Does Farming Equipment Bring Ill fortune?

Q: Imaan-97 : In the Urdu Tafseers of Sheikhul Hind Moulana Mahmoodul Hasan RAH. and Hadhrat Moulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi RAH. there is a marginal note stating the gist of the verse.... . It is stated in this note that according to a Hadith in Mishkaat reported by Hadhrat Abu Umaamah RADI. a person who allows farming equipment in his house has allowed poverty in. As a result of this, farmers are usually destitute and poor. My question is that we are all involved in farming and have only our houses to store the farming equipment. Where will we now store all of this?

Answer: Everything that distracts a person from remembering and worshipping Allaah and which prevents him from fulfilling Allaah's commands is a source of ill fortune and disgrace for him. It matters not therefore if such a thing is classified as farming equipment, any other equipment or even some permissible occupation. Allaah says in Surah TaaHaar, "Whoever turns away from My remembrance shall surely have a narrowed (difficult) life (in this worldl". Allaah also says, "Your wealth and children are merely a test (to ascertain whether you will allow them to distract you from worshipping AIIaah)"'. There can be no greater bounty for a person than having wealth and a family that assist him in pleasing Allaah. On the contrary, if they prevent him from Ibaadah and from fulfilling Allaah's commands, then there can be no worse calamity for him.

It is common for people engaged in farming to become so engrossed in their occupation that they are deprived of acts of Ibaadah such as salaah, Fasting, Hajj and Jihaad. In this preoccupation, they are also deprived of gaining Islaamic knowledge and are generally unaware of matters of both Deen and Dunya. Furthermore, their equipment and animals remain with them even when they return home in the evenings, preoccupying them even at home. In fact, we even find them making du'aa for the price of staple grains to escalate (so that they make larger profits, to the detriment of the masses).

The Hadith therefore cautions farmers against storing their equipment at home. However, the instruction does not apply to farmers who are religious.

There will be no harm in them storing their equipment at home. In fact, the same Hadhrat Abu Umaamah RADI. also reports a Hadith stating that the worst of places on earth are the marketplaces and the best of places are the Masaajid. This is because marketplaces are places where people aye unmindful of Allaah and deception, cheating, sin and lying take place there. However, pious people may aitend the marketplaces since they abstain from these practices.

A Hadith states that people should recite the following Dhikr when in the marketplace:

The Hadith states that reciting this Dhikr will earn the reward of a million good deeds, will have a million sins pardoned and will have the person's status in the Aakhirah raised by a million stages. Furthermore, the person will also have a mansion built for him in Jannah. Many Sahabah RADI. used to visit the marketplaces solely to earn this reward. Can you now see how the worst of places can be transformed into a place of blessing and reward? Similarly, the famer can also transform a situation of ill fortune to a most blessed one by formulating good intentions, being sincere and meticulously fulfilling the requirements of the Shari'ah.

There is therefore no ill fortune in the farming equipment itself, but it is the evil actions carried out that attract the ill fortune. The warning sounded in the Hadith is similar to the warning in another Ahadeeth stating that leaders are destined for Jahannam, as aye tax collectors. However, such people are fundamental to any Islaamic government. The warnings sounded in these Ahadeeth therefore apply to those amongst these groups who are unjust and who oppress people and not to those who are a just and righteous.

However, it is Makrooh to store in one's home musical instruments that are not permissible to use even though they are not used.t And Allaah knows best what is most correct.

Fatawa Rahimiyyah (Vol.1)