Muslims have a positive attitude towards the poor, because as the Hadith states, ‘Richness does not lie in abundance of worldly goods, but true richness is the richness of the soul.’. Not only do Muslims not despise those living in poverty, they treat them with care and love. Poverty is not necessarily a punishment. It is a test for one’s patience, to see whether one can resist the temptation of earning money through illegal means and live an honest and humble life through their own hard work. Muslims believe that they would be rewarded in the hereafter if they live their life according to Allah. Therefore, Muslims living in poverty have an optimistic attitude towards their suffering because they believe that it was all decided by Allah and he would always choose the best for them.
The idea of Ummah, the huge community created by Allah which everyone one lives under, comes strongly with wealth and poverty. Everyone should take responsibility for the poverty in the Ummah, therefore, Muslims are obliged to help the poor and needy, as the quotation below from the Hadith shows.
‘He will never be deemed a true believer, he who fails to aid his starving neighbor, despite his affordability to do so.’ (Hadith)
Zakah, the third pillar of Islam, is the main charitable obligation under the teachings of Islam. It is the requirement of a Muslim to give 2.5% of their annual disposable income to the Mosque, which then spends the money on various charitable acts. Zakah literally means purity. According to Muslim teachings, paying the Zakah purifies the not only the wealth, but also the heart from selfishness of a Muslim, as Qur’an 9:103 shows.
‘Take charity from their wealth and cleanse them and purify them thereby.’(Qur’an 9:103)
‘And those who hoard gold and silver and do not spend it in the way of God, give them the news of painful punishment, the day they will be heated in the fire of hell, then their foreheads and sides will be branded.’ (Qur’an 9:34-35)
Muslims are also warned about the consequences of not paying the Zakah in Qur’an 9:34-35. As a result, Muslims believe that it is their duty to take care the Ummah. Apart from the obligation of paying the Zakah, many would also make other voluntary contributions. This is called the Sadaqah. It involves a Muslim giving up their time or wealth to help the poor and needy. Muslims’ attitude is that it is their duty to make voluntary contributions and that their good deeds would be rewarded by Allah, as Qur’an 2:262 demonstrates.
“Those who spend their wealth in the way of God are like a grain of corn that grows seven ears, in every ear one hundred grains. And God increases further for whomever he pleases.”(Quran 2:262)
Muslims believe that life itself is a test from God. For those who live in poverty, suffering and pain is believed to be the test of their faith from Allah. For others, wealth is a gift from God. It is also test from Allah to see whether one could overcome the greed and desire for wealth and spend it according to the will of Allah. Everyone is equal in the Ummah under God. Wealth and poverty are just two different paths that Allah has chosen for a Muslim. Muslim’s attitude is to follow whatever path Allah has chosen for them without any questioning, as Allah is the ultimate authority and his choices are always the right ones.