Salaam!
Last week, I met a Muslim entrepreneur who sold their business in a multi-million dollar exit. As we celebrated, he said something that stopped me cold:
"Brother, I've never felt more broke in my life."
Here was someone who'd achieved what many dream of, yet he felt impoverished. His health was deteriorating from stress. His marriage was strained. He still had to work for the acquiring company and was feeling down.
We've become so obsessed with financial rizq that we've become blind to the other forms of wealth Allah showers upon us daily.
The Prophet ο·Ί said:
"Richness is not having many possessions. Rather, true richness is the richness of the soul." [Bukhari & Muslim]
Yet we live as if the only rizq that matters has a dollar sign attached to it.
Allah challenges us:
"Which of your Lord's favors will you both deny?" [55:13]
As humans, we will always neglect Allah's blessings because they are innumerable. However, our obsession with financial rizq makes actively ungrateful for the many types of rizq in our lives.
Here's the spiritually intelligent reframe:
When you expand your definition of rizq beyond money, you realize you're already wealthy. And when you give from your existing wealth freely, Allah opens doors to financial abundance you never imagined.
The 8 Types of Rizq That Money Can't Buy
Our narrow definition of rizq is precisely why we struggle with money. When we recognize and give from ALL our forms of wealth - time, health, wisdom, connections - without seeking return, something miraculous happens.
Allah tells us:
"If you are grateful, I will surely increase you" [14:7]
But here's what most people miss: Gratitude isn't just saying "Alhamdulillah." True gratitude is recognizing what you have and sharing it abundantly, without expectation.
Let me share the 8 types of rizq that, once recognized and shared, can transform your life for the better"
1. Health
Your ability to walk, see, breathe without pain - this is rizq. While others spend fortunes on medical bills, you wake up with a functioning body. As the saying goes: "health is wealth"
How to show gratitude: Use your health in service. Help someone move. Offer to grocery shop for an elderly neighbor. Take the stairs and thank Allah for working legs. Exercise not for vanity but as shukr for this gift. Model healthy habits to your children and family.
How this unlocks financial rizq: When you're grateful for health by serving others, you build relationships that become business opportunities. That neighbor you helped? She might refer you to her CEO son. Your energy and vitality make you more productive and attractive to employers. You save thousands on healthcare costs that can be invested in growth.
2. Being Denied Money
This might sound counterintuitive, but sometimes Allah's protection comes disguised as a closed door. That job you didn't get? That investment that fell through? It might be the greatest rizq you never received. I had a coaching call with a brother back in 2021. He was devastated because he turned down a VP role at a crypto startup. We was feeling guilt, shame, and resentment for "missing out". I challenged him to honor his feelings, look at the lessons from his decision-making, and be willing to see the hidden blessing in the experience. Less than a year later, that company went under.
How to show gratitude: Say "Alhamdulillah" for closed doors with the same enthusiasm as open ones. Share your story of divine redirects. Trust that Allah saved you from something harmful. Ask yourself "where is the hidden blessing in this?"
How this unlocks financial rizq: When you're grateful for rejections, you stop wasting energy on bitterness and redirect it toward better opportunities. I know a sister who thanked Allah when she lost a major client - that freed her schedule for a better client who paid 3x more. Gratitude for "losses" positions you to receive better.
3. Good Advice & Wisdom
If Allah has blessed you with wisdom, experience, or insight, this is a tremendous form of rizq. The ability to guide others is a gift not everyone possesses. Likewise, in the age of "hot takes" have a source of wisdom and sound advice (especially if you are a Muslim man) is priceless.
The Prophet ο·Ί said:
"The religion is sincerity/advice" [Sahih Muslim]
An entire generation of Muslim men have been robbed of this divine blessing of sincere brotherly advice. The scary part? It's all the thinly veiled capitalistic exploitative messaging disguised as "Islamic content" that is being spread around.
One challenge is that when good people don't speak up and share their message, then nefarious people fill the vacuum. We need more people of conscience speaking up. Sharing their point of view and offering sincere advice to others.
How to show gratitude: Share your knowledge freely. Mentor those willing to put in the effort. Write down your insights. Answer questions in forums. Teach what you know. Speak your mind. If you see someone acting out of alignment. Call it out and offer an alternative.
How this unlocks financial rizq: Sharing your wisdom without an agenda is a form of charity. Sharing your knowledge on Reddit or a blog will open doors of opportunity. Back in 2013, Zahra created a meme to explain the plight of modest shoppers. Someone saw it and invited her to speak on the topic with a fully paid trip to NYC (you can watch her talk below)! She even met someone from Ralph Lauren at the conference who explored acquiring her startup. You never know where sharing your knowledge wil lead you.
Zahra speaking at The Gel 2013 Conference in NYC
4. A Quiet Mind
In an age of anxiety, a peaceful mind is worth more than a unicorn. If you can sleep without worry, make decisions without panic, or sit in silence without agitation - you possess what others pay thousands to achieve. A quiet mind also means we are better able to connect with Allah in prayer and through acts of worship more generally.
How to show gratitude: Protect your peace through prayer and dhikr. Share your calmness with anxious others. Make decisions from stillness, not stress. Thank Allah for mental clarity. Share your calm with others. When someone in your life starts "worst-case scenario planning", remind them that Allah is with them and that everything will be OK. This a HUGE act of charity.
How this unlocks financial rizq: A quiet mind makes better financial decisions. You don't panic-sell investments. You negotiate from strength, not desperation. You see opportunities others miss in their anxiety.
5. Reflection
The ability to think deeply, to see patterns, to derive lessons from life - this is rizq. Not everyone has the time, inclination, or capacity for deep reflection. In a time where speed is praised. Going slow is a sign of gratitude.
How to show gratitude: Journal your insights. Share your reflections publicly. Help others see patterns in their lives. Use your insight to solve problems for others. Dedicate a fixed amount of time for reflection daily. This can be after a prayer or in the morning before the kids wake up. It doesn't have to be perfect, but if you do this consistently you will see results. I try to journal early in the morning, nothing in particular. Just whatever is on my mind. This act of reflection brings me clarity for my morning.
How this unlocks financial rizq: Deep thinkers create innovative solutions that people pay for. Your ability to see patterns becomes consulting opportunities. Your reflections become content that builds your authority. Every major business breakthrough started with someone who could think differently.
6. Community
Both having support and being able to support others is rizq. Your network, your relationships, your ability to connect; these are provisions from Allah. Capitalism is systematically separating us from community and this is why we feel broke despite earning multiple six-figures. Community enables us to not feel like everything is on us. Community helps cure the isolation epidemic. Community helps circulate wealth. This is probably the hardest component of rizq that we need to build together.
How to show gratitude: Make introductions without being asked. Show up for community events. Create spaces for others to connect. Be the bridge between people. Open your home for others to gather and have a safe space.
How this unlocks financial rizq: Your next job, client, or investment opportunity is more likely to come from your community than a job board. When you're grateful for community by strengthening it, it strengthens your financial prospects.
7. Friendship for the Sake of Allah
Relationships rooted in faith and genuine care are increasingly rare. If you have even one friend who reminds you of Allah, you're wealthier than most. Men are suffering from an isolation epidemic where most men over 30 don't have a single friend! Social media gives us the illusion that we are close to people, when in fact we might've not seen them for years!
On top of that, we have all the transactional relationships that we are all fed up with. It's about who you know, what you do, what you bring to the table, etc. We have to see the value in people just as creations of Allah. Everything we need is from Allah, including righteous friendship. So if you have someone in your life, don't take them for granted.
How to show gratitude: Prioritize these friendships. Pray for your friends in tahajjud. Support their projects. Celebrate their wins. Be vulnerable about your struggles.
How this unlocks financial rizq: True friends become your best business partners, your honest advisors, your referral sources. They'll tell you when a deal is questionable. They'll connect you to opportunities. One sister's entire business was funded by friends who believed in her vision before she could believe in herself because of years of genuine friendship.
8. Failures
Yes, your failures are rizq. Every setback taught you something money couldn't buy. We have become so obsessed with perfection that we are ungrateful for "failures". Temporary setbacks are not failures, they are stepping stones towards your goal. In this age of social media where everyone is a critic, we have given the "appearance of failure" way too much weight. We worry about others pointing fingers and laughing at us, while they themselves have built nothing. Even the prophets "failed". How many "nos" did the Prophet Muhammad ο·Ί get before he got a yes? How many people rejected their message?
How to show gratitude: Remind yourself that it's only failure if you give up. and that Allah is working for you in the background. Document lessons from each failure. Share your failures openly to help others. Thank Allah for the redirection. See failures as expensive education you got for free.
How this unlocks financial rizq: Your failures become your most valuable content and teaching material. People pay for authentic experience, not theory. The entrepreneur who lost everything and rebuilt? She now charges $10K for coaching because her failure gave her credibility. Your "mess" becomes your message.
The Wealth Multiplication Formula
Here is a simple exercise I do with my 1:1 clients. Applying t his formula will expand your life in ways you can't imagine.
Here's what I want you to do this week:
- Start a Rizq Journal: Each day, give from at least 3 different types of your rizq
- Give Without Expectation: This is the hardest part - give without waiting for thanks or return
- Document Everything: Write down what you gave and how it felt
- Review Weekly: Look back and feel gratitude that Allah made you a conduit of His generosity
Some practical ways to start:
- π Listen to someone having a hard time without offering solutions
- ποΈ Carry groceries for a neighbor
- βΊοΈ Give a genuine compliment even if you feel awkward
- π Share something beautiful to brighten someone's space
- π Join someone praying alone to make a jama'ah
- π Teach someone a skill you take for granted
- β Take a task off someone's plate without being asked
- π Send a text telling someone why you appreciate them
- π¬ Connect two people who should know each other
The secret? When you become a channel for Allah's rizq to flow through you, He increases the flow. It's a spiritual law as consistent as gravity.
The Million Dollar Mindset Shift
Our sustenance is PROMISED. Allah says:
"There is no creature on earth but that upon Allah is its provision" [11:6]
So here's my question for you: What amazing things would you do if you channeled all the time and energy you waste worrying about what's already promised?
What if instead of hoarding the rizq you have, you became radically generous with ALL your forms of wealth?
This week, I challenge you to expand your definition of wealth. Look at your life through the lens of these 8 types of rizq. I guarantee you're richer than you think.
Then give. Give freely. Give abundantly. Give without expectation.
Watch what happens to your financial rizq when you become generous with all your other forms of wealth.
Remember: You can't outgive Allah.
Reply to this email and tell me: Which form of rizq do you have in abundance that you've been taking for granted?
Peace and blessings,
James