Question: Most people love wealth with much love. Does that affect their Aqeedah (belief)?

Answer: Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-Uthaymeen رحمه الله answered:

Loving wealth does not affect the Aqeedah nor the Deen (faith) provided it does not preoccupy a person from that which is obligatory or recommended. But if it does preoccupy from an obligation then it would be impermissible to busy oneself with it (wealth), and if it preoccupies from something that is recommended it would be better to busy oneself with that which is recommended than to busy oneself with the wealth.

And it is incumbent that a person’s use of his wealth is in accordance with the Islamic Shari’ah (legislation), so he does not carry out a dealing involving oppression, or interest, or cheating; and in his dealings with people he does not claim that which is not for him (has no right to), nor does he deny that which is due on him.

And a person’s love of wealth is natural, as Allaah (The Blessed and Most High) said: ” … And verily, he (man) is severe in the love of wealth. ” [100:8]
And as He (The Most High) said: ” And you love wealth with much love. ” [89:20]

And if a person’s love of wealth is for the purpose of increasing it in order to do righteous deeds then that would be good, for indeed how good is lawful wealth for a righteous man, and how many people were blessed by Allaah with wealth and Allaah (The Most High) brought about benefit through their wealth in Jihaad for the sake of Allaah, spreading the knowledge, helping the desperate, and other than that.

[Fataawaa Noor ‘Alaa Darb by, 1/55]