Juma Khutbas

Charity is a zero-sum game because we see charity as giving. All giving is to lose something. When you give, you are saying that you didn’t receive anything in return. That is why if you give $1000 in charity, you say, “I gave $1000.” But when you buy Tesla shares for $1000 you don’t say, “I gave Elon Musk or Wall Street or NASDAC or whatever, $1000.” You say, “I invested $1000 in Tesla.” That’s because you expect a return on your investment. You didn’t GIVE. You INVESTED. Anything that you expect a return on is an investment, not charity. Therefore, what do we say about spending in the path of Allahﷻ? Ask, because this is real retirement planning.

Allahﷻ created us for a purpose and told us what that purpose is. He said:

وَمَا خَلَقْتُ ٱلْجِنَّ وَٱلْإِنسَ إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُونِمَآ أُرِيدُ مِنْهُم مِّن رِّزْقٍ وَمَآ أُرِيدُ أَن يُطْعِمُونِإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ هُوَ ٱلرَّزَّاقُ ذُو ٱلْقُوَّةِ ٱلْمَتِينُ

Zariyaat 51: 58   I did not create jinn and humans except to worship Me. I seek no provision from them, nor do I need them to feed Me. Indeed, Allah ˹alone˺ is the Supreme Provider—Owner of all Power, Ever Mighty.

Allahﷻ commanded us to rush to the prayer and leave our work for this. After the prayer, He permitted us to search for sustenance. Not before. Not instead of. But AFTER completing the prayer. Command to leave everything and rush to pray. And after that, permission to search. Permission implies that what we have been permitted to search for is already there.

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ إِذَا نُودِىَ لِلصَّلَوٰةِ مِن يَوْمِ ٱلْجُمُعَةِ فَٱسْعَوْا۟ إِلَىٰ ذِكْرِ ٱللَّهِ وَذَرُوا۟ ٱلْبَيْعَ ذَٰلِكُمْ خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ إِن كُنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَفَإِذَا قُضِيَتِ ٱلصَّلَوٰةُ فَٱنتَشِرُوا۟ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ وَٱبْتَغُوا۟ مِن فَضْلِ ٱللَّهِ وَٱذْكُرُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ كَثِيرًا لَّعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ

Jumu'a 62:9-10   O believers! When the call to prayer is made on Friday, then proceed ˹diligently˺ to the remembrance of Allah and leave ˹your˺ business. That is best for you, if only you knew. Once the prayer is over, disperse throughout the land and seek the bounty of Allah. And remember Allah often so you may be successful.

The command to leave ٱلْبَيْعَ - selling (where you see profit) is not restricted to the Friday prayer but applies to all prayers. Allahﷻ did not use the word شراء (buying) which is also part of business but (sale) باع and ordered us to leave that for prayer - the implication is to leave something which is profitable for something else in which there is much more profit.

Allahﷻ told us to search for sustenance, not to create it. If we are alive our sustenance has already been created but we have the choice of getting it from a Halal source or a Haraam source, which is an open book test because we have also been told the consequences of getting it from either of the sources. If we pick the right source, not only will our investment be protected but we will be rewarded for making that choice. But if we fall into the trap of Shaytaan and choose from the wrong place, then not only will we lose everything, but we may also be punished for choosing the wrong way when the correct way had already been shown to us. That is why the example of the bird in the nest which searches for its sustenance. It doesn't make its food. It searches for what Allahﷻ has already provided and finds it.  

Allahﷻ ordered us to spend in charity more than 66 times in the Qur’an but did not ask us to accumulate wealth or to save for a 'rainy day', even once. That is because He is the Provider and we trust Him and rely on Him, and not on our effort, our smarts or accumulated wealth. This is not a prohibition on saving or earning.