Allah—Most High—has apportioned inheritances in the Quran, and there can be no inheritance unless someone leaves wealth behind. More than one Companion possessed wealth during the Prophet’s lifetime—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—from among the Ansār and even the Emigrants. More than one prophet also possessed wealth.

Abū Dharr sought to require of people what Allah had not required of them and to condemn them for what Allah had not condemned them for. Nevertheless, he was exercising independent judgment in this matter and was rewarded for his obedience—may Allah be pleased with him—like other qualified scholars who exercised independent judgment.

The Prophet’s statement—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—does not establish an obligation. He merely said:

“I would not like a third night to pass while I still had any of it.”

This indicates that giving it away before the third night is recommended, not obligatory. Likewise, his statement:

“Those who possess much are those who possess little,”

indicates that whoever possesses great wealth will have fewer good deeds on the Day of Resurrection if he does not give much of it away (1). Yet this does not entail that [the man] whose good deeds are few (2) will be among the people of the Fire, provided that he neither commits a major sin nor neglects an obligation [among Allah’s obligations].

Umar ibn al-Khattāb—may Allah be pleased with him—(3) used to keep his subjects firmly in line [with complete discipline] (4), so neither the rich nor the poor transgressed (5). During Uthmān’s caliphate, however, the wealthy became more indulgent in worldly matters, until many of them exceeded the bounds of what was permissible in quantity (6)