Madeeha Damoun

 The craving for ever-greater worldly gains and to excel others in that regard keeps you occupied. Until you reach your graves.

Surah At-Takathur (102:1-2)

 

The Illusion of Worldly Gains

It’s been three days, and I still can’t shake off the thoughts. The whole “what, why, how” loop is repeated in my mind. When I look around, it’s clear that those with power—whether individuals, organizations, or even entire nations—often act like they are gods on this earth. This idea isn’t new; history is full of powerful kings and queens who behaved as if they owned the world simply because they held power. But why do people start to think so highly of themselves every time they gain power? Whether it’s in a corporation, a household, or even over just one person, why do we start treating others as our possessions? It’s a disturbing pattern, and when we zoom out, we see that this very mindset is at play on a global scale, with superpowers acting as if they own the world, driven by the corporate sector.

This realization made me ponder quite heavy things, especially the issue of false gods. What is more disturbing is the fact that there are these great powers who often work behind the curtain and control so many things. The situation in Gaza illustrates how these powers play their games, while at the same time, the huge multinational companies who rule the world are ruled themselves by the oppressors.

The more I think about it, the more I see money as the ultimate false god. There’s this saying, “Throw money, watch the show,” and it finally clicked for me. Money equals power, and it’s a game everyone is playing. The chase for both is relentless, and now I understand why people say money makes the world go round. It’s a wild connection between money and power that I never fully grasped before.

When Enough Is Never Enough ! Wealth’s True Worth…

But what’s all this hustle for money really worth in the end? I’ve seen people amass wealth throughout their lives, only to find it useless once they’re gone. It’s a reality check that some things are truly priceless. For me, love and respect outdo money any day. And honestly, can we put a price on relationships and happiness? Imagine putting a price tag on love—how much would the rich be willing to pay?

When it comes to our health, we’d empty our pockets without hesitation. If our heart falters, we’d give anything to keep it beating. It’s fascinating how we’re willing to spend on the best doctors just to stay alive, even for a moment longer. SubhanAllah, it’s a profound realization.

I’ve always believed that humans naturally appreciate nice things; it’s part of our innate nature, the Fitra. But recently, I’ve been questioning whether it’s okay to indulge in luxury in Islam. After all, we are drawn to beautiful things, and Islam doesn’t necessarily forbid it—but there’s a fine line between appreciating luxury and letting it consume us. Luxuries have a way of steering us off the right path, making us forget about the needy, the people around us, and the Hereafter, which we should always have on our minds.

The idea of living a life of luxury really makes me pause and think. Do we really need all the excess? There’s a hadith that says when you earn, it should be halal, and the purpose is to provide for your family, take care of your children, give to charity, and not have to beg from others. But it doesn’t say anything about luxury.

Islam is a way of life, and it doesn’t exactly promote a luxurious lifestyle. The concern is that too much luxury might pull us deeper into the material world, making us overly engrossed in the dunya. It’s sobering to realize that our modern comforts far exceed those of the past, even surpassing the royalty of ancient times. Our comfortable beds, sophisticated jewelry, advanced transportation systems, and homes equipped with heating and cooling—all of this luxury, yet life doesn’t seem to be getting any easier.

Sometimes, I wonder whether all these modern appliances and gadgets should give us a more leisurely time. Still, then I notice the rising statistics of depression and even suicide. This gives me a reason to ask if such luxuries bring any form of peace at all. Wouldn’t it be so that the more wealthy individuals, such as movie stars who generally have everything, be the happiest? On the contrary, a lot of them are depressed and commit suicide. It’s a bit strange isn’t it?

The idea that enhancing the more stress one carries might actually help to augment more luxuries is somewhat strange. It makes me quite curious whether trying all means to live a comfortable life makes is trying to live more in the material world forgetting or doing less of other things considered important.

When the Craving Controls

All of us want to live an easier and comfortable life and money is but an instrument to that goal. But when that level of comfort is arrived at, it’s saddening to know that some people go as far as taking their own lives. This is somehow a sad situation that makes me think about the meaning of running after luxuries and what it means to our health in general.

It’s kind of funny though, isn’t it? Day by day, we are introduced to more and more things that will supposedly make our lives easier, and yet as time goes by, it seems like people are becoming increasingly more depressed. Leads me to a big question in my mind, what is the reason behind why the search for comfort and wealth has become a cause of dissatisfaction?

People hustle throughout their lives expecting that making a lot of money would make them happy. But after such money is made, it’s baffling how easily people are willing to give up everything in search of actual happiness. It’s a pattern of actions that just makes me want to know the actual link between the things we possess and our state of mind.

Looking back at this, I think I have understood one thing – perhaps we were just not built for all this coziness. Even in the West there’s a trend of going back to basics and minimalistic living. This made me ponder over the notions of needs and wants. Why do we decide to deceive ourselves into thinking that we have to have every possible luxury which the market has to offer? It appears as though the very conception of the conventional term of needs has been muddied, and here, the wants are in charge. It’s like the founders of this capitalistic society, in essence, tried to change the way we think, employing the power of the advertorial apparatus to catch and sell desires..

It’s fascinating how catchy jingles and constant advertisements shape our choices. They repeat the message over and over until it sticks. But here’s a thought—why don’t we apply this same strategy in raising our kids? If advertisers used force, yelling, and hitting to sell their products, would anyone buy them? Probably not. Instead, if we want something ingrained in our children, we need to model it for them and keep reminding them, over and over. It takes effort, but it seems like the most effective way to make a lasting impact.

In the end, it all comes down to focusing on our ultimate goal—pleasing Allah. As the Quran reminds us, the greatest bliss and success lie in gaining Allah’s Good Pleasure (Surah Al-Tawbah 9:72).

Gratitude becomes a crucial part of this journey. Recognizing and appreciating the blessings Allah has bestowed upon us is not just a worldly acknowledgment but an act of worship itself (Surah Al-Baqara 2:172).

It’s time to shift our focus. Instead of constantly feeding our desires, let’s redirect our energy toward nurturing our souls.

“True enrichment does not come through possessing a lot of wealth, but true enrichment is the enrichment of the soul.” [Bukhari]

May Allah guide us to the right path. Ameen.