“…while the other says, ‘O Allah, consign the withholder to ruin,’ that is, destroy his wealth.
What is meant here is the one who holds back from spending where Allah has made spending obligatory. Not every person who restrains himself is subject to this supplication; rather, it applies solely to the one who refuses to disburse his money in the ways Allah has commanded. Such a person is the one for whom the angels pray that Allah bring ruin upon him and upon his property.
Ruin (talaf) takes two forms:
- Tangible ruin: the wealth itself perishes—struck by a calamity that burns it, stolen, or the like.
- Intangible ruin: its blessing is stripped away so that a person gains no credit from it in good deeds.
Of the latter is what the Prophet ﷺ mentioned when he asked his Companions, “Which of you loves the wealth of his heir more than his own wealth?” They replied, “O Messenger of Allah, none of us but that his own wealth is dearer to him.” He then said, “A man’s wealth is that which he sends ahead, whereas the wealth of his heir is that which he leaves behind.”
What a profound insight from the one endowed with concise yet comprehensive speech ﷺ! The wealth you advance for Allah will confront you on the Day of Resurrection, whereas the heir’s wealth is whatever remains after you—benefited from and consumed by the heir—so in reality it is his. Therefore, spend your money in what pleases Allah. When you do, Allah will replace it and provide for you, as the Messenger of Allah ﷺ conveyed from his Lord: “O son of Adam, spend and I will spend on you.”
All these hadiths, together with the Qur’anic verses, show that a person ought to deploy his wealth according to what Allah has legislated, just as is illustrated in the hadith with which the author began the chapter.