At the Muslimi Lifestyle Expo, Shaykh Navaid Aziz delivered a powerful talk on how Muslims should view wealth, taqwa, and their responsibility toward the Ummah. Drawing from Qur’an and Sunnah, he reminded the audience that the desire for wealth is natural but it must be pursued in a halal way. Allah creates no desire except that He wants it fulfilled through permissible means, and the pursuit of wealth is no different.
The Shaykh stressed that wealth without taqwa can become destructive. He explained that when people claim they will give in charity if blessed with wealth, yet fail to do so, Allah places hypocrisy in their hearts. To avoid this, believers must use their wealth to spend in the path of Allah, protect themselves from greed, and purify both their money and hearts through zakat and sadaqah.
He also outlined the “spiritual cash flow quadrant”: repentance, dua, regular charity, and helping others find sustenance. These actions open the doors of rizq and increase barakah, while disobedience closes them. By anchoring the heart to Al-Razzaq, the Provider, and not the provision itself, Muslims can find true contentment and stability.
Shaykh Navaid concluded with a call for financial independence rooted in taqwa. He encouraged Muslims to strive for wealth through halal means, not for luxury alone, but to empower the Ummah. True freedom, he said, is being able to stand up when the community needs hospitals, schools, or institutions and say, “I will support this cause.”
This talk served as both a reminder and a roadmap: pursue wealth with taqwa, spend generously for the Ummah, and attach your heart to Allah, not to material possessions.