Every believer wants to live in the mercy and pleasure of Allah, to live and die as a Muslim and to enter paradise with Allah’s mercy. The believer holds tight to his faith with wisdom, good manner and calmness. The believer considers the consequences of his actions, frequently consults and makes istikharah.
Many of us are apprehensive about our financial affairs, and worried about what people will say about us. We worry about our status in dunia, and how people will look down on us if we don’t go to the right school, drive the right car, wear the right clothes or live in the right neighbourhood. Countless Muslims are living and working in haram because of their anxiety to validate themselves to others. They choose their vanity and ego over their faith, claiming that they are stuck in that situation. This situation can be easily remedied by giving up a piece of dunia for akhirah, but it is simply an unthinkable option for them.
If we are on this path, we need to make a U-turn and return to Allah. In The Boy and the King, one person transformed a whole nation, through his iman, against all the odds. He did not rely on demonstrations, rallies or petitions. His strength lay with Allah, and Allah gave him the power, strength, healing abilities and quality.
As Allah is the owner of quality, you have to belong to Allah for Allah to give you the qualities. Quality does not come with your bloodline, it is granted by Allah to those who deserve it!
Many of us are in deep defeat. Suicide, even amongst Muslims is now increasing at an epidemic rate. While many of the countries that top the list are those with failing economies and social problems, successful and industrialized countries like Japan and South Korea are also in the top ten list for the highest suicide rates per capita. Conversely, the lowest rates of suicides are also found in poorest countries on earth, which lack natural resources. Therefore, there is no link between happiness and wealth when it comes to the ability to handle life.
There has recently been a spate of celebrity suicides. These people appear to have it all: beauty, money, glamour and fame. Their lives are filled with all that we yearn for. Yet, once presented with any deficiency or shortcoming, or they are not able to get what they desire, their lives are abruptly shattered. One actor said shortly before killing himself that he panicked at life, and the suicide note of another famous singer lamented that life had stopped becoming fun. What is more concerning is that these people are then idolized by many and worshipped as heroes.
Imagine how tormented and directionless their lives were! Even with everything in hand, they were not granted the tranquility, peace and peace in their hearts.
There are troubling reports of multi billionaires committing suicide because of a slight dip in their fortune. And other individuals, where life had become unbearable because of divorces, break ups, crashes in the stock market, or a failed exam. Again, it is because these people placed all their aspirations in the very thing that was taken away from them, leaving their existence with no discernible purpose or aim.
Our self control also weakens for something we desire. We are willing to sell out our principles in life and dignity to obtain what we crave for, such as promotions, title and attention. Young ladies trade their beauty for drugs, status or money. People behave shadily to advance their careers. People compromise their integrity in order to get a higher bonus or income.
Why do we spin out of control so readily? It again is symptomatic of a lack of faith and the extreme devotion to the material life. When Allah gives us a piece of dunia, we are so happy that the material overwhelms us. We then become greedy and accumulate more; and if Allah takes that away we cannot handle it because we had become too attached. Inability to cope with adverse change is one of our failures.
The love of dunia spurs us to grab more, but no amount will satiate our desires. Therefore, the desire to spend for sabeelillah at the cost of dipping into our own possessions, decreases and even vanishes. We hoard our wealth, unable to invest any of it for our own spiritual goodness. The truth is that money cannot do anything for us. Most will keep accumulating until they die, or wait until they become so old that they can’t enjoy the money anymore!
The concept of destiny, which is one of the pillars of the Islamic faith, teaches us that we will receive the provision that was written for us. If something was meant to be ours, no one is able to deprive us of it. If we trust this concept, there is no need to chase our provision in an illegal, humiliating or repugnant way, because in chasing this dream instead of trusting Allah to provide what is destined for you, your life will become a nightmare. Any lack in belief of your destiny is a lack of your belief. If you want more detail, you can study the topic of Qadr.
Lack of trust in Allah is what creates the massive income inequality. The extremely wealthy are slaves to their money, creating an even bigger division because they are unwilling to spend any of it on the needy. We have met individuals who own entire buildings, villas with dozens of bedrooms and luxury yachts, but they don’t even have the time to stay there even once a year. Yet they still spend thousands of dollars every month for the upkeep and maintenance of these places- a syndrome of slavery to their possessions. Do you think they contemplate about death or accountability to their Lord for their excessive accumulating? They have succumbed to the slavery of the material, and are defeated.
