Neither poverty nor wealth is a sign of Allah's love or anger; both are tests. The texts give the patient poor real advantages, such as entering Paradise before the rich, while praising the rich who spend rightly. What truly counts is faith, contentment, gratitude and patience.
The Quran corrects a common mistake. When a person is given plenty, he says, "My Lord has honored me", and when
his provision is restricted, he says, "My Lord has humiliated me". Allah answers, "No!" 1. Both situations are
trials, and neither is a verdict on your worth. It is not wealth that brings anyone nearer to Allah, but faith and
righteous deeds 2.
There is real comfort for the poor in the Sunnah. "The poor are admitted into Paradise before the rich, by five
hundred years, (i.e.) half a day" 3, and the Prophet ﷺ saw that most of the people of Paradise were the poor
4. When poor Companions worried that the rich would outdo them through charity and Hajj, the Prophet ﷺ gave
them words of remembrance to say after each prayer so they could catch up 5. Good deeds are open to everyone.
At the same time, the definition of true wealth is changed. "Wealth is not in having many possessions, but rather
(true) wealth is feeling sufficiency in the soul" 6. The successful person is the one who accepted Islam, has
enough for his needs, and is made content by Allah with what he has 7.
So the believer wins in either state: "if he has an occasion to feel delight, he thanks (God)... and if he gets
into trouble and shows resignation (and endures it patiently), there is a good for him in it" 8. Whatever your
situation, the question is not "how much do I have?" but "am I grateful and patient with it?"
The evidence
1
Quran Al-Fajr · 89:15–17
Man thinks plenty means honour and restriction means humiliation; Allah says, "No!"
15 And as for man, when his Lord tries him and [thus] is generous to him and favors him, he says, "My Lord has honored me 16 But when He tries him and restricts his provision, he says, "My Lord has humiliated me 17 No! But you do not honor the orphan
2
Quran Saba · 34:37
Wealth does not bring one nearer to Allah; faith and righteous deeds do.
And it is not your wealth or your children that bring you nearer to Us in position, but it is [by being] one who has believed and done righteousness. For them there will be the double reward for what they did, and they will be in the upper chambers [of Paradise], safe [and secure]
3
HadithJami' at-Tirmidhi 2353
Hasan Sahihgraded by Al-Albani
The poor enter Paradise five hundred years before the rich.
Abu Hurairah narrated that the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w) said:"The poor are admitted into Paradise before the rich, by five hundres years, (i.e.) half a day
The Prophet ﷺ saw that most of the dwellers of Paradise were poor people.
Narrated `Imran bin Husain:The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "I looked into Paradise and found that the majority of its dwellers were the poor people, and I looked into the (Hell) Fire and found that the majority of its dwellers were women
العربية
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو الْوَلِيدِ، حَدَّثَنَا سَلْمُ بْنُ زَرِيرٍ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو رَجَاءٍ، عَنْ عِمْرَانَ بْنِ حُصَيْنٍ ـ رضى الله عنهما ـ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " اطَّلَعْتُ فِي الْجَنَّةِ فَرَأَيْتُ أَكْثَرَ أَهْلِهَا الْفُقَرَاءَ، وَاطَّلَعْتُ فِي النَّارِ فَرَأَيْتُ أَكْثَرَ أَهْلِهَا النِّسَاءَ ". تَابَعَهُ أَيُّوبُ وَعَوْفٌ، وَقَالَ صَخْرٌ وَحَمَّادُ بْنُ نَجِيحٍ عَنْ أَبِي رَجَاءٍ عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ.
5
HadithSahih al-Bukhari 843
SahihBukhari
Poor Companions were given dhikr after prayer to catch up with the rich who gave in charity.
Narrated Abu Huraira:Some poor people came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and said, "The wealthy people will get higher grades and will have permanent enjoyment and they pray like us and fast as we do. They have more money by which they perform the Hajj, and `Umra; fight and struggle in Allah's Cause and give in charity." The Prophet said, "Shall I not tell you a thing upon which if you acted you would catch up with those who have surpassed you? Nobody would overtake you and you would be better than the people amongst whom you live except those who would do the same. Say "Subhana l-lah", "Al hamdu li l-lah" and "Allahu Akbar" thirty three times each after every (compulsory) prayer." We differed and some of us said that we should say, "Subhan-al-lah" thirty three times and "Al hamdu li l-lah" thirty three times and "Allahu Akbar" thirty four times. I went to the Prophet (ﷺ) who said, "Say, "Subhan-al-lah" and "Al hamdu li l-lah" and "Allahu Akbar" all together [??], thirty three times
True wealth is sufficiency of the soul, not many possessions.
Narrated Abu Huraira:The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Wealth is not in having many possessions, but rather (true) wealth is feeling sufficiency in the soul
العربية
حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ يُونُسَ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرٍ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو حَصِينٍ، عَنْ أَبِي صَالِحٍ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " لَيْسَ الْغِنَى عَنْ كَثْرَةِ الْعَرَضِ، وَلَكِنَّ الْغِنَى غِنَى النَّفْسِ ".
7
HadithSahih Muslim 1054
SahihMuslim
Successful is the one who accepts Islam, has sufficient provision and is content.
Amr b. al-'As reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying:He Is successful who has accepted Islam, who has been provided with sufficient for his want and been made contented by Allah with what He has given him
The believer's affairs are all good, through gratitude in ease and patience in hardship.
Suhaib reported that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said:Strange are the ways of a believer for there is good in every affair of his and this is not the case with anyone else except in the case of a believer for if he has an occasion to feel delight, he thanks (God), thus there is a good for him in it, and if he gets into trouble and shows resignation (and endures it patiently), there is a good for him in it
This answer was compiled with the help of AI, using only the verified texts shown here. Every reference links to its source. If you find a mistake, please report it. Updated 2026-09-24