The human being is slaves to
lots and lots of sources to cover various overwhelming need for their herein
lives, it is necessary for them that they would provide livelihood for
themselves and their family members as well, using their parts of body, talents
and skills, bestowed by Allah Almighty, earning money is a basic need of any man
and he obliged it too, as much as he can, once Allah Almighty created human
being, He knows their needs and also He is responsible to fulfil their
necessities; but it needs that the men by themselves would try, pull out all
efforts and fulfil their duties honestly, Allah Almighty said stating the
provision to have and His bounties upon His slaves: "It is Allah who has made
the earth subservient to you so that you can travel on its path and eat (and
drink) from His provisions and you have to return to Him". (Al- Mulk: 15) As
Allah has obligated His worship and recognition, likewise He made mandatory to
pull in lively hood; thus He said commanding them to earn a living after
completion of Jumuah prayer in one place of the Holy Book: "Then when the Jumuah
Salah is offered, you may disperse through the land and seek the Bounty of Allah
(by trade etc.) Do engage yourself in much remembrance of Allah (even these
worldly activities) so that you may be successful." (Al- Jumuah: 10)
Provision could not be gained by itself without try hard, a man must have to
struggle for it; that's why Allah had commanded to His holy prophets to earn
lawful provisions as He says: "O, ye Messengers! Eat from the Lawful things and
do good deeds; I am All Knower of what you do". (al-Muminoon: 51) Thus the
prophets (may Allah peace and mercy be upon them) that they used to preach, they
had not take donation and fee for that, but they themselves used to earn their
livings, many occupations of their earning money are mentioned in the books of
Hadis, as it is reported in one Hadis: "The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Nobody has ever
eaten a better meal than that one has earned by working with one's own hands.
The Prophet of Allah(ﷺ), Dawood (David, may Allah peace be upon him) used to eat
from the earnings of his manual labour." (Bukari, Book: sales and trade,
Chapter: The earnings of a person and his manual labour) Even the prophet
Muhammad (ﷺ) when he became mature and primary responsibility came unto him,
from then on he also began to earn, on the one hand as he grazed the goats of
his foster mother " Hazrt, Halimah" in the age of childhood, on the other hand
he also went out on business trip among his uncle "Abu Talib", afterwards when
his own self responsibility came to him, he systematically did business, he did
used to go out on business trip before prophet hood, after it though he did not
go out, but defiantly he must used to be a part of business, if he wants to take
charity and Zakah of Muslims, he could have done it, and Mulslims too, would
submit their wealth before him, but only he did not prohibited it for him, but
he also prohibited it for his all family.
As Allah Almighty had commanded His all prophets to earn lawful provisions, the
same commands are to His all salves too, as He says: “Eat the lawful things and
your favourite ones from the lawful items, which Allah has provided for you and
fear Allah in Whom you believe". (Al- Maedah: 88) As well as the prophet (ﷺ)
said highly reproachful and bad habit to beg from any one and he said a great
virtue to earn by working with one's own hands, as it is narrated in one Hadis:
"The Prophet (ﷺ) said: " it is better for anyone of you that he would take an
axe, cut the woods (from the forest) and put it over his back and sell it, Allah
would save his face(provide his needs) because of that, rather than to ask the
people who may give him or not. (Bukhari, Book: Zakah, Chapter:To abstain from
begging) Many times it is mentioned in the books of Hadis that whenever the
prophet (ﷺ) saw any one begging, he would stop him, if he does not have any
thing, he would help him and let him on a work, such a story has been repoted by
Hazrat Anas that a man from Ansar came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and begged from him.
He asked: Have you nothing in your house? He replied: Yes, a piece of cloth, its
one part, we wear and another part, we spread (on the ground), and a wooden bowl
from which we drink water. He said: Bring them to me. He then brought these
articles to him and he took them in his hands and asked: Who will buy these? A
man said: I shall buy them for one dirham. He said twice or thrice: Who will
offer more than one dirham? A man said: I shall buy them for two dirhams. He
gave these to him and took the two dirhams and gave them to Ansari and said: Buy
food with one of them and hand it to your family, and buy an axe and bring it to
me. He then brought it to him. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) fixed a handle on it
with his own hands and said: Go, gather firewood and sell it, and do not let me
see you for a fortnight. The man went away and gathered firewood and sold it.
When he had earned ten dirhams, he came to him and bought a garment with some of
them and food with the others.The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) then said: This is
better for you than that begging should come as a spot on your face on the Day
of Judgment. (Abu Daood, Book: Zakah, Chapter: Situations Where Begging Is
Allowed and Where It Is Not Allowed)
Islam tells the great virtue to earn a living by working with one's own self and
extremely runs down to roam hither thither having glass and pot with no reason
and tells enormously punishment for such a person, its one reason is that, if
any person takes it to eat he becomes very lazy and if his profession goes on,
another indolent and lazy person besides him began to try their level best for
that, in this way lots and lots of assets of Muslims have been wasting in such
professional and sloppy faces, the second most important reason is that in this
way the big amount of charity and Zakah could not be arrived at the real
deserves of charity and Zakah and only for them Allah has kept this system. He
warned the one who is not deserved for that in one Hadis as he says: "A man
keeps on asking others for something till he comes on the Day of Resurrection
without any piece of flesh on his face. (Bukhari, Book: Zakah, Chapter: Whoever
asks the people to increase his wealth)
Then as Islam prohibits to beg with no need, the same way it also prohibited to
earn in an unlawful way, as Allah Almighty says;" And do not consume one
another's wealth unjustily". ( Al- Baqrah: 188), Earning money in an unlawful
way means prohibited and forbidden income, for an example earning money through
theft and burglary, to gain wealth by bribe, gambling, cheating and by mixing
these all are tremendously prohibited in the sight of Islam, neither the income
of such a person is increased nor his worship and prayer will be ever accepted,
even like him person does not have right to enter in Jannah Paradise, on one
hand a believer should be as he would not be burden for his family but he should
try to earn lives, on the second hand it is his own religious and moral
obligation that whatever he earns and for it what occupation he chooses,
condition is that, it must be clear and lawful.