How should it be considered from the point of the Divine justice that people get different shares from the worldly bounties?

Some people who ask this question confuse justice with equality. What prevails in any beings or events is justice, not equality. Considering human face like this, we see that eyes and ears, nose and mouth are not equal, but there is exact justice prevailing in each of them.

The life of every man is a work in itself; and since the first day of the world, this work has had a beginning and an end. Thus, we need to evaluate each human being with the conditions s/he is in; and with the different incidents s/h is going through and different events s/he is being tested with. A judgment we make for someone cannot become a measure for others. The very same event that honors someone may degrade another one. Something, which is good for someone, might be evil for another one. Something, which someone aspires after, may be a reason for abhorrence for another one. Everyone is offered a testing in accordance with the conditions s/he is in. What important is not the variety of these conditions, but to come out successfully from this testing.

In respect of profiting from the worldly bounties, men seem to have some sorts of differences whereby they are going through different testings with regard to surrendering to destiny and to the divine determining. Just as, a large number of poor people pass this testing, so many rich people fail this testing. For a person, who does not consent to his share, no matter how much wealth s/he may have, may take the way of rebellion against destiny by longing for more. Again, a large number of poor people may take the way of thankfulness by considering the poorer people than themselves.

The testing of wealth is rather hard. To give alms (Zakah) perfectly, going further, to please the poor with giving charity, to live a humble life despite this splendor, not to be very much fond of this world, and not to bank on material possibilities are the most difficult questions of this testing. The evil-commanding self never likes these at all.

It is more or less the case for those who occupy the high ranks and positions. We falsely come to believe that those possessing wealth and high-ranking positions would worship and glorify the Lord (SWT) more than anyone else. Yet in practice, we encounter the opposite case. We see that those worshipping are generally poor and/or middle-income people.

Let there be no misunderstanding. To be rich and take up high-ranking positions is of course desirable and necessary things must be done to achieve this goal. Without giving way to grief, one must be able to say, My Lord has not allowed it to happen since it would have been evil for me.

One day this abode of testing will be closed for good and everything will remain behind. People who come to the field of resurrection will bring nothing there but their faith and good deeds. This point wants great care. What is important in this transitory worldly life is not to be rich or poor, but to come to that dreadful field as someone who has passed the testing.

For such a coming will be rewarded with an eternal bliss.
This point is also important: We ourselves produce events that spoil our worldly life thoroughly. We bother, oppress and inflict torture upon ourselves. Behind all evil-doings are our evil-commanding souls and wills. If they were not exist, we all might have endured and showed patience in the face of all divine-ordained calamities and place our trust in Allah (SWT) and to submit to Him.

If we have lost the ability to interpret occurrences well, if we view everything negatively, if jealousy, greed, envy prevail over our soul, if we are never contented with what we can have, that means that we spoil our worldly life with our own hands. Seeing this let us neither fight others nor object to fate. Even if the most meritorious positions were to be given to us, even if we had the mountains of wealth, it is impossible for us to reach bliss as long as we have this kind of soul and morality.

People would live a life of paradise in a place where the rich give their alms perfectly, where everybody fears the threat in the Hadiths which says, He is not one with us who sleeps with a full stomach when he knows that his neighbor goes hungry, where good morality is dominant with its all branches. If paid attention closely, it will be clear that what troubles us is not what fate inflicts on us, rather damage, ill doings, ill conducts, injustice, and oppressions that we receive from peoples evil-commanding selves.

People reach certain ends, positions, or wealth in two ways. The first is legitimate, while the second one is illegitimate.

Through bullying, wrongdoing, or fraud, a person may get some illegitimate profit out of another person. A conscious Muslim is obligated to take refuge in Allah (SWT) for not to wish such gains, let alone possess them. Someone who says So and so stole and became rich; I never found such opportunities. has a damaged belief of Allah and the Hereafter. The actual loss of this man is not that material wealth he has lost but the humane and Islamic values. He must feel sorrowful for, weep over that, and seek ways to regain those.

Wealth is either legitimate, the result of sweat of ones brow and the harvest of hard-work, which manifests itself in the hadith which says, The straightforward merchant will be resuscitated among the veracious saints and martyrs on the Judgement Day. or it is illegitimate, undeserved, and has mark of tyranny on it and manifests itself as Mawlana puts it, The property of tyrants look beautifully from afar, but in fact, it is the blood of those tyrannized.

If the gain is legitimate, its owner would not have people against himself, if it is illegitimate, it is not to be longed for. In both cases, we have nothing to do with others. We do not want to dwell on undeserved gain, and accept the question as follows; What is the Divine wisdom underlying the difference of gains between people?

Most people confuse richness and a life of luxury with happiness. So many rich people are deprived of happiness. On the other hand, so many people lead a life of welfare and happiness with little or middle income. One can reach happiness not through wealth or high positions; but with faith, good deeds, and good conduct.