As a matter of habit, we tend to distinguish between religious activities and all other activities. When performing a religious obligation, we don the garb of the religious self, while all day long we wear the attire of the worldly self. But deen, Amir ul MumineenSA says, is not religion alone; it is in fact the building of both worlds. The only condition that applies is that whatever the pursuit, whether eating, drinking, marriage, child-rearing or earning a living, one must not disobey the tenets of Islam. Being a mumin is not reserved to religious gatherings, it permeates every aspect of a mumin’s day whether in the home, school, or the workplace. For every facet of a mumin’s life is governed by the Shari‘at. RasulullahSA has said that when a mumin engages in trade, he earns the sawaab of Haj, Umra and even Jihad.
During the Battle of Tabouk, RasulullahSA came across a strong young man tending a herd of healthy camels. “That this youth’s strength and the camel`s fat were spent in the path of Allah!” exclaimed the companions of RasulullahSA. Calling the young man to him RasulullahSA asked “What do you do with these camels?” “I earn a living,” he answered, “and spend on my wife and children. I provide them with enough so they are not obliged to beg elsewhere and I clear my debts with my earnings.” “Do you do anything else?” asked RasulullahSA. “No,” replied the youth. “If this man speaks the truth then his reward is that of one who does Jihad, Umra and Haj,” proclaimed RasulullahSA.
