Intention Before Wealth.

This has been an incredibly difficult week. With the increasing violence and facing a full year of genocide on the people of Gaza, I find myself with very few words to offer.

Instead, I want to share something I’ve been reflecting upon in my own life and finances as I struggle to reconcile with the heavy emotions of this week.

In every program I offer, there is always one component that comes first: intention. When it comes to our relationship with money, we must remember that it is simply a tool—a tool that should propel us forward in our worship of Allah, not a source of increased stress and anxiety.

This week, I was watching the video for Macklemore’s song Hind’s Hall 2 with my five-year-old daughter, and she asked me a question that was difficult to answer:

“How come Allah made them suffer, while we don’t?”

I reminded her that Allah has given us the enormous responsibility of being the ones who must do everything in our power to help those in need.

This led me to reflect on what that responsibility means in a world so driven by money.

Despite being someone who teaches financial literacy and encourages women to be ambitious in their financial goals and aspire to have more in order to serve more – we have to recognize the point at which our desire for more takes over our peace of mind. Our money serves us only to the extent that it facilitates our worship. If wealth and ambition lead to financial stress that distracts us from our connection with Allah, then we must change our approach.

Here is what I have been reflecting on this week:

In a few client meetings this week, we touched on the fact that sometimes, out of a desire for higher profits, we increase our levels of anxiety.

How many of us are facing financial stress and anxiety just to maintain a lifestyle that far exceeds what is actually required for our comfort? We strive to keep up with societal expectations or chase luxuries, but at what cost?

If the financial pressure we feel is affecting our worship, then we must ask ourselves: why are we sacrificing our peace and connection with Allah when He has already provided us with so much comfort and ease?

While it’s true that having more financial power can enable us to help those most vulnerable, we must remember that if the pursuit of wealth causes us to lose sight of our purpose—then we are no longer truly of service.

What I’m working on is this:

We should aspire to have more money only if it is a means of becoming better believers. The moment our money causes us think to more about our wealth than our faith, we have lost.

If earning 2% more on your investments is causing you to lose sleep and stopping you from waking up for Fajr—leave the 2%.

If a job promotion is causing you to become exhausted and unable to fulfill the rights of your family—perhaps it is not best for you.

At the heart of every single financial decision should be the intention to become better believers. We should be strong, and as Muslims, it is our relationship with Allah that makes us strong. I pray that we never lose sight of that.