Chapter 64 – The Excellence of the Grateful Wealthy Person: one who acquires his money through lawful means and directs it to the avenues that Allah has commanded.

Allah the Exalted says,
‘But as for the one who gives and is mindful of Allah, and affirms the best promise, We shall ease his way toward ease.’ (Al-Layl 5-7)

He also says,
‘The most God-fearing will be kept far from it—he who gives of his wealth to purify himself, seeking no favour in return from anyone, but only the Face of his Most High Lord; and surely he will be satisfied.’ (Al-Layl 17-21)

And He says,
‘If you make your charities public, how excellent they are; but if you conceal them and give them to the poor, that is better for you, and it will atone for some of your sins. Allah is fully aware of what you do.’ (Al-Baqarah 271)

And He says,
‘You will never attain true righteousness until you spend out of that which you love; and whatever you spend, Allah surely knows it.’ (Āl ʿImrān 92)

There are, of course, many other well-known verses that extol spending in acts of obedience.

[Explanation]
The author—may Allah have mercy on him—entitles this chapter “The Virtue of the Grateful Wealthy Person,” defining him as one who earns wealth in a rightful way and disposes of it in its rightful place.

A wealthy person is someone whom Allah has granted sufficiency so that he has no need of others—whether that sufficiency be in money, knowledge, status, or anything else—although in common usage the term refers to one whom Allah has provided with money that frees him from dependence on others.

Allah, exalted is He, tests His servants with wealth—that is, with both affluence and poverty; so whoever