Praise be to Allah and peace be upon His chosen servants. To the point.
Allah (Glory be to Him) did not create man vainly in this world just to enjoy himself or be lazy. He created man for a high wisdom "And I (Allâh) created not the jinn and mankind except that they should worship Me (Alone)". and granted him reasoning and understanding. He commanded man to do the work which will benefit him in his religion and the world with good and blessing. "O you who believe (Muslims)! When the call is proclaimed for the Salât (prayer) on Friday (Jumu‘ah prayer), come to the remembrance of Allâh [Jumu‘ah religious talk (Khutbah) and Salât (prayer)] and leave off business (and every other thing). That is better for you if you did but know! Then when the (Jumu‘ah) Salât (prayer) is ended, you may disperse through the land, and seek the Bounty of Allâh (by working, etc.), and remember Allâh much: that you may be successful."
Islam is a doctrine, legislation and actions. Actions include the acts of worship and obedience as they include the exerted activity in earning livelihoods, in constructing life and developing production and goods. Thereby, balance between the demands of the body and spirit is achieved. However, Islam is keen to promote the spirit of a believer and exhort to asceticism, it also exhorted to walk on earth to earn money. "But seek, with that (wealth) which Allâh has bestowed on you, the home of the Hereafter, and forget not your portion of lawful enjoyment in this world; and do good as Allâh has been good to you, and seek not mischief in the land. Verily, Allâh likes not the Mufsidûn (those who commit great crimes and sins, oppressors, tyrants, mischief-makers, corrupters)". So that Muslims do not fall under the dominance of the materialistic nations and in order not to be mean in this life.
Man is the vice-gerent of Allah on earth. "He brought you forth from the earth and settled you therein" In order that man could construct the earth, Allah facilitated the means for him. "He it is Who has made the earth subservient to you (i.e. easy for you to walk, to live and to do agriculture on it); so walk in the paths thereof and eat of His provision. And to Him will be the Resurrection." In order to construct it outward and inward.Man is commanded to construct the earth by worship and setting truth and justice therein. He was created loving to different material and economic aspects. So, good money for good men.
Thus, the texts of Islam exhorted Muslims to practice trade, agriculture and industry with all their different professions because they are the pillars for constructing the earth and reforming the worldly affairs of individuals.Exhortation was mentioned in the old narrations to the nation to practice trade "Practice trade for it contains nine-tenth of sustenance."It was reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:"An honest truthful merchant shall be with the prophet's, the truthful and martyrs on the Day of Recompense".
The Prophet (peace be upon him) urged his nation to give much care to the land and its cultivation when he said:"Seek sustenance from the soil" and his saying:"There is none amongst the Muslims who plants a tree or sows seeds, and then a bird, or a person or an animal eats from it, but is regarded as a charitable gift for him."
The believer who has a profession is more beloved to Allah than the idle as the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:"Verily, Allah loves the believing person who has a profession."It was reported from him that he said:"Seeking lawful sustenance is part of Jihad." Seeking sustenance is also part of the lawful earning as was reported from the Prophet (peace be upon him):when he was asked:Which sustenance is lawful? He said:"An action that a person does by himself and every sale is good"And his saying:"The best earning is the earning that a worker does by himself if he does it perfectly." And his saying:"No food is better to man than that which he earns through his manual work. Dawud (David, peace be upon him), the Prophet of Allah, ate only out of his earnings from his manual work."
However, Islam urges to work and seek lawful sustenance, it stresses the need to do it perfectly because of the Prophet's saying:"Actions are only judged by intention and every person shall have what he has intended". Sustenance must be lawful as Allah (Glory be to Him) says:"O mankind! Eat of that which is lawful and good on the earth"The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:"Paradise is for those who earn their living lawfully". Answering one's call is one of the outcomes of seeking lawful means as was reported from the Prophet (peace be upon him):"Seek lawful means and your supplications shall be responded."
Islam also directs a believer to go, work and persistent endeavor, making it one of the necessities of gaining sustenance. It was reported in the old narrations "O son of Adam, move your hands and sustenance will come to you." It was reported from the Prophet (peace be upon him) that he said: "Allah gives a servant sustenance according to his endeavor and need".
Seeking sustenance in the early morning is very helpful to gain blessing as the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:"O Allah, bless the sustenance of my nation that was gained in the early morning." Working hard and actively also helps to maintain blessing as the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:"Everyone should offer (the voluntary) Salah when one is active but when one feels tired, he should sit."
Knowledge, development, thinking and consideration are of the necessities of achieving success in work because of Allah's saying:"Say: “Are those who know equal to those who know not?”" Allah also says:"And not equal are the blind and those who see" The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "A believer is not stung twice (by something) out of one and the same hole." "Wisdom is the goal of a believer, whenever he finds, he is the most entitled with it."
A Muslim in his work seeks a target and an end because of Allah's saying:"Then is one who walks fallen on his face better guided or one who walks erect on a straight path?"A person must seek the reasons which help him to achieve his goals "And make ready against them all you can of power, including steeds of war (tanks, planes, missiles, artillery)." and then leave the consequences to Allah. He should believe that "Sustenance goes for a servant exactly as death does." A person should act according to the Prophet's will in which he says:"Do not haste for sustenance because no servant shall die but when he gets his sustenance in full. So, seek the lawful means and avoid the prohibited ones."
A Muslim is required to do his work perfectly because of the Prophet's saying:"Verily, Allah loves when someone does an action, to perfect it."A person should know that the best action is that which is useful and "the best actions to Allah is the continuous even if they are little."
A person is also required to fulfil the covenants and treaties because of Allah's saying:"O you who believe! Fulfil (your) obligations." And His saying:"And fulfil (every) covenant. Verily, the covenant, will be questioned about."
A person should be truthful and honest because of Allah's saying:"Verily, Allâh commands that you should render back the trusts to those to whom they are due." And the Prophet's saying:"Deliver the trust to who entrusted you and do not betray who betrayed you." and his saying:"Whoso from you is appointed by us to a position of authority and he conceals from us a needle or something smaller than that, it would be misappropriation (of public funds) and will (have to) produce it on the Day of Judgment."
A person should develop in himself self-supervision "Whosoever does righteous good deed, it is for (the benefit of) his ownself; and whosoever does evil, it is against his ownself. And your Lord is not at all unjust to (His) slaves." "Every person is a pledge for that which he has earned." "A wise man is the one who calls himself to account (and refrains from doing evil deeds) and does noble deeds to benefit him after death; and the foolish person is the one who subdues himself to his temptations and desires and seeks from Allah the fulfilment of his vain desires." "A person shall not be pious until he reckons himself as he reckons his partner; to ask himself about the source of his food and clothes."A person should feel the great responsibility that burdens him. "You are all in charge and shall be asked about your subjects."
Doing and cooperation to good is one of the basis of work because of Allah's saying:"Help you one another in Al Birr and At-Taqwâ (virtue, righteousness and piety); but do not help one another in sin and transgression.""Allah is indeed helps the servant as long as that servant helps his (Muslim) brother."
Based on the above mentioned, we note that Islam is a religion of legislation as well as a way of life and a belief and actions. It excelled all the past religions in organizing people's affairs; whether economic or social in their worldly lives to guarantee for them a good living standard which is full of persistent movements and fruitful outcome.