as we read in Surat al-A'raf, 32:
Say: "Who has forbidden the fine clothing that Allahhas produced for
His servants and the good kinds of provision?" Say:"On the Day of
Rising, suchthings will be exclusively for those who had faith during
their life in the hereafter�"
The Qur'an gives the example of Prophet Sulayman (as), to whom Allah
gave great wealth. Infact, it describes these possessions, as well as
his opulent palace and works of art, in Surah Saba', 12-13 and Surat
an-Naml, 44.
The important thing here is that Sulayman (as) gave thanks to Allah
amid all of these magnificent possessions, for he knew that they were
a mercy from our Lord. By relating his words: "Truly do I love the
love of good with a view to the glory of my Lord" (Surah Sad, 32), the
Qur'an draws our attention to his deep understanding.
This example shows us that the love of possessions, defined here as
"the love of good," is legitimate as long as it is ameans to praise
Allah. No doubt, believers who havethis kind of love will not hesitate
to use their possessions as Allah directs. Possessions are a blessing
belonging to Allah, and so those who have them will use them as Allah
commands.
But if possessions are not seen as a blessing, dissolution sets in.
The Qur'an gives many examples of how deviators understand the meaning
of riches. One of the clearest examples is that of Qarun, a rich man
who "gloated" (Surat al-Qasas, 76) and said: "I have only been given
it because of the knowledge I have" (Surat al-Qasas, 78). Such a love
of possessions cannot bring people close to Allah; rather, it diverts
them from His way and alienates them from faith. The Qur'an describes
this type of love as:
Truly man is ungrateful to his Lord, and indeed he bears witness to
that. Truly he is fierce in his love of wealth. (Surat al-'Adiyat,
6-8)
So, for this reason Muslimsmust view wealth according to the Qur'an's
criteria and pursue it only to please Allah and serve Islam. They must
desire allof Allah's blessings, because all blessings of this earthly
life have been created for those faithful and sincere servants who
exert every effort to please and serve Allah. Wehave to be continually
thankful for these blessings and follow Sulayman's (as) example:"What
an excellent servant! He truly turned tohis Lord" (Surah Sad, 30).
Those who live according to the real spirit of the Qur'an's moral
teachings and adopt the point of view described above will be deemed
"worthy and qualified" to enter Paradise, which possesses, as one of
its most salient characteristics, eternal splendor and dazzling wealth
and beauty. Peoplewho think and feel like Sulayman (as), who
said:"Truly do I love the love ofgood with a view to the glory of my
Lord" (Surah Sad, 32) amid all of this beauty, are believers.
Since this is how believers will think in Paradise, theirtrue home,
they must establish this point of view in this world, which is no more
than a preparation for the world to come. Far from regarding wealth,
beauty, and splendor as dissolution, believers mustknow that every
blessing is a mercy from our Lord, recognize its value, learn to enjoy
it, and be thankful.
The blessings of Paradise that we will look at in the following pages
must be examined from this point of view./
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