Friday khutba – 9 January 2026 (19 Rajab 1447 AH)
Good Comes Only Through Good
All praise is due to Allah. We worship Him alone and seek His help alone. We bear witness that there is no god worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) is His servant and His Messenger. Allah says: “O you who believe, fear Allah and speak words of truth. He will set right your deeds and forgive you your sins. And whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger has indeed attained a great success.”
Among the greatest concerns the Prophet (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) expressed for his Ummah was not poverty or weakness, but the temptations of worldly blessings. Imam al-Bukhari narrates on the authority of Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) once stood upon the pulpit and said: “Nothing worries me more about you than what will be opened to you of the blessings of the earth after I am gone.”
He spoke about the pleasures of this world and its adornments. At that moment, a man stood up and asked a profound question:
“O Messenger of Allah, can evil come from good?”
The Prophet (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) remained silent for a moment, until his Companions thought revelation might be descending upon him. The gathering fell into complete stillness. Then the Prophet (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) wiped the sweat from his face and said: “Where is the one who asked? Do you think wealth is good?”
He repeated this three times and then said: “Good comes only through good.”
The Prophet (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) then clarified this principle with a striking example. He explained that the vegetation that grows in spring may harm and even destroy animals that consume it excessively, while those that eat in moderation benefit from it and remain healthy.
He then said: “This wealth is sweet and attractive. Blessed is the Muslim who acquires it lawfully and spends it in the cause of Allah—on the poor, the orphans, and those in need. But whoever acquires it unlawfully is like a greedy eater who is never satisfied, and he will be held accountable for it on the Day of Resurrection.”
In another narration recorded by Imam Muslim, the Prophet (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said: “By Allah, I do not fear poverty for you; rather, I fear what Allah will open for you of the pleasures of this world.”
And when he was asked again whether evil can come from good, he replied: “Good comes only through good.”
This world, by Allah’s wisdom, is a place of testing—not a place of reward or permanence. People are tried through its attractions and desires. Some are deceived by it, competing for its pleasures and making it their ultimate goal. Others recognize its true nature and treat it as a means, not an end; a passage, not a destination. They seek closeness to Allah and long for His eternal reward.
Through this hadith, the Prophet (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) teaches balance and clarity. Pure good—such as faith, Islam, and obedience to Allah—leads only to good. However, some things are good in essence yet may turn into harm when misused. Wealth is one of them.
Wealth is a blessing from Allah, but it can become a source of destruction if it is acquired through unlawful means, spent in disobedience to Allah, or allowed to distract the heart from the Hereafter. The Prophet (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) likened such a person to an animal that consumes excessively until it destroys itself.
This is the condition of those who approach the world without restraint—taking more than they need—until what they believed to be good becomes a source of harm. In contrast, the Prophet (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) described the animal that eats moderately, stops when full, rests, and then returns to grazing without excess. It benefits itself without harm.
This is the example of the wise believer: one who earns lawfully, spends generously in good causes, and remains balanced—neither extravagant nor miserly. The Prophet (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) acknowledged that people naturally love wealth, likening it to lush greenery that is pleasant to the eye and sweet in taste.
Yet true success belongs to the one who uses wealth correctly—fulfilling Allah’s rights, giving to the poor, the orphans, the traveler, and supporting good causes. Such wealth will testify in his favor on the Day of Resurrection and elevate his rank.
As for those who hoard wealth unjustly, there is no blessing in it. Contentment is removed from their hearts, leaving them spiritually impoverished—even if they possess the treasures of the earth. They are like those who eat but are never satisfied, and their wealth will testify against them for what they earned unlawfully.
Allah says: “Competition in worldly gain distracts you, until you reach the graves.” (102:1–2)
The Prophetic principle can be summarized as follows:
- One person is like a greedy hoarder who accumulates wealth without piety, drowning in its pleasures until it destroys him.
- The other is like a balanced ascetic who takes only what he needs, using wealth as a means to obey Allah.
Wealth is a great blessing when it is handled according to Islamic guidance—earned lawfully, purified through obligatory charity, and spent for good purposes. Only then does good remain purely good, without turning into harm.
Islam does not prohibit earning wealth, but it commands restraint, lawful means, and proper spending. In this lies safety and salvation. Persistent accumulation without concern for what is lawful or unlawful reflects weak insight and poor judgment.
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “People fall into what is forbidden in only two ways: by having a poor opinion of their Lord, or by allowing their desires to overpower reason and wisdom.”
We ask Allah to make our wealth a means of obedience to Him, not a cause of our destruction; to grant us deep understanding of the religion and sound judgment. Indeed, He is the Guardian of all things and fully capable of all things.
