What would you do if you were given a million pounds? After jumping for joy and depositing it safely in a bank, you would probably share it with family and friends, donate some to charitable organisations and keep the rest for security in your old age. Maybe you would write a will stating how your wealth was to be distributed after your demise. Hypothetically, after setting aside some for day-to-day living, you could just give the rest away. It would save a lot of hassle and possible disputes later on, with inheritance claims!
While researching this topic, I chanced upon an article written about Charles Feeney, an Irish American who was one of the co-founders of Duty Free Shoppers. His fortune escalated rapidly, growing into millions of dollars. Frugal by nature, he made a life-changing decision early on in his career. He decided to give away his wealth and established an organisation to be able to fulfil his philanthropic mission anonymously. He forecast that it would take him forty years and that he would be able to close down the company by 2020, which he did. He had realised a fundamental fact of life; ‘you can’t take it with you when you die!’
Speaking to Forbes magazine, Charles Feeney said:
“I see little reason to delay giving when so much good can be achieved through supporting worthwhile causes. Besides, it’s a lot more fun to give while you live than give while you’re dead.”
Forbes, Sept 15 2020
He gave away more than $8 billion to various projects, mostly in secret, ranging from universities to healthcare, in USA and worldwide. At the age of 89, he now lives in a rented apartment with his wife – and he couldn’t be happier!
Another example of someone who gave away millions of dollars in charity is the moving and inspiring story of Ali Banat. This young Australian Muslim, of Palestinian heritage, was diagnosed with cancer in the prime of his life. He humbly accepted his fate and viewed the disease as a blessing. In the short time he had, he gave up his life of luxury and established a charity to transfer his assets and wealth to the needy throughout the world. He worked hard, inspiring others with his dedication, despite deteriorating health.
Ali Banat died in 2018 while still in his thirties but he left behind a tremendous legacy, especially for the youth. He realised that although he had become very successful in the worldly sense, his goal was to attain ultimate success in the akhirah. The cancer had awoken in him a sense of urgency and he strove tirelessly with the hope of one day being entered into the abode of eternal peace in Paradise. May Allah forgive and have mercy on our brother Ali, and all those who seek the pleasure of Allah by engaging in good endeavours, and enter him in Jannah.
He motivated others to be proactive in seeking good deeds:
“Try to have a goal, try to have a plan, try to have a project that you work towards. Even if it’s not you personally doing it and you’re funding someone else’s projects. Just do something cause wallah you’re going to be needing it on the day of judgment,”
Ali Banat
What lessons can we learn from these stories? Ultimately, everything we call our own comes from Allah and it is He alone who provides wealth, health, intelligence, food, shelter, family and all we hold dear. We may feel at times that the distribution of wealth and resources is random, but Allah knows the situation of each and every one of us. Everything we have been blessed with is a test…we will be held accountable for the way we use or misuse whatever we have.
Our goal in life should not be to amass wealth and assets without any purpose except to empower our egos, but to use our riches and influence for the common good and as a means to get closer to Allah.
We don’t need to be millionaires to help to make a positive difference in our communities, just donate what you can, when you can, of money or time. We can campaign for the rights of others, share our food, lend an ear to listen and a shoulder to cry on.
A Muslim is not required to shun wealth: we should use it to bring benefit to others and as a means to goodness rather than the goal itself.
The Prophet, may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him, is reported to have said:
Whoever makes the Hereafter his goal, Allah makes his heart rich, and organizes his affairs, and the world comes to him whether it wants to or not. And whoever makes the world his goal, Allah puts his poverty right before his eyes, and disorganizes his affairs, and the world does not come to him, except what has been decreed for him.
(Tirmidhi)
May Allah help us to have productive lives, leave a legacy for future generations and be raised up among the righteous in Jannat-u-Firdaus. Ameen.
You can read more about Ali Banat and his charity ‘Muslims around the World’ at https://matwproject.org/ali-banat/