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Is a person considered sinful if they focus their efforts solely on worship and matters of the afterlife, and do not care for worldly affairs such as work, study, and success, considering that their ambition towards these is almost non-existent, and they only pursue them out of necessity and to earn just enough for subsistence?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

A person does not sin as long as they perform their duties and avoid prohibitions, which include earning a livelihood for themselves and their dependents that suffices them. If they do not strive to achieve wealth, there is no sin upon them. It is advised that Allah loves noble matters and dislikes trivial ones. He commanded us to hasten to good deeds and to populate the earth. Allah Almighty said: "So hasten to good deeds," and "He initiated you from the earth and settled you in it." Therefore, taking the means to advancement and progress does not contradict religion; rather, it is commanded to preserve religion and for the hand of Muslims to be supreme. The existence of various professions is a communal obligation (fard kifa'i), and their diligence in them with a good intention is among the acts of obedience. Thus, it is advised to strive in study and work with the intention of benefiting oneself and Muslims, in order to attain the good of this world and the Hereafter.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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