Hakeemul Ummah Hazrat Moulana Ashraf Ali Thaanwi Sahib رحمه الله said that in current times, the amassing of wealth and possessing the capability to acquire it is deemed true progress, whereas Islam has discouraged one from making the amassing of wealth one’s primary goal. The Sahaabah رضوان الله عليهم أجمعين emulated Sayyiduna Rasoolullah صلى الله عليه وسلم in every facet of their lives. However, when we examine their lives, we find that they neither attached importance to the accumulation of wealth nor did they regard it as being their main goal in life. Instead, their idea of true progress and success was always obedience to Allah Ta‘ala جل جلاله and His Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم and upholding Deen. Likewise, we will neither come across any situation where Sayyiduna Rasoolullah صلى الله عليه وسلم went on accumulating wealth during his blessed life nor will we find him exhorting the Ummah in his Mubaarak Ahadīth to do the same. The outcome of the Sahaabah رضوان الله عليهم أجمعين upholding Deen was that Allah Ta’ala جل جلاله not only blessed them with progress in Deen but even bestowed upon them the wealth of the world. Allah Ta’ala جل جلاله blessed them with such wealth that the wealthy of these times cannot even dream of.
(SOURCE: MALFOOZAAT OF HAKEEMUL UMMAH رحمه الله 3/149)