As'salaam wa'alaikum wa rahmatullah (May the peace and mercy of Allah be with you),

Dear sister

Thank you for the email. Please accept our sincere apologies for the delay in responding to your query due to number of emails waiting to be answered. You are not allowed to listen to your husband in something which Allah has made haram. Alcohol cannot be sold in order to pay for one’s rent etc. The messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said;

“Allah will never put blessing in something which He has made haram”

The Prophet of Allah has also cursed seven people who buy or sell alcohol, who carry it, who witness its transaction and who make it. How can one expect Allah to bless his wealth if it is from haram income?

Dear sister, blessing is not in quantity, rather it is in quality. Allah blesses people with wealth and then tests them in that. He says in the Quran;

“And surely We shall try you with something of fear and hunger, and loss of wealth and lives and crops; but give glad tidings to the steadfast,

Who say, when a misfortune striketh them: Lo! we are Allah's and lo! unto Him we are returning.

Such are they on whom are blessings from their Lord, and mercy. Such are the rightly guided. (Quran 2:155- 157)”

As a Muslim, we should have faith in Allah, provided that we are true Muslims who fulfill His rights upon us. Allah says in the Quran;

“Beautified for mankind is love of the joys (that come) from women and offspring; and stored-up heaps of gold and silver, and horses branded (with their mark), and cattle and land. That is comfort of the life of the world. Allah! With Him is a more excellent abode.

Say: Shall I inform you of something better than that? For those who keep from evil, with their Lord, are Gardens underneath which rivers flow wherein they will abide, and pure companions, and contentment from Allah. Allah is Seer of His bondmen,

Those who say: Our Lord! Lo! we believe. So forgive us our sins and guard us from the punishment of Fire;

The steadfast, and the truthful, and the obedient, those who spend (and hoard not), those who pray for pardon in the watches of the night. (Quran 3: 14-17)

We should know that Allah is the owner of every thing. He gives and takes from whomsoever He wishes. Allah says;

“Say (O Muhammad SAW): "O Allâh! Possessor of the kingdom, You give the kingdom to whom You will, and You take the kingdom from whom You will, and You endue with honour whom You will, and You humiliate whom You will. In Your Hand[] is the good. Verily, You are Able to do all things.

You make the night to enter into the day, and You make the day to enter into the night (i.e. increase and decrease in the hours of the night and the day during winter and summer), You bring the living out of the dead, and You bring the dead out of the living. And You give wealth and sustenance to whom You will, without limit (measure or account). [Quran 3: 26-27]

Remind your husband with these verses and not to take part in such haram investments because it will bring nothing except for wrath of Allah as Allah says in the Quran;

“.... Then do you believe in a part of the Scripture and reject the rest? Then what is the recompense of those who do so among you, except disgrace in the life of this world, and on the Day of Resurrection they shall be consigned to the most grievous torment. And Allâh is not unaware of what you do. [Quran 2:85]”

Saying that, you should not haste in asking for divorce. We should try to focus on his eman and we should remember the hadith in which the Prophet of Allah (peace be upon him) said;

“Allah sends an Angel of sustenance to a particular person to give him what was recorded for his share of portion. As the Angel is travelling towards him, the man commits a sin and Allah orders the Angel to stop and do not give him his sustenance until he repents”

So, once we realise that wealth does not comes always due to hardwork. Rather, sometimes Allah increases in our little amount and makes it more as the Prophet of Allah (peace be upon him) said;

“Give charity for indeed it does not decreases the wealth”

This means that giving charity will increase the wealth from avenues never heard of and thought of.

Also, been a successful person requirs one to have a good grasp of business and his field. Both piety and good knowledge goes hand in hand. He should not make mistakes by making a deal which is haram in essence and to think it will be profitable. If such was the case then Riba (interest) would surely be allowed because the person who is giving the loan will benefit as he is taking extra money than he paid. However, Allah has called this as haram and not blessed. So, the logic is not in something which our minds precieve as ‘benefit’, rather, it is what Allah has made halal and has called it benefit. Such as Allah talks about a real good deal where only one outcome shall appear:

“The likeness of those who spend their wealth in the Way of Allâh, is as the likeness of a grain (of corn); it grows seven ears, and each ear has a hundred grains. Allâh gives manifold increase to whom He wills. And Allâh is All-Sufficient for His creatures' needs, All-Knower

Those who spend their wealth in the Cause of Allâh, and do not follow up their gifts with reminders of their generosity or with injury, their reward is with their Lord. On them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve  (Quran 2: 261 -263)

Allah continues and says;

“And the likeness of those who spend their wealth seeking Allâh's Pleasure while they in their ownselves are sure and certain that Allâh will reward them (for their spending in His Cause), is the likeness of a garden on a height; heavy rain falls on it and it doubles its yield of harvest. And if it does not receive heavy rain, light rain suffices it. And Allâh is All-Seer of (knows well) what you do. (265) Would any of you wish to have a garden with date-palms and vines, with rivers flowing underneath, and all kinds of fruits for him therein, while he is striken with old age, and his children are weak (not able to look after themselves), then it is struck with a fiery whirlwind, so that it is burnt? Thus does Allâh make clear His Ayât (proofs, evidences, verses) to you that you may give thought[].

(266) O you who believe! Spend of the good things which you have (legally) earned, and of that which We have produced from the earth for you, and do not aim at that which is bad to spend from it, (though) you would not accept it save if you close your eyes and tolerate therein. And know that Allâh is Rich (Free of all wants), and Worthy of all praise. (Quran 2: 266 -267)

Allah closes this by reminding the believers one important aspect of creed…

“Shaitân (Satan) threatens you with poverty and orders you to commit Fahshâ (evil deeds, illegal sexual intercourse, sins); whereas Allâh promises you Forgiveness from Himself and Bounty, and Allâh is All-Sufficient for His creatures' needs, All-Knower. (Quran 2:-268)”

So, inshAllah once we have become better Muslims then we will not fear poverty and rely upon Allah as He deserves as the Prophet of Allah (peace be upon him said);

“If you relied upon Allah as He deserves then He will provide for you like He does for the birds where they fly in the morning empty and in the evening return with belly full” (nearest meaning to the hadith)