Can the love of money and the love of Allah coexist in the same heart?

Introduction: Can Two Loves Live in the Heart?

The human heart is a strange place. It holds love and fear, desire and passion. Sometimes a person lives without truly knowing their own heart; other times, they feel an inner struggle for years but cannot name it. One of the oldest and most difficult of these struggles is this question: can the love of money and the love of God live in the same heart?

On one side stand livelihood, comfort, a sense of security, power, and opportunities. On the other side stand faith, surrender, patience, contentment, and concern for the hereafter. When caught between these two paths, people often try to justify themselves: “How can I live without money?” or “God loves those who work.” But the issue is not the existence of money. The issue is the place money occupies in the heart.

This article is not about money itself. It explores what the love of money does to the human soul, where it collides with faith, and where—if ever—it can come into harmony with it.

What Is Money: A Means or a Goal?

Money entered human life as a means. It exists for exchange, for meeting needs, for sustaining life. But over time, for many people, money ceased to be a means and became a goal.

At first, a person wants “money to survive,” then “money to live comfortably,” and later “money to be superior to others.” At this stage, money is no longer just a necessity—it becomes an identity. A person begins to measure their worth by their bank account. And as money increases, so does fear: fear of losing it, fear of having less, fear that someone else might earn more.

This is where a dangerous point is reached. When money controls a person, there is less room for God in the heart.

The Meaning of Love: What Is Love for God?

Love for God is not merely words spoken by the tongue. It is surrender, trust, and a bond built between fear and hope. A person who loves God remembers Him not only in abundance but also in hardship. In difficulty, instead of asking “Why me?” they are able to say, “There is wisdom in this.”

Love for God leads a person to:

• avoid what is forbidden (haram),

• refrain from consuming what is unlawful,

• respect the rights of others,

• share what they have,

• preserve their conscience while earning.

If someone says, “I love God,” yet is willing to do anything for money, the sincerity of that love must be questioned.

How Does the Love of Money Begin?

Love of money rarely appears suddenly. It settles into the heart slowly and quietly.

It begins with fear:

• fear of poverty,

• fear of the future,

• fear of depending on others.

Then fear turns into desire:

• earning more,

• saving more,

• creating greater security.

Later, desire becomes obsession:

• the feeling that “it’s not enough,”

• the thought that “this still isn’t sufficient,”

• the illusion that “just a little more will bring peace.”

But peace never comes. Because money does not satisfy—it fuels desire.

When Money Takes God’s Place in the Heart

If a person:

• delays prayer for the sake of money,

• turns a blind eye to what is forbidden to protect income,

• lies in order not to lose wealth,

• fears sharing what they have earned,

then money has begun to take the place of God in the heart.

This is not about wealth itself. History has known many people who were very rich and deeply faithful. The real question is this: do you control money, or does money control you?

If love for God is at the center of the heart, money revolves around it. But when money moves to the center, God becomes someone remembered only “when needed.”

The Qur’anic Perspective: Money as a Test

Religion does not condemn money itself. Money is a test—just as poverty is a test. Both abundance and hardship examine the human soul.

The test of abundance is often harder. Because abundance makes a person feel powerful. One may think everything is the result of their own effort. Faith, however, constantly reminds: the One who gives and the One who takes is God.

To succeed in the test of money:

• the boundary between lawful and unlawful must be respected while earning,

• wealth must be shared,

• money must remain a means, not a goal.

Can They Live in the Same Heart?

Yes—but with conditions.

The love of money and the love of God can coexist in the same heart only if:

• money is a means, not a purpose,

• a person trusts God, not money,

• increased wealth does not breed arrogance,

• loss of wealth does not shake faith,

• what is earned is seen as a trust, not absolute ownership.

If this balance is broken, the two loves begin to fight. And most often, the side that generates greater fear wins. People usually fear losing money more than losing God.

The Trap of the Modern World

Today’s world normalizes the love of money. Earning more is seen as success. Being content with less is portrayed as weakness. On social media, people see only the results: cars, houses, travels. But what remains hidden is:

• stress,

• debt,

• unlawful earnings,

• the burden of conscience.

In such an environment, preserving faith becomes more difficult. But what is difficult is also more valuable.

Conclusion: Who Is at the Center of the Heart?

Money is necessary. Denying that would be naive. But money does not belong at the center of the heart. God does. Because a person lives for whoever occupies the center of their heart.

If money is at the center:

• a person is never satisfied,

• never at peace,

• never truly grateful.

If God is at the center:

• little becomes sufficient,

• much does not corrupt,

• loss does not break the soul.

The love of money and the love of God can live in the same heart only when the love of God is dominant. Otherwise, one suffocates the other—and most often, it is faith that is suffocated.