, Allah (S.W.T) says: “Take Sadaqah (obligatory charity) from their wealth in order to purify them and sanctify them with it, and invoke Allah for them. Verily, your invocations are a source of security for them, and Allah is All-Hearer, All-Knower.” (9:103)
ii) Spending on Family (Wife, Parents and children)
Spending on Wife
The husband is obliged to spend on his wife’s maintenance, on a reasonable basis, because Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Men are the protectors and maintainers of women, because Allah has made one of them to excel the other, and because they spend (to support them) from their means” [an-Nisa’ 4:34]
“Let the rich man spend according to his means, and the man whose resources are restricted, let him spend according to what Allah has given him. Allah puts no burden on any person beyond what He has given him” [at-Talaaq 65:7].
The Prophet ﷺ said: “That you feed her as you feed yourself, clothe her as you clothe yourself, do not strike the face, do not disgrace her and if you want to shun her (by way of disciplining her) do not leave home.” (Abu Dawood & Ibn Maajah).
Spending on Children & also Parents
A man is obliged to spend on his parents and children if they are in need and are poor.
Ibn Qudaamah said: The basic principle is that a man is obliged to spend on his parents and children, according to the Qur’aan and Sunnah and scholarly consensus.
Ibn al-Mundhir said: The scholars are unanimously agreed that spending on poor parents who have no income or wealth is an obligation on the child’s wealth. End quote.
It is not permissible for a Muslim to neglect his family even if he claims that he is travelling for the purpose of worship and righteous deeds, because neglecting one’s family and failing to spend on them is haraam.
iii) Spending on Halal only
We should make sure that we should only spend on Halal things, this includes when you are giving money to your children or others you should make sure that is not being spent to buy haram things like cigarettes or to buy music players etc.
MUSTAHAB
Amongst the acts that are Mustahab with regards to spending are…
Give in Charity
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “O you who believe! Spend of that with which We have provided for you, before a Day comes when there will be no bargaining, nor friendship, nor intercession. And it is the disbelievers who are the Zaalimoon (wrongdoers)” [al-Baqarah 2:254]
“The likeness of those who spend their wealth in the way of Allaah, is as the likeness of a grain (of corn); it grows seven ears, and each ear has a hundred grains. Allaah gives manifold increase to whom He wills. And Allaah is All-Sufficient for His creatures’ needs, All-Knower.
There are many ahadeeth about Charity, it is highly recommended that we give charity in something that becomes an ongoing charity for us the Messenger ﷺ said:
“The son of Adam has three hundred and sixty joints, and charity is due upon each one of them every day. A kind word that a man speaks is charity. A man helping his brother with something is charity. Giving someone a drink of water is charity. Removing harmful things from the road is charity.” (classed as Sahih by Al-Albani)
“When a man dies, his good deeds come to an end except three: ongoing charity, beneficial knowledge and a righteous son who will pray for him.” (Sahih Muslim)
2. To not be a miser nor extravagant in spending
The best of spending is that which one spends on his family “without being extravagant” as Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet ﷺ said: “A dinar that you spend in the way of Allaah, a dinar that you spend to free a slave, a dinar that you give to the poor, and a dinar that you spend on your family – the greatest of these is the one that you spend on your family. “ (Sahih Muslim).
The general principle according to which a man should conduct his spending is the same general principle according to which he should conduct his life, which is the middle way and moderation. Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning): “And those, who, when they spend, are neither extravagant nor niggardly, but hold a medium (way) between those (extremes)” [al-Furqaan 25:67].
The middle way and moderation cannot be indentified by specific amounts or specific limits, that if a person oversteps steps that mark he can be described as being extravagant and if he falls short of it then he is being a miser or niggardly; rather that varies according to the individual’s situation, whether he is rich or poor, whether it is a case of ordinary expenses or an emergency. It also varies from one place to another, one time to another, and so on.
3. Avoid Debts
Both miserliness and extravagance get named as failures here, not just one of them. And on the specific danger of living beyond that balance through debt, the Prophet ﷺ used one of the strongest comparisons available to make the point, he ﷺ said, "All of the sins of a martyr are forgiven, except debt." (Sahih Muslim)
Even the highest level of sacrifice doesn't automatically clear an unpaid debt to another person — it has to be settled directly, or forgiven directly. The Prophet ﷺ described what an unpaid debt does to a person even after death, he ﷺ said, "The believer's soul is suspended by his debt until it is settled for him." (Jamiʿ at-Tirmidhī 1078; graded ḥasan)
This wasn't just words, either. When a companion died still owing money, the Prophet ﷺ initially declined to lead the funeral prayer himself, telling the others: “Pray over your companion,” until another man stepped forward and personally guaranteed the debt would be paid — only then did the Prophet ﷺ agree to lead the prayer (Sahih Bukhari 2295). A debt wasn't treated as a private inconvenience between two people; it was serious enough to affect how the Prophet ﷺ himself responded, even at a funeral. He also asked Allah for protection from falling into debt by name, in the very same breath as miserliness:
"O Allah, I seek refuge in You from anxiety and grief, from incapacity and laziness, from miserliness and cowardice, from being overwhelmed by debt, and from being overpowered by other people." (Sahih Bukhari)
Notice what that duʿaʾ links together: laziness, miserliness, and debt, all in one breath, as connected weaknesses rather than separate problems. Guarding this trust well means neither hoarding out of fear nor spending past your means out of pride.
4. Keep the Will Ready
The Prophet ﷺ said, "It is not permissible for any Muslim who has something to bequeath to let two nights pass without having his will written down and kept ready." (Sahih Bukhari)
Islam sets fixed inheritance shares for family members rather than leaving it entirely to personal preference — detailed fiqh on those shares is beyond what this class can cover, but the underlying point stands on its own: a written wasiyyah, done properly and reviewed as life changes, is one of the most practical acts of care a person can leave behind, and one of the most commonly avoided simply because the conversation feels uncomfortable.
A Trust, Not Just a Tool
Everything in this class comes back to the same idea: wealth is a trust that passes through your hands, not a personal achievement you answer to no one for. Guarding it well means earning it honestly, even when the dishonest route is easier and common; spending it with balance, neither hoarding out of fear nor wasting out of pride; treating everyone whose wealth touches yours — a customer, an employee, a lender — with the same honesty you'd want extended to you, and settling promptly whatever you owe them; and recognizing that once wealth is legitimately yours, it still isn't only yours — the poor, the needy, and your own family after you all have a claim on it. Zakah and ṣadaqah aren't afterthoughts to a financially responsible life; they're the point of it. May Allah purify our earnings, protect us from riba and every form of dishonest gain, make us fair to everyone who works for us and honest with everything entrusted to us, make us generous with what He gives us, and grant us the balance to neither hoard nor waste it. Amīn.
The Five Sacred Trusts
Six classes ago, this course opened with a claim that might have felt abstract at the time: that Shariʿah, beneath its thousands of specific rulings, is organized around protecting five things — a person's deen, their nafs, their ʿaql, their nasl, and their maal. By now that claim should feel far less abstract. Each class took one of these trusts and showed the same pattern repeating: Allah and His Messenger ﷺ don't leave what matters most to guesswork. Where the stakes are highest — belief, life, the mind, family and honor, wealth — the guidance is clearest, and it is never arbitrary. Every boundary named across this course exists to protect something real in a person's life, and every encouragement exists to help something real in a person's life flourish.
It's worth being honest about what six classes can and can't do. They can lay out what's sound and give an honest, well-referenced map of the terrain. They can't, by themselves, turn any of it into a lived habit — that part only happens slowly, through practice, mistakes, and returning to these principles again and again over the course of an actual life.
May Allah accept it from everyone who studied, forgive us for every shortcoming in it, make its benefit outlast the time spent on it, and grant everyone of us the tawfeeq to actually live what it describes — protecting our dīn, our nafs, our ʿaql, our nasl, and our maal, until we meet Him having guarded well what He entrusted to us.
TIPS FOR THE TEST
Do not have to memorise the ayahs or hadeeths word for word and their references, but remember their meanings and the msg being given.
Remember the Duas.
Remember the questions that will be asked on the day of judgement
ASSIGNMENT
There will be an Assignment Question asked in the Test. Marks will be given based on the following: -
I. Invite atleast 10 people to the course (can invite via WhatsApp, Facebook, Email, telegram or word of mouth) 4 Marks. (check the note below for exceptions)
Note:
Those who have already invited whether on Whatsapp, Email or FB, do not need to invite again.
It does not matter, whether people join or not, our job is to invite.
II. Talk to 3 people (friends or family) about any three topics from the course - (5 Marks)
III. Pray for the Ummah, pray for the ease of all the poor & oppressed Muslims and Maghfirah of the Muslims who passed away. Pray that Allah make us all strong in imaan and give us the hidayah to work for the aakhirah and to help each other. - 1 Mark
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