The venerable Sheikh Ahmed Isa al-Ma'sarawi, a prominent scholar in Quranic studies and Hadith sciences and the chief of Quran recitation schools, always emphasizes that money is the lowest form of sustenance, while well-being is its highest degree. Some owners of enormous capital—and perhaps others—believe that money is the most important thing, and that with it one can obtain well-being in the best hospitals in the world.

Our Sheikh al-Ma'sarawi cites, saying: 'Money buys a bed but not sleep, money buys a watch but not time, money buys medicine but not healing.' He also cites several examples, including that money buys food but not appetite, to reaffirm that money is the lowest form of sustenance, and well-being is the highest form of sustenance. He adds that the righteousness of children is the best sustenance, and the satisfaction of the Lord of the Worlds is the complete sustenance. It should not be forgotten here that God distributed sustenance with justice, not equally, because justice is a higher principle than equality. For example, God gave Luqman wisdom without wealth, and a person may be given wealth without health, or a wife without children, and so on. But blessed is the one who possesses intellect, opinion, and wisdom. 'And whoever is given wisdom has been given much good.' (Quran 2:269)

Among the famous stories about asceticism and piety is what al-Bukhari narrated in his Sahih: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: 'A man bought a piece of land from another man. The man who bought the land found a jar of gold in his land. The buyer said to the seller: Take your gold from me; I bought the land from you, not the gold. The seller said: I sold you the land and everything in it. So they took their case to a man who asked: Do you have children? One said: I have a son. The other said: I have a daughter. He said: Marry the son to the daughter and spend on yourselves from it, and give charity.' The piety in this story is astounding, from both the seller and the buyer. For this reason, it is said that piety is leaving nine-tenths of the permissible for fear of falling into the forbidden. Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said: 'Asceticism is leaving what does not benefit in the Hereafter.' How beautiful it is when people deal with each other with piety before contracting. Blessed is the one who refers to someone whom Allah has given wisdom, intellect, and sound judgment, and this is among the degrees of sustenance.