Riches: Greed and Regret

Our riches and resources come from God Who bestows on us all earthly blessings for a period of time. It is our duty to be grateful and thankful for the Divine grace of mercy; be generous and charitable with the less fortunate in society. Sharing provisions with the needy is recognition of this social mutuality: producers paying a part of the crops on the day of harvest with the poor are only fulfilling the dictates of public conscience, or the Divine command on social responsibility. In his Friday Sermon of 13 November 2009, Imam- Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam International Hazrat Muhyiuddin Al Khalifatullah Munir Ahmad Azim (aba) of Mauritius provides an illuminating exposition on the parable of the owners of the garden in the Holy Qur’an. (68: 18-34) 

Whereas equity and charity attracts the Divine grace of mercy and the flourishing of possessions; greed and miserliness remove the protective shield from riches, and expose it to decline, loss and destruction- inviting feelings of ultimate regret on those who displayed arrogance and open ingratitude to the Supreme Lord. 

'It is He who produces both trellised and untrellised gardens, date palms, crops of diverse flavours, the olive, the pomegranate, alike yet different. So when they bear fruit, eat some of it, paying what is due on the day of harvest…' (6:142)     

‘Consider the seeds you sow in the ground– is it you who make them grow or We? If We wished, We could turn your harvest into chaff and leave you to wail, ‘We are burdened with debt; we are bereft.’ (56: 64-68) 

Read the Friday Sermon Below:

The Vicious Circle of 'Riba'

 Money, Interest, Banks, Governments & Slavery

 

My dear brothers, sisters and children, for my sermon today I have chosen to talk to you about the evil influence of money and interest which are governed by those behind the scene and who control the banking system as it still exist today as well as government and who strive to have the upper hand of it all to the detriment of the human race. 

Like we have learnt since our childhood, throughout history, there existed various forms of slavery. In the dark ages, people were captured and sold on the slave markets. Thereafter, the colonial masters enslaved entire nations. Today, we have perhaps the most intricate network of enslavement strategies… such strategies that threaten to enslave the entire human race. 

The institution of “Riba” (interest/usury) through financial houses like the World Bank and (the) IMF govern and control practically every developing country in the world. Under the guise of foreign aid, the mineral wealth of an entire country is usurped and every individual directly or indirectly contributes to servicing the foreign debt of his country. A child is born into this world already indebted. Indebtedness is the unique inheritance and heritage bestowed on him by his country. The tragedy is that these injustices not only go unpunished, they go unrecognized. And people find themselves slaves to the permanent institution of such banks and banking systems that are heartless and power thirst. 

Thinkers who knew the inside-out dealings and transactions of such systems have warned us about their dangers. There is a saying [also known as the Stamp’s Law] which is quoted to be that of Lord Josiah Stamp, a director of the Bank of England who made the following statement before he was killed in the German bombing called the Blitz. The saying is as follows: “Banking was conceived in inequity and born in sin. Bankers own the earth. Take it away from them but leave them with the power to create credit and with a flick of a pen; they will create enough money to buy it all back again…. If you want to be slaves of bankers and pay the cost of your own slavery, then let bankers control money and control credit”.

Securing the Future of the World

The Future of our Planet

Earlier this week, on 22 April 2019 there was the International Mother Earth Day which commemorates the Earth and all the riches it has brought us through the sheer grace of God Almighty. It comes as a reminder that the Earth is in danger that we all humans have the absolute duty to protect it, each at our level!

Indeed, nature is a gift of God given to mankind to enable each and every individual lead a joyful, prosperous and peaceful life. However, the greed of people and/ or nations to accumulate wealth by all means, coupled by superfluous consumption has prevented them to make a judicious use of the free natural resources at their disposal and has put humanity in the situation it is in today.

Never before has the human race found him to be so uncomfortable, so insecure and so uncertain about the future. Calamities like flood, drought, tsunami, earthquake, tornado, fire, smoke....(Like on Monday 15 April 2019 in Paris where part of one of the largest cathedrals of France and the world, Notre Dame de Paris burned in a fire. France and the Christian world in general have witnessed the destruction of one of their biggest symbols - gone up in smoke!...)

And also intense heat and cold in every nook and corner of the world and occurring even in odd seasons and in unexpected places, are taking everyone by surprise. Disaster of such dimension never occurred before. Many experts say that such changes (i.e. climate change), brought by the hands of man itself have destroyed the ozone layer protecting our Earth, thus causing global warming and bringing in its wake many other calamities. Such natural calamities as they are termed by man have transformed into divine reminders for them to change their evil ways and to embrace a righteous way of life.

God Almighty says in the Holy Quran: “Calamities have appeared on land and sea because of what the hands of the people have earned, so that He (Allah) makes them taste some of what they did, in order that they may return (to the right way).” (Ar-Rum 30: 42).

'Surah Al-Takathur': A Commentary

1. In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

2. The race for (an increase in) wealth distracts you

3. until you visit the graves.

4. But no! You will soon know!

5. Again, You will soon know!

6. No! If you only knew with knowledge of certainty...

7. You will certainly see the Furnace.

8. Then you will certainly see it, with the eye of certainty.

9. Then, surely, you will be questioned that day about the delights (which you used to enjoy on this earth).

Competing for More

This chapter, Surah At-Takaathur (Ch.102) - Cupidity (i.e., the desire to have more and more) contains a warning to those who wish to possess everything, those who like to accumulate wealth.

Verse 2: ‘Alhaakumut-Takaathuur - The race for (an increase in) wealth distracts you;

This fanaticism to acquire wealth and to increase one's fortune, position, the number of one's adherents, disciples or supporters, mass production or organization, affects not only one person but Societies and Nations.

What is called 'monopoly' (i.e., the restricted control and management of a thing only by a person who wants to control everything; monopolization) is forbidden and is against morality. Monopoly favours the exploitation of the public. This situation will get worse if people follow such a person, i.e., the monopolist (in respect to the power and wealth/ riches of this lowly world). When monopoly sets in, there is competition. Such a competition surges by others in order to gain access to (and share in) this wealth. 

Therefore, when there is such competition for more wealth, it occupies the attention of that person (who is worried about maintaining his monopoly on wealth against his competitors) and then forgets he to do things of much more importance, i.e., prayer, good conduct, etc. 

It is for this reason that in this verse a clear warning has been given from a spiritual point of view.

Man tends to absorb himself/ herself in these ephemeral things until death surprises him/ her. And at that moment he makes a flashback on his past life on earth and realizes how much his life has been wasted because he has not paid attention to the most important and superior affairs.

Verses 3, 4 & 5: Hatta zurtumul maqaabir; Kallaa sawfa ta’-lamuun; Summa kallaa sawfa ta’-lamuun - until you visit the graves. But no! You will soon know! Again, You will soon know!

This sentence means: Until a time comes when you will find yourself in the graves and you will forsake all that temporal splendour behind you, as well as all the circumstances of a life that was empty. Then, at that moment, this true reality will appear before you. So why do people not try to understand this reality in this very lowly life, before it's too late? 

Verses 6, 7 & 8: Kallaa law ta’-lamuuna ‘ilmal yaqiin; Latara wunnal Jahiim! Summa latara wunnahaa ‘aynal yaqiin ! - No! If you only knew with knowledge of certainty... You will certainly see the Furnace. Then you will certainly see it, with the eye of certainty.

There are three types of "Yaqeen" (certitude of knowledge) which are mentioned in the Quran: 'ilm-ul-yaqeen' - certainty by reasoning or deduction, 'ain-ul-yaqeen' - A personal inspection, 'haqq-ul-yaqeen' - the absolute truth where there is no possibility of error of judgment or error in visual or perception.

The first type, i.e., certainty by reasoning or deduction, is mentioned here: we hear something from a person, or we make deductions for something by our own knowledge; It refers to our personal state of mind.

If we reason in this sense, we shall give greater value and appreciation for the beautiful things of our life on earth, and we will waste precious time in trivialities (i.e., unnecessary/ unimportant things) . But if we do not use our faculty of reasoning now, then we will certainly perceive with our own eyes the punishment for all our sins. We will perceive Hell/ the Furnace.

Verse 9: Summa la-tus’-alunna Yawma-‘izin ‘anin na’iim. - Then, surely, you will be questioned that day about the delights (which you used to enjoy on this earth).

We will be questioned, i.e., we will be held responsible for all the kinds of pleasures we used to enjoy on earth - whether this pleasure was in the form of a false pride, the enjoyment of vain, worthless, or bad things, or even an extravagant enjoyment of things that are halal (licit). Therefore we must follow the prescribed limits.

Islam does not allow us to devote ourselves exclusively to the pleasures of this lowly life. These pleasures make us selfish. 

These pleasures take up our precious time, as well as our money/ wealth, and our abilities, such time, money and capacities/ abilities that we can showcase for the benefit of society. These pleasures make us forget our duty to Allah and the duty which we have towards our own soul. These pleasures give great satisfaction to our physical senses; But our physical body will one day be buried underground and it is our soul that will continue to live after our death. We must not neglect our soul which is also an important part of our own being.

So we must always keep in mind that our sojourn on this earth is very temporary, and we have a duty to do everything in our power so that we do not forget to fulfill our duty to Allah, and towards our own souls. Life on earth is very temporary while it is the future life that is eternal for us. When Allah sent us to this earth, He did not put a burden on us because He knows that our physical body is very weak. Therefore, He allows us to have personal desires and leisure, provided that we do not show ungratefulness to Him (Allah) and that we do not forget to worship Him alone, and that we do not forget also the favours He has poured upon us as well as the commandments He has placed at our disposal so that we always follow the right path. The one who does not forget his duty to Allah is the one who will always prosper, while those who are tempted by the attractions of this world and forget Allah, they are the losers.

May Allah protect us from avarice and gluttony for this temporary world, and help us to reach Him with ease and bliss. Insha-Allah, Ameen.

---Friday Sermon of 11 August 2017(18 Dhul Qaddah 1438 AH) delivered by Khalifatullah Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Saheb (atba) of Mauritius.