Hazrat Moulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi (rahmatullahi ‘alaih) once mentioned:
In current times the amassing of wealth and possessing the capability to acquire it is deemed as true progress, whereas Islam has discouraged one from making the amassing of wealth his primary goal. The Sahaabah (Radhiyallahu Anhum) emulated Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) 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 and His Messenger (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) and upholding Deen. Likewise, we will not come across any situation where Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) went on accumulating wealth during his Mubaarak life and nor did he exhort the ummah in his Mubaarak Ahaadith to do the same. The outcome of the Sahaabah (Radiyallahu Anhum) upholding Deen was that Allah Ta’ala not only blessed them with progress in Deen but even bestowed upon them the wealth of the world. Allah Ta’ala blessed them with such wealth that the wealthy of these times cannot even dream of. (Malfoozaat Hakeemul Ummat 3/149)
Source: Ihyaauddeen.co.za