Noreen and I have been having some strange conversations lately. It might have something to do with my pig-skin shoe encounter recently, or just the fact that Ramadhan and the change of PMs is just around the corner.
Statement: Economic prosperity is the key to piety.
I was once asked by an Ustazah during my school days whether it was the poor or rich man who would be most likely to commit sin. I immediately answered: the rich man, because with all the resources at his disposal, he will find it hard to fight the temptations of wealth and concentrate on his faith. My Ustazah argued back - the poor man will be most likely to commit sin because his basic needs have not been met, and hence, it is more difficult for him to concentrate on matters of faith.
It was later that I learned about Maslow's hierarchy of needs.
Is it just me or does Malay-Muslim culture have great disdain for the accumulation of wealth? The argument upheld by wannabe pious men is that wealth cannot be taken to the Hereafter, and this point is raised time and time again when dealing with life decisions e.g. education, career, relationships, or business investments. There are numerous anecdotes, some making it to moving picture, that portray the wealthy as snotty, arrogant, unhappy, and worse of all, un-pious. The message here is money corrupts, so if you want to be a good Muslim, don't seek it.
The flip side to this is that borrowing is very common among the same community to fulfill certain needs - like furniture (read: Courts Mammoth), and certain excesses (read: wedding loans).
At the end of the day, isn't Islam a religion of moderation - one that allows for a balance between ibadah and worldly affairs? At the end of the day, one would need money to pay zakat, or go for Haj. At the end of the day, it is easier to refine one's prayer when the house is standing and there's ample food on the table.
Going back to the hierarchy of needs then, would it not be to the benefit of the ummah if all our basic needs are fulfilled, so that we can reach self-actualisation? If this statement is accepted, then an obvious means to this end would be the prudent act of accumulating wealth, whether it be through investment or business or an education plan that reaches past a basic certificate - all of which can be obtained in a halal manner.
Posted by Najah Nasseri at 2003年10月25日 04:20 | TrackBackHmm, isnt Saidina Abu Bakar Al Siddiq one of the richest man prior to the migration of the Prophet (pbuk) to Medina?
Saidina Abu Bakar is one of the greatest supporter of Islam, and helped secure the release of slaves who converted to Islam, and that includes Bilal bin Rabah.....
It's better to keep your house in order and then concentrate on your prayer...rather than praying with an empty stomach, and then hope that God will give you food. God only help those who help themselves... :)
Posted by: ervan at 2003年10月24日 08:04Jika diberi pilihan,saya lebih suka bersyukur dalam nikmat Allah dari bersabar dalam kemiskinan.Dan kemiskinan itu menghamoiri kekufuran!
Tangan yg memberi lebih mulia dari tangan yg menerima.
Selamat Berpuasa.
Posted by: Pak Adib at 2003年10月24日 08:25You can do a very nice research on sons and daughters of ministers in Malaysia, accumulating wealth and how and what, from state to federal ministers. It can become a bestseller book.
Posted by: bill at 2003年10月24日 16:46To quote a Barclays advertisement (I think I did this in Freudian Spit's blog too :P)-
"If a dollar was a chicken, would the chicken be evil?"
Also we have Jesus saying (according to the Bible):
"It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God" - an interesting explaination of this quote can be found at http://phrases.shu.ac.uk/bulletin_board/25/messages/171.html
p.s. - I'm not a Christian
Posted by: Resident at 2003年10月24日 16:52We all need money to go about our lives. How much is enough and how much is too much. It should be a means to an end.
We all seek money in the hope that it will be sufficient to strike that balance, a balance where we have enough to lead a good and fulfilling life as a good muslim. Somehow we just forget where that balance is.
It's hard to face the hardships or the "test" given but it's even harder to face the "easy-life" and happiness or even wealth that has been lost or taken from you ...
Selamat berpuasa ...
Posted by: Abg Piah at 2003年10月27日 05:37There is no place in the Bible that says God helps those that helps themself
Posted by: Meredith at 2004年03月25日 00:35hi my dear friend .my name is shahram from tehran .please excuse me
because i can not corectly speak english so I cant transfer all of
my sound of my heart to you in english language.I have two sisters
my father was dead when i was child so i grow up in the average family
and i didnt have any problem with this.but now my mom in the cage of
police for money only for money.in our country life is very expensive
and hard according to im student in university i must pay money of our
life .but i only can pay a little of this by playing organ in the partys
but this is not enought please knows me, my condition is very hard im in the
end of line .please help me, i know u should happy if take my hands i
promise to u back your help when can do it.please know me and help us.
thanks a lot my friend.
help to:
iran - melli bank (siba) code num:0300515470004
my name :shahram
last name: abbasi
good bye