How is the test of wealth and poverty fair between Muslims?

[john.bob]

We all know that there are both wealthy and poor Muslims across the globe, this can be interpreted as a form of test to each individual.

However, I fail to understand one thing is that suppose we have a very poor homeless Muslim in a war-torn country, he is barley able to get through each day. In fact I have been to many third-world countries and seen first hand Muslims suffering unimaginable physical and mental. e.g. some are healthy but have lost everyone of their family and suffering from depression; whilst others have physical pain such as hunger and thirst. Are these Muslims exempt from his Islamic duties such as Salat and Ramadan? If so why and please give me some authentic sources as references.

As far as I know no one is exempt from Salat and some under extreme conditions are exempt from Ramadan.

We also know that there are many well of Muslims who are living in luxury and are fully committed to all their obligatory Islamic duties as well as those that are optional. In fact I live in UK and have a very close friend who matches these description and even funds many Mosques. From an outside perspective, this looks extremely unfair, as they could potentially end up in a higher level of paradise and in some case the poorer Muslims never going to paradise at all as they may not have exercised their obligatory Islamic duties.

I understand that most people on this board have never experienced suffering like some I have seen, but I politely ask that you put yourself in their shoe before answering this question and really take your time to think are these two test as difficult as each other and what will be the outcome to those Muslims that suffered all their life but could not/chose not to from their depression, hunger, thirst, etc to perform their obligatory Salat for example.

Finally, please could you include references to authentic sources in your answers.

Thank You.

 

[Nájlá]

Hello John,

Again wealth and poverty is part of this test. Whether we have wealth or we are poor, We are not excused from doing our duties such as prayer and fasting Ramadan.

Are these Muslims exempt from his Islamic duties such as Salat and Ramadan

No,why should they?we are in a test and this is their test.

Salah is not big only to those who are weak/hypocrites.

"Seek help with steadfastness and prayer– though this is hard indeed for anyone but the humble," Al baqarah verse 45


Did you know?

Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "The poor will enter Jannah five hundred years before the rich.''
[At-Tirmidhi].

Commentary: Al-Fuqara' (the poor) means those Fuqara' who are perfect in Faith. Such people will go to Jannah five hundered years before the rich because the latter will have to account for their wealth, from where they had got it and how they had spent it, while the former will not be answerable for any such thing.

From an outside perspective, this looks extremely unfair, as they could potentially end up in a higher level of paradise and in some case the poorer Muslims never going to paradise at all as they may not have exercised their obligatory Islamic duties.

In Al sajdah verse 21:
وَلَنُذِيقَنَّهُم مِّنَ الْعَذَابِ الْأَدْنَىٰ دُونَ الْعَذَابِ الْأَكْبَرِ- لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْ-جِعُونَ
(And We will certainly make them taste the nearer punishment before the greater punishment, so that they may return),
the word: أَدْنَىٰ (adna) has been used in the sense of 'nearer' and الْعَذَابِ الْأَدْنَىٰ (al adhab-ul-adna) denotes diseases, sufferings and calamities of the world that are made to befall a lot of people by Allah Ta'ala in order to warn them against their sins.