Purifying and Growing Wealth

The Qur’an, Surah ar-Rum, Verse 39, states that any increase (riba) you give in order to raise someone’s wealth does not increase in the sight of Allah, whereas what you give as zakat with the intention of pleasing Allah is what leads to multiplied rewards for the doer. One of the strong instincts in every human being is the desire for wealth. The desire to possess substantial wealth and to see it grow from time to time, and from era to era, is universal. No one wishes their wealth to diminish. People strive to increase it, even though at times they may do so through unworthy means and even to the detriment of others. Allah, in Surah al-Fajr, verse 20, says: “And you love wealth with an excessive love.” As a teaching that aligns with human nature, the fitrah, and needs, Islam encourages people to possess and acquire wealth for the pursuit of welfare and true happiness in this world and the hereafter. Islam does not only encourage accumulation and income but also expenditure and utilization, together with purifying and cleansing wealth. Here we find guidance regarding the willingness to give zakat and infak. Zakat and infak, which may appear to diminish wealth, actually develop and multiply the wealth one possesses.