Not to
trade or hoard wealth
(175)
It is related by Jubair bin Nufair; he relates from the Prophet, by way
of Irsal that he said: “It has not been revealed to me by God and
I have not been commanded to hoard wealth and to make buying and selling
my profession, but it has been revealed to me and I have been commanded
to occupy [myself] with the praise and glorification of my Lord and be
of those who bow low before Him and keep obeying my Cherisher till the
time of death.”
-Sharha As-Sunnah
Commentary.-Trade is not prohibited in Islam. On the other hand, a large part of the injunctions of the Shariat deal with it and other forms of monetary transaction. The Prophet, too, has praised the traders highly who carry on their business honestly. But the special position occupied by the Prophet and the nature of the mission entrusted to him by God demanded that he should not engage even in a legitimate profession like trade. Beside, God had relieved him of anxiety in this respect by endowing his heart with the virtues of contentment and total reliance upon His Providential care.
What the Prophet intends to convey here is that he has to apply himself single-mindedly to the tasks assigned to him by God. It is not his business to carry on trade or to amass wealth.
Among the followers of the sacred Prophet, also, it is the ideal state for those who choose for themselves a life of complete reliance upon God and are prepared to undergo cheerfully the trials and hardships that go with it. But for others, it is necessary to engage in some lawful economic activity in order to earn a living, particularly in the present times.
-Sharha As-Sunnah
Commentary.-Trade is not prohibited in Islam. On the other hand, a large part of the injunctions of the Shariat deal with it and other forms of monetary transaction. The Prophet, too, has praised the traders highly who carry on their business honestly. But the special position occupied by the Prophet and the nature of the mission entrusted to him by God demanded that he should not engage even in a legitimate profession like trade. Beside, God had relieved him of anxiety in this respect by endowing his heart with the virtues of contentment and total reliance upon His Providential care.
What the Prophet intends to convey here is that he has to apply himself single-mindedly to the tasks assigned to him by God. It is not his business to carry on trade or to amass wealth.
Among the followers of the sacred Prophet, also, it is the ideal state for those who choose for themselves a life of complete reliance upon God and are prepared to undergo cheerfully the trials and hardships that go with it. But for others, it is necessary to engage in some lawful economic activity in order to earn a living, particularly in the present times.