Materialism Verses Contentment – an article that provides solutions to all the problems that humanity currently faces.
With the name of Allah most Beneficient ever Merciful
The Un-materialistic Prophet’s Solution to All Our Problems.The Holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺ lived a very simple life without caring for material possessions and eating very little even when he could afford better and even when he became the ruler of all of Arabia.
He patched up his own clothes, mended his own shoes, ate simple foods on alternative days and slept on a date palm mat in a simple home and when he left this mundane world he did not leave any savings behind, but instead left a treasure of knowledge.
This type of lifestyle is perfect because it is in tune with everything and everyone. It is a solution for all the problems that we as humanity currently face.
Firstly, if we all adopt this kind of lifestyle then we would help to solve the current environmental crisis. We are spending unnecessarily and extravagantly on food, clothing, cell phones, houses, dolling up our cars, weddings etc.
Every time we purchase an item we must remember that it comes at a price to our environment because energy and resources are used to make up these products and this manufacturing process produces a whole lot of waste which is dumped into our environment. Wasting is wrong and un-Islamic.
“And give to the near of kin and the needy, and the wayfarer their dues, and do not squander (your wealth) wastefully. Certainly, the squanderers are like satans and satan is always ungrateful to his Lord.” Al Quran 17:26.
Now consider the garbage that we put into the environment—just how much of it is still good but we get rid of it because we bought new ones?
Secondly, by being unmaterialistic, we would experience inner peace, satisfaction, contentment and finally happiness. When we chase after wealth and material possession then, we must know for certain, that no matter how much of it we have, it would never be enough because the more we have, the higher would be the standards of our living.
A man walking would appreciate a bicycle but once he gets a bicycle he desires a cheap car and once he gets a car then he desires to make it look good or to buy a fancy car and so on and so forth. There is simply no end to this road and that is why sometimes even wealthy people end up still working hard, taking bribes or stealing. Although they have so much, it is still not enough.
The Holy Prophet ﷺ has said that even if a man has to have two valleys filled with gold, he would still want and strive for the third. He becomes a slave to materialism.
By being practical and realistic and curbing our greed we would learn to be content with the basics in life and this would bring us happiness. The Holy Prophet ﷺ said: “Blessed is he who is guided to Islam and whose livelihood is just sufficient and who is content therewith.” Al Hadis 1:1:4:88.
The road to happiness is not wealth but it is contentment. When we are content, then a little would be a lot to us but when we are discontented then even a whole lot will be too little for us. In the 53 sura Allah Subhanatallah describes some of His wonderful favors and one of them is:
“And that it is He (Allah) Who fulfils the needs and endows (the gift of) capital contentment, and grants wealth.” Al Quran 53:48.
Thirdly, by being un-materialistic we would create a peaceful society wherein everyone lives happily. When people in a community strive for worldly ends then life becomes difficult for everyone because everyone is competing with one another for limited resources and this inevitably leads to vast differences between the different statuses in society.
While the few wealthy people live in plush mansions, the majority live in shacks: while the few are privileged to the best medical resources and education the majority get the left overs. This is the condition of our world today.
“Wealthy and middle-class South Africans form part of the global ‘consumer class’, roughly the 20% of the world’s citizens who have direct access to a car.... It is these plus-minus 20% of the world’s citizens who eat 45% of all the meat and fish consumed, own 87% of all the cars, use 84% of all the paper and 75% of all energy including 68% of all electricity – in the process generating 75% of the annual global pollution.” Dr Eureta Rosenberg.
Research shows that 1% of the world’s population own more than the other 99% put together. This is not in tune with Divine guidance.
“He placed therein (in the earth) firm mountains rising above (its surface) and showered it with His blessings and placed in it various provisions according to a set measure, (provisions to which) all those who require them have equal rights, (and all this He created) in four aeons.” Al Quran 41:10.
There is no team work, fair play and good will in our societies today because everyone wants to climb onto someone else to get to the top. Such a society inevitably breeds dissension.
Stealing, corruption, murder, rioting, gangsterism etc. becomes common and on a larger scale wars, colonialism, slavery, xenophobia etc. becomes common.
Fourthly: by us being un-materialistic we would create a strong, stable and sustainable economy in which there is little or no inflation. At present, capitalistic greed has created this yearly 10% compounded increase on everything which misleads people into thinking that the increase is fixed and fair, only 10%.
This is not so because when percentage increases are actually converted to figures, the increase is gradually increasing. At first slowely but it steadily gets bigger and bigger until it becomes impossible.
As an example: half a lamb used to cost R9 a kilo in 1999 and it increased by 90 cents the following year. Today (2016) it costs about R70 a kilo and the next 10% increase is going to be around R7 rands. 10 years from now we will be paying R180 a kilo and in 20 years from now we will be paying R426 per kilo.
This 10%, deceitful, “riba” formula will result in certain economic failure (without a doubt) and cities like Detroit and countries like Greece are recent examples of failed economies.
A 10% across the board increase in wage is also not fair because the few highly paid management staff will get a far bigger increase in terms of actual money which creates a greater divide between the rich and the poor.
Fifthly and most importantly, when we are content with what we have in terms of material possessions then we would not waste our time and energy pursuing more than what we need and therefore we would have more time to think about our Creator and the true purpose of life.
“The mutual rivalry for piling up (the good things of this world) diverts you (from the more serious things), until you visit the grave. Sura Al Takathur 102:1.
The more worldly goods we have the harder it is to look after. Chasing after the world therefore consumes all our time and energy and when we die we would ultimately leave ‘all of this’ behind without having nourished and prepared our souls for the ultimate spiritual journey ahead.
We finally end up losing both this world and the hereafter…… What a loss…..
Curbing this greed for materialistic possessions, which we all have, is a form of striving (‘jihad’) and a great form of worship that brings about great spiritual benefits.
It is difficult to curb this greed within ourselves because it always wants something or the other. If and when we can control this passion for this material world and its pleasures then we will be truly successful.
“…And whosoever is saved from the covetousness, such are they who will be successful.” (59.9)
Curbing our greed is therefore one of the stages of human spiritual development and we see this quality in the Prophets and Aulia Allah.
Living a simple life, with bare necessities, is not only the way of our Holy Prophet ﷺ but it is a topic that is discussed repeatedly throughout the Holy Quran. Here are just a few examples where Allah Subhanatallah states that this worldly life is unimportant
“The life of this world is nothing but futile and frivolous….” 29:64
“….And the life of this world is nothing but a vain provision.” 3:185.
“Know that the life of this world is but a sport, wanton, an empty show, (a source of) boasting among yourselves and an emulous quest for more riches and children.” 57:20
In continuing the above verse Allah Subhanatallah compares this worldly life to water.
“It is like the rain, the vegetation produced whereby pleases the cultivators. Then it (the vegetation) blooms and flourishes so that you can see it turn yellow (on ripening). Then (there comes a time when) it becomes (worthless) chaff.”
In our youth we strive for this world; in mid age we see the fruits of our labor; in old age when our health is declining we realize how futile our striving was and when we die we leave our businesses, houses, cars, cell phones all behind.
All that we strived for throughout our lives amounts to nothing. ….. really nothing….
It is for good reasons like these that money matters are extremely important in Islam. When the following verse was revealed:
“…Give the news of woeful punishment to them and to those who treasure gold and silver and do not spend it in the cause of Allah.” Al Quran 9:34.
Some of his companions enquired: “Had we known what properties are best, we would have acquired it.” The Holy Prophet ﷺ said: “The best of it is a remembering tongue (about Allah), a grateful heart and a believing wife who helps him in faith.” Al Hadis 1:2:3:39.
When this verse was revealed Hazrath Umar (RA) also told the Prophet ﷺ that some Muslims felt it hard and the Prophet ﷺ replied: “Certainly Allah has not made ‘zakaath’ compulsory except to purify the remainder of your properties and certainly he made inheritances compulsory. Al Hadis 1:2:3:38.
The Holy Prophet ﷺ said that apart from zakaath there is surely a duty upon property and that is that you give away wealth out of love for Allah Subhanatallah to your family and the destitute. Al Hadis 1:3:2:37.
The Holy Prophet ﷺ set the example by spending most of his wealth out of love for Allah Subhanatallah.
Some of the pious people such as the Prophet Sulaimaan (AS), the Holy Prophet’s ﷺ companion, Abdur Rahmaan bin Uaf and Hazrath Gaus Paak (RA) were all wealthy. So we see that wealth is not forbidden but it is important to have the correct attitude towards it and use it in the correct way.
At the same time we must remember that our Holy Prophet ﷺ is the best of examples to follow and there are just too many verses in the Holy Quran that condemn materialism.
The following extract is a note in Hadis book that helps to shed more light on this:
“Earnings are differentiated into different kinds: compulsory (farz), commendable (mustahab), lawful (muba), unlawful (haraam) and undesirable (Makroo).
It becomes compulsory when a man who has no means of livelihood engages himself in any lawful way so as to feed himself & his family.
It is commendable and desirable when a man has livelihood and still earns with the intention of helping others.
It is still lawful when a man has sufficient yet he labors on without having intention of doing good or bad.
Earning is not good for one who is solvent and who is engaged in Divine worship or religious affairs.
Earning becomes unlawful when a rich man earns with the intention of hoarding and using his wealth for committing sin.” Al Hadis: 2:17:2: notes.
Apart from the many Quranic verses dealing with wealth, there are whole chapters on this topic in the Hadis and fiqh books. In his book ‘Ihya Uloom id Deen’, Imam Gazzali (RA) dedicates an entire chapter on savings or as he more appropriately terms it ‘hoarding.’
As Muslims we can bring about a change by following the practical sunnath example of The Holy Prophet ﷺ to live a simple life.
Lets change our focus from making money to finding out our true purpose in life.
Let us break the shackles of positive stimulated slavery by shunning the carrots that are being dangled in front of us.
Lets buy only that which is necessary and nothing more. No matter how small a dent we make…, it will make a difference. Inshallah.
Note: A poor man harboring greed for wealth is just as guilty as the rich man who is materialistic. Islam also teaches that a rich man who is not materialistic and spends his wealth on helping others in his family and society has reached a high level of spiritual perfection. From this we see that money and wealth is not the main issue but what is important is the way we handle it. We have to free ourselves from greed and covetousness. We must learn to control our passions and desires and not let it control us.
“For he who seeks the harvest (the reward) of the Hereafter We shall add to his harvest. But he who seeks the harvest of this world We shall give him a portion of it and he shall have no share whatsoever in the Hereafter.” Al Quran 42:20
O Allah, grant us the great gift of contentment which will bring us happiness and peace and guide us all on the straight path and give us the courage and the wisdom to do what is right. Ameen.
Peace and salutations be upon Allah’s Messengers who are responsible for guiding humanity throughout time. Ameen.
Published by Anjuman e Waris e Mohammedi in 2016.
The Anjuman e Waris e Mohammedi was founded by Dr/Hakim Hazrath Khwaja Sayed Shareef Ahmed Ali Shah RA (lovingly known as Hazrath Poona Wale Shah Saab RA).
Author: Mohamed Hassan Gaffoor WhatsApp; +27 84 910 1486
Read a short booklet on wealth: “Become A Millionaire The Islamic Way”
View our Pop song on this subject matter. We were very innovative – we used bird sounds as background music. Our original music is complex with different layers and lots of verity. Takes getting used too but enjoyable in the long run. “ROBOTIC”