When one hears the word investing you immediately think about money, but investing can be in relation to your time, energy, money and so many other things. Investing is really about commitment. It’s about commitment to a purpose, a goal, an outcome. You can invest in your kids. That is probably one of the most valuable forms of investing. There’s no monetary payout. Everything you have will be for them, and the outcome is unclear, but you will most definitely invest to ensure a bright future for them is on the horizon. When I think about investing today, I no longer think about just money.
Investing for me is about putting time, energy and money into what’s going to benefit me in the future. And not just a future in which I’m alive. My children will outlive me, God willing. But when I’m gone, I want to know that I did everything to benefit me in the next life and ensure I left behind what was necessary for my kids to succeed in that next life too. You see you can either dedicate your time and effort to what you think will make you happy in the here and now, or you can come to the realisation that this life is temporary. That we are here for a reason. And we need to invest in the future that benefits us when we’re gone.
Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said there are 3 things that can continue to benefit us after we die; prayer, knowledge and charity.
Prayer - a child who prays for us, seeking our forgiveness and place in Jannah after we’re gone.
Knowledge - expertise or teaching we shared with others that will continue to help and benefit people.
Charity - ongoing charity that does not cease e.g building a mosque, planting trees, digging a well.