The last blog was discussing truthfulness in abstaining from the excess aspects of the material world and the difference between how the righteous predecessors earned and spent their wealth compared to the majority of other people.
The pious counted their possessions as belonging entirely to Allah, the Exalted, and only used them in ways pleasing to Him. This in reality is quite clear when one actually studies the lives of the righteous predecessors instead of assuming they were just businessmen. Unfortunately, many muslims today claim to follow in their footsteps even though they drown themselves collecting and hoarding the material world. The majority of people are fooled into thinking they are following in their footsteps when they are actually nothing alike. These worldly people trust and love their possessions whereas the righteous had worldly possessions but only trusted and loved Allah, the Exalted. Worldly possessions were in the hands of the righteous not in their hearts while many today have no possessions in their hands but still have them in their hearts. One should take heed to how Allah, the Exalted, has described the material world and therefore not prioritise it over preparing for the eternal hereafter. Chapter 57 Al Hadid, verse 20:
“Know that the life of this world is but amusement and diversion and adornment and boasting to one another and competition in increase of wealth and children…”
It is important to note, the material world which one should detach from actually refers to one’s desires. It does not refer to the physical world, such as the mountains. This is indicated by chapter 3 Alee Imran, verse 14:
“Beautified for people is the love of that which they desire – of women and sons, heaped-up sums of gold and silver, fine branded horses, and cattle and tilled land. That is the enjoyment of worldly life, but Allah has with Him the best return [i.e., Paradise].”
These things are connected to the desires of people and by them one becomes distracted from preparing for the hereafter. When one abstains from their desires they are in fact detaching from the material world. This is why a muslim who does not possess worldly things can still be regarded a worldly person because of their inner desire and love for it. Whereas, a muslim who possesses worldly things, like some of the righteous predecessors, can be considered detached from the material world as they do not desire and occupy their minds, hearts and actions with them. Instead they desire lies in the eternal hereafter.
The first level of abstinence is turning away from unlawful and vain desires which are not connected to the pleasure of Allah, the Exalted. This person busies themself in fulfilling their duties and responsibilities all the while focusing on the hereafter. They turn away from things and people who prevent them from fulfilling this important deed.
The next stage of abstinence is when one takes only the things they need from the material world in order to fulfil their necessities and responsibilities. They do not occupy their time on things which will not derive them benefit in the next world. This is the advice given by the Holy Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, in a Hadith found in Sahih Bukhari, number 6416. He advised a muslim to live in this material world as a stranger or a traveller. Both types of people will only take what they need from the material world in order to reach their destination meaning, the hereafter safely. A muslim can achieve this by understanding how close their death and departure to the hereafter is. Not only can death pounce on a person at any time but even if one lives a long life it seems as though it passed in a moment. By realising this reality one sacrifices the moment for the sake of the eternal hereafter. Shortening one’s hope for a long life in this material world will encourage them to perform righteous deeds, sincerely repent from their sins and prioritise preparing for the hereafter over all else. The one who hopes for a long life will be inspired to behave in the opposite manner.
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PodSeries: Truthfulness – Part 9: https://youtu.be/3P-qfgkVLT8
PodSeries: Truthfulness – Part 9: https://fb.watch/4dRiWfjl2F/
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