Luxury of life
Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,
As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. (May Allah's
Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)
One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:
asalamoalikum
i am unhappy with my life, that
might be due to the reason that there is a great conflict with the teachings of
Islam and our practical life in this
world. what to do, i think that if i follow
completely every aspect especially in business and money oriented world
then i will be at the failure at this world. and if i dont earn money then i will not get some things which i
think that that are only bought with
money like Mercedeez etc etc. and also if i dont earn money i might have the money in heaven
but it is useless there. what Islam says
if i want to have Mercedeez car and other luxuraies.
if there is any harm in having
these luxuries.
(There
may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum
does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from
our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)
Answer:
In the
name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness.
Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray,
none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no
person, no grave, no prophet, no imam,
no dai, nobody!) worthy of
worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad(saws) is His
slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.
Allah says in the Holy Quran in Chapter 67 Surah Al Mulk verse 2: He
(Allah) created death and life that He may test you, to see which of you is the best in deeds.
Beloved brother
in Islam, the All Knowing, All Wise Creator created man and involved him in
test, to see who accepts and obeys His Guidance and submits his will to Him;
and who denies and rejects His Guidance and wishes to do as his heart pleases.
If one just
visualizes the simple lure of life, its as if man is running after his love and
mirage of wealth, and cars, and yatchs, and mansions, etc. and death is closely
following man; whether or not the man
catches his ‘mirage’ in the span of this short transitory life, it is a
foregone conclusion that death will definitely catch up with him one day!
Your Question: what to do, i think that if
i follow completely every aspect
especially in business and money oriented world then i will be at the failure
at this world.
Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 29 Surah Ankaboot verse 62: Allah enlarges the sustenance (which He gives) to whichever of His
servants He pleases; and He (similarly) grants by (strict) measure (as He
pleases): for Allah has full knowledge of all things.
Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 34 Surah Saba verses 36-37:
36 Say: "Verily my Lord enlarges and restricts the provision to
whom He pleases but most men understand not."
37 It is not your wealth nor your sons that will bring you nearer to Us
in degree: but only those who believe and work Righteousness, these are the
ones for whom there is a multiplied Reward for their deeds while secure they
(reside) in the dwellings on high!
My
beloved brother in Islam, firstly we must realize that it is Allah Subhanah
Alone Who is the ‘Ar-Razzaak’ or Provider of Sustenance to all in creation; and
He it is Who has distributed an decreed the amount of wealth to whom He
Willed. If the whole world got together
and tried to give us one dollar extra than what our Lord has Decreed for us;
they would not be able to do so! And if
the whole world got together and tried to take away even a dollar from us when
our Lord has Decreed otherwise, they would not be able to do so! The amount of our sustenance and wealth is
entirely dependant on what our Lord has Decreed for us.
Besides,
this transitory and short life is a place for tests; the results of success or
failure will be declared by the Lord All Mighty on the Day of Resurrection, for
that is indeed the only Day of results!
One may try his
best to win the ‘rat-race’ of this world, and it is a possibility that he may
or may not win the race! But if one
strives his best in the race for the Hereafter, it is not possible that he will
ever lose that race!
Your Question: and if i dont earn money then i will not get some things which i
think that that are only bought with
money like Mercedeez etc etc.
Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 3 Surah Ale-Imraan verses
14-15:
14 Fair in the eyes of men is the love of things they covet: women, and
sons, heaped-up hoards of gold and silver, horses branded (or vehicles),
and (wealth of) cattle and well-tilled land.
Such are the possessions of this world's life; but in nearness to Allah
is the best of the goals.
15 Say: shall I give you glad tidings of things far better than those?
For the righteous are Gardens in nearness to their Lord, with rivers flowing
beneath; therein is their Eternal Home; with companions pure (and holy), and
the Good Pleasure of Allah. For in Allah's
sight are (all) His servants.
Man is naturally
attracted to wealth, and the things wealth can buy, for the One Who Created man
has declared that He has made these fair-seeming and attracting to man.
The one who
strives to earn wealth, may or may not earn it; and if one earns it, he may or
may not be able to enjoy it; for this life is just too short for
enjoyment! But the one who strives with
his best striving to earn the luxuries of the Hereafter in accordance with the
Guidance revealed by his Lord, there is absolutely no chance of his being
dejected.
Your Statement: and also if i dont earn money i might have the money in heaven
but it is useless there.
Beloved
brother in Islam, the currency of this short transitory life might be money;
but the declared currency of the life of the Hereafter is good deeds. Yes, there is a distinct possibility that
money as a currency will be useless in the Hereafter (neither is one allowed to
take any with him when he dies!), but the good deeds one does in the life of
this world will be absolutely priceless in the life of the Hereafter!
Money
might seem valuable in the short life here, but this money would be absolutely
useless in the eternal life of the Hereafter; and good deeds might seem useless
here, but I assure you from the Quran and Sunnah, they will be absolutely
priceless in the Eternal Home of the Hereafter!
Your Question: what Islam says if i want to
have Mercedeez car and other luxuraies.
if there is any harm in having these
luxuries.
Beloved
brother in Islam, provided one keeps his main mission and sight on being
successful in the Hereafter, there is absolutely nothing in Islam that
prohibits or stops the believers from earning their fair share in the life of
this world. And keeping one’s sight on
the success of the Hereafter does not in any way mean that one retires from the
world and its luxuries and seclude himself to the caves and mountains like the
monks! In fact the one who does that is
deemed a runaway from the test of life, and will thus fail the test!
Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 17 Surah Israa verses 29-30:
29 Make not thy hand tied (like a niggard) to thy neck, nor stretch it
forth to its utmost reach so that thou become blameworthy and destitute.
30 Verily thy Lord doth provide sustenance in abundance for whom He pleaseth,
and He provideth in a just measure: for He doth know and regard all His
servants.
If the
Lord has provided one with abundant wealth, and this righteous person
recognizes the favors done upon him by his Lord, and gives and spends his
bestowed wealth to earn the Pleasure and Good Will of his Lord; there is
absolutely no harm and no sin if he spends a fair share of it on himself, if he
wishes to do so!
Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 28 Surah Qasas verse 77: "But seek with the (wealth) which Allah has bestowed on thee
the Home of the Hereafter, nor forget thy portion in this world:
but do thou good as Allah has been good to thee, and seek not (occasions for)
mischief in the land: for Allah loves not those who do mischief."
But if
one’s sole mission is to earn the luxuries of the life of this transitory
world, and day and night he supplicates his Bounteous Lord to give him wealth
only so that he may fulfill his wish of enjoying the transitory luxuries of
this life; then he would miserably fail the test of life!
Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 17 Surah Israa verses 18-19:
18 If any do wish for the transitory things (of this life) We readily
grant them--such things as We will, to such persons as We will: in the end have
We provided Hell for them: they will burn therein disgraced and rejected.
19 Those who do wish for the (things of) the Hereafter, and strive
therefore with all due striving and have Faith; they are the ones whose
striving is acceptable (to Allah).
It is reported in an authentic narration that the Prophet (saws)
said: There are four types of people in this world:-
One who is blessed with wealth and with Iman (faith). He
recognizes his Creator, and spends in His way ... giving charity only for His
pleasure. The Prophet (saws) said: ‘This one is the best of creation!’
The second, who is blessed with Iman, but has no wealth. But he
prays to his Lord, day and night, that if he is given wealth, he would spend
like that person (in point 1). The Prophet (saws) said, ‘both of them will be
in
The third type, is one who has wealth, but no Iman. He squanders
his wealth on worldly luxuries ... does not recognize his Creator ... spends
his money on worldly luxuries alone. The Prophet (saws) said: ‘This type of
person is the worst of creation!’
And the fourth type, is one, who has no wealth and no Iman. But
he says that if he had wealth, he too would spend his money on worldly luxuries
(just like the person in point 3). The
Prophet (saws) said: ‘This person and that person (in point 3) will be in hell
together!!’
Whatever
written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance,
and whatever of error is of me. Allah
Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.
Your Brother in Islam,
Burhan
Wister