Major Principles in Islam: Seeking the Halal (Part 3)
Halal income
Halal earning refers to how to earn your living in a way that pleases Allah. It also includes how to avoid falling into haram, doubtful matters, disliked things, or areas that are grey and uncertain.
In the previous session, we mentioned the work of Imam Muhammad ibn al-Hasan, the student of Abu Hanifah. He authored an early book on this very topic. Although it was written in the second century of Islamic history, it remains relevant today. As servants of Allah سبحانه وتعالى, we are obliged to conduct our financial transactions in accordance with the Qur’an and Sunnah.
He mentioned that seeking halal sustenance to meet one’s basic needs is an obligation. This includes becoming self-sufficient and being able to support yourself. If you have dependents, such as parents, a spouse, or children, then this responsibility extends to them as well.
Some might think this is obvious, but it’s not. In today’s world, many no longer seek halal simply to fulfil their needs. We often chase more than we need. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we saw more clearly what the basic necessities are, things you can live with and survive on. Extravagance may be nice, but it isn’t essential. So, the discussion here is about priorities: instead of chasing the dunya and falling into the traps of Shaytan through dubious dealings, one should reassess and adjust one’s goals.
However, this does not mean that Islam discourages ambition or having grand plans. Not at all. But we’re focusing here on how to live in a way that pleases Allah. The goal is that when you meet Allah, you have fulfilled your duties and avoided what displeases Him as much as possible.
Today, insha’Allah, we will discuss what Imam al-Ghazali said in his book Ihya Ulum al-Din (The Revival of the Religious Sciences), specifically in chapter three of the quarter on habits (Rub‘ al-‘Adat). He dedicated a full chapter to the etiquettes of earning a living. I’ll summarise because it’s a long chapter.
He begins with a beautiful introduction. He says that people fall into three types. Imam al-Ghazali had a very mathematical and structured mind. He broke topics into categories and dissected them so that you could understand things clearly.
He says the first type is: a person whose livelihood distracts them from the hereafter. Do we have such people? Absolutely. In fact, the majority of people today fall into this category. They are focused entirely on the dunya, on business, wealth, and material success. Their whole goal is to make money.
What do you want to be? A money-making machine?
This type of person is distracted by the dunya at the expense of the akhirah. They may even have no belief in the hereafter at all. So what do we call these people? They are doomed.
Allah talks about this type in the Qur’an many times. For example, He gives the parable of this dunya:
اعْلَمُوا أَنَّمَا الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا لَعِبٌ وَلَهْوٌ وَزِينَةٌ وَتَفَاخُرٌ بَيْنَكُمْ وَتَكَاثُرٌ فِي الْأَمْوَالِ وَالْأَوْلَادِ كَمَثَلِ غَيْثٍ أَعْجَبَ الْكُفَّارَ نَبَاتُهُ ثُمَّ يَهِيجُ فَتَرَاهُ مُصْفَرًّا ثُمَّ يَكُونُ حُطَامًا
“Know that the life of this world is but play and amusement, and adornment, and boasting among yourselves, and competition in increase of wealth and children. It is like the example of rain whose [resulting] plant growth pleases the tillers; then it dries and you see it turning yellow; then it becomes [scattered] debris.” (Surah Al-Hadid, 57:20)
This is a very powerful visual. The dunya is beautiful and green, it tempts you, and it’s easy to become attached to it. Green symbolises comfort and peace. Allah says in another place:
إِنَّا جَعَلْنَا مَا عَلَى الْأَرْضِ زِينَةً لَّهَا لِنَبْلُوَهُمْ أَيُّهُمْ أَحْسَنُ عَمَلًا
“Indeed, We have made that which is on the earth adornment for it that We may test them [as to] which of them is best in deed.” (Surah Al-Kahf, 18:7)
But people often consume without checking. Like when you eat something just because it looks appealing, you don’t check the label or the side effects. Similarly, dunya is a test. If you don’t check the label, you fall for the trap. You build your dunya at the expense of your akhirah.
Allah also says:
وَيْلٌ لِّكُلِّ هُمَزَةٍ لُّمَزَةٍ ١ الَّذِي جَمَعَ مَالًا وَعَدَّدَهُ ٢ يَحْسَبُ أَنَّ مَالَهُ أَخْلَدَهُ
“Woe to every scorner and mocker who collects wealth and [continuously] counts it. He thinks that his wealth will make him immortal.” (Surah Al-Humazah, 104:1–3)
These are the people who hoard wealth and take pride in counting it. In those days, there were no banknotes, just gold and silver coins. The sound they made when counted gave people satisfaction, so much so that they enjoyed counting their wealth just for the sound.
Imagine someone with a massive safe like the cave of Alibaba, filled with treasures. They open it and enjoy just counting and admiring what they have. This is the image Allah gives in the Qur’an. But what is the end of this person?
They sacrificed the akhirah for the dunya.
Imam al-Ghazali calls this person doomed. Their trade is a total loss. Why? Because any trade you make with infinity is a loss.
Imagine I offer you a blank cheque versus £1 million. Which one is better? Of course, the blank cheque, it’s open-ended. If you choose the fixed number, you’ve lost.
That’s exactly what these people did. They traded the infinite reward of Allah for something limited and fleeting in the dunya.
This was the first category. As usual, Imam al-Ghazali, with his usuli (principled and methodological) mindset, lays things out in a clear and structured way. He presents the map before dissecting the details, so that each person can see where they are on that map. He prepares the reader before beginning the journey.
Imam al-Ghazali’s classification shows us that there are three types of people:
- Those distracted by the dunya and neglect the akhirah – these are the doomed.
- Those who abandon the dunya and focus completely on the akhirah – these are the victorious.
- Those who use the dunya to serve their akhirah – these are the balanced and moderate.
Number one: those who are distracted from the hereafter by the dunya. This, as we’ve said, is a clear and massive loss. You’ve traded the everlasting for something perishing.
Number two, which is the opposite of number one. He said: a man whose hereafter distracts him from his dunya. Are there such people? Yes, but very few. We don’t have statistics, but through observation, experience, and interaction, we can see that such people exist, rare as they may be.
This type of person is not distracted by the hereafter but engaged in it to the point that the dunya becomes secondary. For him, the dunya is merely a bridge to the akhirah. He sees this world as a means, not an end.
So why spend all your energy, time, effort, and even blood seeking the dunya when your true target is the akhirah? This is his perspective.
Imam al-Ghazali classifies this person as among the victorious. How many of us can really say we are like that? Hardly any.
This person could also be described as a zahid, a person of zuhd, one who renounces worldly pleasures. They live in the dunya but are not attached to it. Their heart is not in the dunya; it is with Allah.
People of zuhd are very few. This person is victorious because they are not tempted by the dunya. And this is significant, because Allah created the dunya with temptations. If you’re not tempted by it, or more accurately, if you control your nafs and avoid falling into the trap of Shaytan and dunya, then you’ve passed the test.
But many of us can’t. We’re tempted. And that’s why it’s such a major trial.
If the dunya had been ugly, full of nothing but pain and disappointment, no one would want to live here. But Allah made it beautiful and attractive. Yes, there are hiccups, difficulties, and setbacks, but there are also comforts and joys. That balance is what makes it a test.
So, when imam al-Ghazali speaks about this second type, we must ask ourselves honestly: am I one of them? Is my focus entirely on the akhirah? Or is it more like, I care about the akhirah but not 100%, I work for it, but my attention is divided?
If that’s the case, then we fall into the third category.
He says: “The one closest to moderation is the third type.”
Who is this third type?
This person’s dunya serves his akhirah. He uses his worldly life as a bridge to the next life. His hands are in the dunya, but his heart is in the akhirah. His efforts in the dunya are for the akhirah.
This, imam al-Ghazali says, is the moderate path.
And that’s why Allah says:
وَكَذَٰلِكَ جَعَلْنَاكُمْ أُمَّةً وَسَطًا
“And thus We have made you a justly balanced nation.”
(Surah al-Baqarah, 2:143)
This balance is crucial. We must aim to be an ummah of moderation, avoiding extremism to the left or right.
Allah also says:
وَلَا تَنسَ نَصِيبَكَ مِنَ الدُّنْيَا
“And do not forget your share of the world.”
(Surah al-Qasas, 28:77)
This means: live in the dunya, do not cut yourself off from it. There’s nothing wrong with enjoying halal blessings in life.
The full verse from surah al-Qasas is:
وَابْتَغِ فِيمَا آتَاكَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلدَّارَ ٱلْآخِرَةَ وَلَا تَنسَ نَصِيبَكَ مِنَ ٱلدُّنْيَا وَأَحْسِنْ كَمَآ أَحْسَنَ ٱللَّهُ إِلَيْكَ وَلَا تَبْغِ ٱلْفَسَادَ فِي ٱلْأَرْضِ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يُحِبُّ ٱلْمُفْسِدِينَ
“But seek, through that which Allah has given you, the home of the Hereafter; and yet, do not forget your share of the world. And do good as Allah has done good to you. And do not seek corruption in the land. Indeed, Allah does not like the corrupters.”
(Surah al-Qasas, 28:77)
The scholars say this ayah was revealed in response to some of the companions who, after hearing so many ayahs about the dangers of dunya and its distractions from the hereafter, began to turn away from it completely. They neglected their responsibilities and started avoiding dunya-related matters altogether. But this wasn’t sustainable. So, Allah revealed this verse to bring them back to the middle path. Do not abandon the dunya completely, but do not let it overcome you either.
In the story of the young companions, five or six, depending on the narration, they came to the house of Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her). They asked her about the worship of the Prophet ﷺ. She described his fasting, his prayers, and so on. They expected more, they thought he must be fasting all the time, praying all night. But she said, “No, this is it.”
They looked at each other and asked: “That’s it? We can do more!”
They were questioning why the Prophet ﷺ wasn’t praying a thousand rak‘ahs a night, or doing other extreme acts of worship. Their thinking was: “He’s the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, Allah has forgiven him all his sins, so he doesn’t need to do much. But we, ordinary people, are not like him.”
So, in that very session, they made oaths amongst themselves. They promised each other that they would dedicate their lives entirely to Allah.
One of them said, “I will not eat meat.”
The second said, “I will fast and never break my fast.”
The third said, “I will pray all night and never sleep.”
The fourth said, “I will never marry.”
Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) was listening. After they left, the Prophet ﷺ came home and she told him what had happened.
He became angry.
And he very rarely became angry unless something had gone too far, beyond the limits. His anger wasn’t for personal reasons, it was for the sake of Allah and the deen.
So he immediately called the companions to the mosque and delivered a speech.
This story is recorded in Sahih al-Bukhari, Sahih Muslim, and other authentic sources. Here we are summarising it as one cohesive account.
The Prophet ﷺ stood before them and said:
أَمَا وَاللَّهِ إِنِّي لَأَخْشَاكُمْ لِلَّهِ وَأَتْقَاكُمْ لَهُ، وَلَكِنِّي أَصُومُ وَأُفْطِرُ، وَأُصَلِّي وَأَرْقُدُ، وَأَتَزَوَّجُ النِّسَاءَ، فَمَنْ رَغِبَ عَنْ سُنَّتِي فَلَيْسَ مِنِّي
“By Allah, I am the most fearful of Allah and the most conscious of Him among you. But I fast and I break my fast; I pray and I sleep; and I marry women. So whoever turns away from my sunnah is not from me.”
(Bukhari and Muslim)
This was not arrogance. The Prophet ﷺ was establishing authority, he knew the limits best. His way was the most balanced and correct.
He was responding directly to the intentions of the four who had gone to extremes. Each of their statements was addressed:
- “I fast and break my fast” – in response to the one who vowed to fast permanently.
- “I pray and I sleep” – in response to the one who vowed to pray all night.
- “I marry women” – in response to the one who vowed never to marry.
He made it absolutely clear: rejecting the sunnah, or trying to go beyond it in a way that contradicts its balance, is misguidance.
On another occasion, the Prophet ﷺ visited Abdullah ibn ‘Amr رضي الله عنه, a young companion, likely one of those same men. His wife approached the Prophet ﷺ, but she didn’t openly complain. Instead, when asked, “How is Abdullah?” she responded cleverly: “He is well, he prays all night, fasts all day, and devotes himself to worship.”
The Prophet ﷺ sensed something wasn’t right. When Abdullah came, the Prophet ﷺ asked, “Is it true what I’ve heard?” Abdullah confirmed, likely expecting praise.
But the Prophet ﷺ surprised him. He said:
“Don’t do that.”
Why?
Then he explained:
«إِنَّ لِجَسَدِكَ عَلَيْكَ حَقًّا، وَإِنَّ لِأَهْلِكَ عَلَيْكَ حَقًّا، وَإِنَّ لِزَوْرِكَ عَلَيْكَ حَقًّا، فَأَعْطِ كُلَّ ذِي حَقٍّ حَقَّهُ»
“Indeed, your body has a right over you. Your family has a right over you. Your visitors have a right over you. So give each their due right.”
(Bukhari)
That was a complete framework for balance. Balance is the sunnah. It’s not just a lifestyle; it’s worship.
This is why imam al-Ghazali called the third group, the one whose dunya serves their akhirah, closest to moderation.
Work in the dunya. Be clever. Be ambitious. Excel. But don’t allow the dunya to enter your heart. Once it’s in your heart, it consumes you. And that’s when you slip into the first category, the doomed, who are obsessed with the dunya and forget the akhirah.
So go ahead and be the CEO of a company. Launch your own business. Build something profitable and sustainable.
But ask yourself: why am I doing this?
If the goal is just money and fame, it’s a red flag. But if the goal includes providing for yourself, supporting your family, paying off debts, helping the community, and investing in the akhirah, then this is a noble cause.
If you want to build an orphanage, support a masjid, establish a seminary, or give back to those in need, that’s a worthy intention. And it aligns with the sunnah.
This was the spirit of many of the companions.
Look at Uthman ibn Affan رضي الله عنه. He was a shrewd businessman, and Allah gave him immense wealth. But when the time came to support the ummah, he gave generously. He funded an entire army during the campaign of Tabuk, 700 camels, fully equipped with food, weapons, and supplies. Just imagine, every camel fully equipped, which today could be likened to donating fighter jets, given their cost and value at the time. He had immense wealth, yes, but the dunya was in his hand, not in his heart. That is the key.
The Prophet ﷺ said about him:
«مَا ضَرَّ عُثْمَانَ مَا عَمِلَ بَعْدَ الْيَوْمِ»
“Nothing will harm Uthman after today.”
(Tirmidhi)
This is exactly what imam al-Ghazali means when he says: those who use the dunya for the akhirah are among the victorious.
I keep repeating this because we need to reprogramme our thinking. It is your obligation to be self-sufficient and financially stable. Strive for kifayah (sufficiency) from your own halal rizq. That is absolutely fine. But never allow the dunya to take residence in your heart, to the extent that your purpose becomes the dunya itself.
Your actual purpose is to seek the pleasure of Allah and to act in a way that pleases Him: working honestly, being trustworthy, giving charity, living by principles. This is all part of pleasing Allah.
Be ambitious, there’s nothing wrong with that. But be careful not to let ambition consume you.
The third group, those whose dunya serves their akhirah, are closest to moderation. This is the balanced group, the ummatan wasatan:
وَكَذَٰلِكَ جَعَلْنَـٰكُمْ أُمَّةًۭ وَسَطًۭا
“And thus We have made you a justly balanced nation.”
(Surah al-Baqarah, 2:143)
Make the dunya a vehicle to the akhirah. To do that, you must learn the etiquettes of earning and business. You must know what to check, what to avoid, and how to make sure your earnings are halal.
This is what imam al-Ghazali addresses in the coming chapters.
Breakdown of Imam al-Ghazali’s five main sections:
The virtues of earning a living
The rewards from Allah for seeking halal sustenance.
How to correct your transactions
This is the longest and most complex chapter. I will summarise it for you, insha’Allah, in a way that is clear and practical.
Justice in your dealings
What does it mean to be just in business? He goes into detail on how to uphold justice in every transaction.
Excellence in transactions
How to carry out business dealings with ihsan, kindness, professionalism, integrity, and sincerity.
Compassion for yourself and your deen
A unique and powerful concept imam al-Ghazali introduces. As always, he innovates by combining ideas and information in a meaningful and structured way.
Although we covered The Forty Principles of the Religion in detail previously, what imam al-Ghazali mentions here in Ihya Ulum al-Din is even more comprehensive on this topic.
Verses on the virtue of earning
Among the many verses and hadith that Imam al-Ghazali quotes in the first section, here are some key selections:
وَجَعَلْنَا ٱلنَّهَارَ مَعَاشًۭا
“And We made the day for livelihood.”
(Surah an-Naba’, 78:11)
This is mentioned as a blessing. Allah created the conditions, light, warmth, and activity, for people to earn a living during the day. Of course, with electricity and technology now, work can happen at all hours, but traditionally, the day is made for earning.
وَجَعَلْنَا لَكُمْ فِيهَا مَعَـٰيِشَ قَلِيلًۭا مَّا تَشْكُرُونَ
“And We placed therein [means of] livelihood for you, little are you grateful.”
(Surah al-A’raf, 7:10)
Allah reminds us that He created various means of sustenance, crops, fruits, cattle, and more. All of this is available for us, tailored for human benefit. The question is: are we grateful?
Do not forget the Creator while enjoying the creation.
لَيْسَ عَلَيْكُمْ جُنَاحٌ أَن تَبْتَغُوا۟ فَضْلًۭا مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ
“There is no blame upon you for seeking bounty from your Lord.”
(Surah al-Baqarah, 2:198)
This ayah was revealed during Hajj, when some companions worried about combining business with pilgrimage. Islam came with a new set of etiquettes and some companions feared that doing trade during Hajj might be forbidden. This verse clarified that it is perfectly acceptable to seek rizq during Hajj, as long as the intention for Hajj remains pure.
فَضَرَبُوا۟ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ يَبْتَغُونَ مِن فَضْلِ ٱللَّهِ
“…while others travel through the land seeking [something] of Allah’s bounty…”
(Surah al-Muzzammil, 73:20)
Allah praises those who travel to seek sustenance. He highlights their effort, movement, and determination in seeking halal earnings. Again, intention and method are what matter.
فَإِذَا قُضِيَتِ ٱلصَّلَوٰةُ فَٱنتَشِرُوا۟ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ وَٱبْتَغُوا۟ مِن فَضْلِ ٱللَّهِ
“And when the prayer has been concluded, disperse within the land and seek from the bounty of Allah.”
(Surah al-Jumu‘ah, 62:10)
Once the obligation of Jumu‘ah prayer is complete, Allah encourages people to return to their work and seek provision, but in a halal and responsible way.
Don’t be a lazy person. Don’t depend on others unnecessarily. Be independent. That is the spirit of these verses. Allah encourages activity, work, and taking responsibility for your own livelihood.
In the Sunnah, Imam al-Ghazali quoted two narrations. One of them is weak, but the meaning is generally sound: that some sins are not erased except through seeking rizq in a halal way. Though weak, the concept is rooted in broader Islamic values, halal earning is spiritually cleansing.
The second narration is authentic and powerful. The Prophet ﷺ said:
التَّاجِرُ الصَّدُوقُ الأَمِينُ مَعَ النَّبِيِّينَ وَالصِّدِّيقِينَ وَالشُّهَدَاءِ
“The truthful, trustworthy merchant will be with the prophets, the truthful, and the martyrs.”
(Tirmidhi)
What an incredible honour. But the key question is: how many of today’s merchants, businessmen, and businesswomen are truly honest and trustworthy?
Based on the session delivered to the Convert Club on 22nd May 2025 by Shaykh Haytham Tamim