Materialism

Asalamalaikum.

So recentley, i lost 3 of my favourite possesions. My tasbih [prayer beads], which broke in the college toilets [yes, you can laugh! ...here is the story and be warned, the english is not perfect :look: ] ok when i say recentley, that event was actually about a year ago, but so traumatic its been embedded in my memory.

Last week, i also lost my palestine badge, which for all who know me, is always, always in my possession. Ive been called palestinian so many times because of that badge. I have entered into conversations with so many people, muslim and non muslim, who i wouldnt have if it was not for that badge. Now i miss it.
I also lost my favourite hijab pin, in the whole world. And no it wasnt made by me like the rest of them. It actually did its job. Shucks.

So i was so moped about this, telling my friend about my minute loss, when she stated, twice in the same day, "you are such a materialist you know".

*gasp*

I am not a materialist. atleast i didnt think i was. There are a few possessions of mine, which yes i admit i am frantic over. But notice how they are all related, somehow to the deen. But that made me think about materialsm. Am i materialist? Allow me, what is materialism?

Materialism, according to the dictionary definition is "Interest in and desire for money, possessions etc, rather than spiritual or ethical value". Subhannallah!! Is it a sin to be materialistic? Is there a difference between materialism and merely liking certain things?

Well, i had to sunnipath this one....

Islamically, there is nothing wrong--in of itself--with consumption and
enjoying worldly comforts, as long as this doesn't lead to "worldliness."

The worldliness that the Qur'an and Sunna censure is, as Ibn Ata'illah
states, "That which busies you away from Allah." Thus, when our worldly concerns and consumption become blameworthy when they leads us away from Allah and from pursuing next-worldly benefit.

In this vein, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)
explained that it isn't from arrogance or reprehensible conduct to eat well or to dress well. Rather, he stated (Allah bless him and give him peace) that, "Allah is Beautiful and loves beauty."

As for wastefulness, it is defined by the scholars, in light of the
Qur'an and Sunna, as, "Spending beyond considered need or benefit."

And Allah alone gives success.

Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

So alhamdulilah. Good reminder. So anyways, although i know i try not to be materialistic, i still believe there were some very big lessons to be learnt through the losing of these particular things.

1. The tasbih. - i used to obviously use it for dhikr, but i also used to make a fashion out of putting it round my neck. That stopped sure enough through that experience. It was wrong to use something like that as a fashion statement. Even if i wasnt intentionally seeking attention, it was attracting attention. Big no no.
   
2. Filistine badge. Support of them does come through wearing a badge. yes it does. but duas and sadaqah is the better support. Give directly to the oppressed brothers sisters mother fathers out there. Talk less and act more. Big lesson! Hard lesson!
   
3. Hijab pin. Lesson? Dont run for the bus when your hijab pin is loosening. Coz no, it will not stay on. no matter how much you think it secures your hijab, it can fall out. Good idea yes. Miracle no. And also, tone it down! Hijab = modesty. Not an excuse to dress like a flamingo with glitzy butterflies and hearts popping out of your head.
   
   And the biggest lesson of all? Think about your actions. Even about the actions you dont usually think about, or the ones which are just so part of your schedule, inbedded in your daily living, your being, part of you. Stop and look at yourself for a moment, what you do and why you do it, especially if it is a habit. Is it to be cool? Is it to be accepted? Is it to be noticed? Or is it for the sake of Allah?
   
   If its not for the sake of Allah, then really, its not worth it.

The termination of youth

Asalamalaikum

Subhannallah.

So today, as is usual on my bus journeys to and from college, i see and hear and ponder over many things. Sometimes these thoughts are very random, other times im simply marvelled at the beauty of Allah Ar-Rahman.

So today, i was at the busstop freezing in the typical british weather [ which i love so much]and waiting for the bus. So were this old couple. They were really old, subhannallah, and it was just so beautiful to see them both together, standing by each other, truley companions!! ... If I was cold, and they were 60 something years older than me, i can only imagine how they must have felt.

Then, to propell my thoughts further, a kitted out car went past, blazing and i mean blazing loud obnoxious music. Subhannallah, i dont know what it was, but this moment suddenly made me think of the hadith:

Take advantage of five before five: Your youth before your old age, your health before your sickness, your wealth before your poverty, your free time before you become occupied, and your life before your death.

Hadith narrated by Ibn Abbas (ra)

I felt sorry that we all had to hear this music, and especially for the old couple who suddenly seemed distressed by it. Subhannallah, this youth finds pleasure in such an activity, but one day, as i was looking to these elders, his youth will be gone, before a flash of his eyes, his enjoyment period will be over, MY youth will be over, and what would i have achieved? To think that this old couple too were young once aswell, subhannallah, it just made me think of life as a whole.

Our lives are going, they are gifts given to us by Allah, He has blesed us with this chance to prove ourselves, and we shouldnt take it as mere play. Who knows when this gift will be taken back, when our lives will end, when we will be called on to answer as to how we spent our lives..?

Inshallah i hope we can all realise Allahs magnificence and His generosity and the temporary status of this world, and May He guide us all to Him Ameen.