SYED RIZWAN HILAL
The materialistic world has dragged mankind in the race to unlimited desire, to achieve more and more which results in a disgraceful life of homicide, genocide, drugs, child abuse, women abuse, and all family and social misbehaviour. Islam is undoubtedly the only solution for these problems, for, it teaches not only about this worldly life’s achievements, but it also teaches mankind to be God conscious (Taqwa).
Collins English Dictionary defines materialism as “interest in and desire for money, possessions, etc., rather than spiritual or ethical values”
Implementing the basic concept of materialism as multi-faceted construct which includes the beliefs that possessions lead to happiness, that success can be judged by things people own, and that possessions are central in person’s life,
The measure captures three dimensions of materialism: Success (“I like to own things that impress people.”), Centrality (“I enjoy spending money on things that aren’t practical.”), and Happiness (“My life would be better if I owned certain things I don’t have.”)
In many places the Holy Qur’an has made this point clear by giving examples of the past historic events. Wealth of Shaddad and Fir’aun (Pharoah) and persons of the categories perished. They left this world with their own deeds and they are tasting what they have done in this world.
Man’s obsessment and attachment to this life
Surah At – Takathur, 102:1-8
أَلْهَاكُمُ التَّكَاثُرُ, حَتَّى زُرْتُمُ الْمَقَابِرَ ,كَلَّا سَوْفَ تَعْلَمُونَ ثُمَّ كَلَّا سَوْفَ تَعْلَمُونَ, كَلَّا لَوْ تَعْلَمُونَ عِلْمَ الْيَقِينِ, لَتَرَوُنَّ الْجَحِيمَ ثُمَّ لَتَرَوُنَّهَا عَيْنَ الْيَقِينِ , ثُمَّ لَتُسْأَلُنَّ يَوْمَئِذٍ عَنِ النَّعِيمِ.
(You are obsessed by greed for more and more,until you go down to your graves,And once again: Nay, in time you will come to understand Nay, in time you will come to understand!, , Nay, if you could but understand (it) with an understanding (born) of certainty, In the end you will indeed, most surely, behold it with the eye of certainty:, And on that Day you will most surely be called to account for (what you did with) the boon of life! )
This Surah is one of the most powerful and prophetic passages of the Qur’an, illuminating man’s unbounded greed in general, and more particularly, the tendencies which have come to dominate all human societies in our technological age. This verse highlights the greedily striving of mankind for an increase in benefits, be they tangible or intangible, real or illusory. It denotes man’s obsessive striving for more and more comforts, more material goods, greater power over his fellow-men or over nature, and unceasing technological progress.
A passionate pursuit of such endeavours, to the exclusion of everything else, bars man from all spiritual insight and, hence, from the acceptance of any restrictions and inhibitions based on purely moral values – with the result that not only individuals but whole societies gradually lose all inner stability and thus, all chance of happiness. It is warning man that this unrestrained pursuit of “economic growth” is bound to bring – and has, indeed, brought in our time – frustration, unhappiness and confusion, and man will lose all remnants of spiritual and religious orientation.
The occasion for the revelation of this Surah has been reported to be that the people of Bani Abde-Manaf, Bani Qusai and Ibne-Sahm Ibne Omar, got involved in a mutual contest of priding over each other, the strength, their number and the matter went to the extent of counting even the dead among them, to the sides and once when one of the parties fell short of one to win over the others, a grave was opened and the dead lying therein was counted. Then this Surah was revealed.
Usually, we attach materialism with dunyadari and a materialist is called dunyadar. When a person fully involves himself in dunyadari, he started getting away from Allah and loses his actual aim of life that is to recognize Almighty Allah. An individual aspiring materialism excessively often fell a prey to physical imbalance as well as spiritual decline. An isolated individual becomes the very reason behind an isolated society.
Allah Almighty warned against materialism. According to Quran:
“O you, who have believed, let not your wealth and your children divert you from remembrance of ALLAH and whoever does that then those are the loser”(63:09).
“And this worldly life is not but diversion and amusement” (29:64).
“So let not the worldly lives delude you” (31:33).
Abu Hurairah Ra said: “I heard the Messenger of Allah (SAW) saying: “This world is cursed and what is in it is cursed, except the remembrance of Allah (dhikr) and what is conducive to that, or one who has knowledge or who acquires knowledge” (Tarimzi, Ibn e Maja, Mishkat Sharif ).
“Do not take to the estate, such that you become desirous of the world” (Jami` at-Tirmidhi).
“Love of mundane world is root cause of all evils” (Mishkat Sharif).
The love of wealth is impious like a woman’s menses which cannot be purified so one should keep aloof from such kind of love. It is said, that wealth is like water and, heart is like a boat, and if water inters the boat, it will sink. It applies excessive love of wealth ultimately ruins one’s life. Desirer of Faqr, who takes material wealth to his heart his life, is accursed because his heart should have been purified and preserved for love of Allah Almighty. A heart which is devoid of the love of Allah is accursed and Almighty Allah will not show mercy to such heart, where there is love for worldly filthy carrion and where love for other than Allah.
SHIRK IS NOT ONLY BOWING OR PROSTITUTING OTHER THAN ALLAH (SWT) , CURRENT TIMES ‘’MATERIALISM’’ IS ONE OF THE GRAVE SIN IN WHICH ALL THE ATTRIBUTIONS OF ALLAH (SWT) ARE CONSIDERED
I have money, I can get cure
I have money, I will never sleep hungry
I have money, I can oppress
I have money, I can make a way
I have money, I can bypass any hardship
I have money, I can empower and dis-empower anyone ,
I have money, I am strong
I have money, I am unfalling
I have money, I am avenger etc
Materialism forces us into comparison with the possessions of others, a race both cruelly illustrated and crudely propelled by that toxic website. There is no end to it. If you have four Rolexes while another has five, you are a Rolex short of contentment. The material pursuit of self-esteem reduces your self-esteem.
I should emphasise that this is not about differences between rich and poor: the poor can be as susceptible to materialism as the rich. It is a general social affliction, visited upon us by government policy, corporate strategy, the collapse of communities and civic life, and our acquiescence in a system that is eating us from the inside out.
This is the dreadful mistake we are making: allowing ourselves to believe that having more money and more stuff enhances our wellbeing, a belief possessed not only by those poor deluded people in the pictures, but by almost every member of almost every government. Worldly ambition, material aspiration, perpetual growth: these are a formula for mass unhappiness
Materialism is distraction from what really matters.
Materialism has totally dragged us to deviance
Syed Rizwan Hilal
The Author Is Studying At LPU & Can Be Reached At Syedrizwan1299@yahoo.com
