Page 140 - The Nightmare of Disbelief

Nobody Makes a Living outside the Law

In the previous sections, we discussed at length how people
far removed from the values of religion do not have a real sense

of faith in the hereafter, and thus they attach too much impor-
tance to this world and observe no limits in following their de-
sires. These people may do anything to pursue their whims, in-
cluding losing their honor. According to their distorted ratio-
nale, they will ultimately die and be reduced to dust, therefore,
they have to make the most of this life, which is rather short.
They make money their ultimate goal, since they consider it the
key to any sort of success in this world. In their own misguided
thinking, if they have money, they can attain anything they wish.
This is actually the point at which they display their moral weak-
nesses. They will become embroiled in anything to make money,
so long as they are not obliged to work hard.

Such people are prone to every imaginable evil such as
fraud, treachery, swindling, theft, embezzlement and bearing
false witness. The plethora of such news in the daily press suf-
fices to remind us of this fact. We are all familiar with stories of
murders committed to inherit a fortune, or people encouraging
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their wives, daughters or neighbors to engage in prostitution
for money or in other kinds of fraud.
Believers, however, are aware that Allah, the Provider (ar-
Razzaq), will give sustenance to those in need. No doubt, with
the consent of Allah, they, too, work to make a living; howev-
er, they are not ambitious for worldly goods and do not even
think of making their living outside the law. They know that
earning the love of Allah is only possible through honesty, as
the Prophet (saas) said, "Allah loves those believers who labor to
earn a living by lawful means." (At-Tabarani) In return for not be-

ing attached to this life, they are rewarded with an abundance

THE NIGHTMARE OF DISBELIEF