Prophet Muhammad
ﷺ warned that the thing he fears for his
ummah is that the riches of the world will open to them, they will compete for
it and it will destroy them.
Amr ibn Awf
reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “By
Allah, it is not poverty that I fear for you, but rather I fear you will be
given the wealth of the world, just as it was given to those before you. You
will compete for it just as they competed for it, and it will ruin you just as
it ruined them.” [Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī and Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim]
Is it not true
that many Muslim nations, blessed with wealth, still struggle to uplift their
people? Is it not true that Muslims, in general, have inclined to the comforts
of this world, showing greater inclination to competing than to uplift?
It is easy to
point fingers at wealthy Arab nations and ask, ‘Why are our brothers and
sisters in Gaza still starving when feeding the hungry is among the best of
deeds?’ Yet, we must also look inward. What about our own communities? Have we
truly done enough to lift the burdens around us? In Cape Town, as an example,
crime is high. Perhaps, the gang wars are rather dangerous. But how is it that we
do not do enough crime prevention in our communities in general? How is it that
businesses do not forge a plan to protect themselves and their customers? What
if Muslim business leaders in Cape Town united for safety initiatives? Wouldn’t
that be a small reflection of the unity we call for regarding Palestine? Have
we forgotten the reason and purpose of creation? Is it merely to traverse the
earth and accumulate wealth that is temporary anyway?
The reason for
alluding to this local problem while the focus is still Palestine and Aqsa, is
that there is a pattern in the behaviour of the Muslims. We have become weak or
maybe careless. How much of our principles have we forsaken so that we may earn
that extra dollar or hold onto a position of relative power or status? Just
like we let the robber steal from our neighbour in broad daylight, the Zionist warplanes
cross over our airspace to bomb a neighbouring country. Our strength has never
been in copying foreign ideologies. It has always been in holding firmly to the
Qur’an and Sunnah. That’s where our true dignity lies. Qatar was dealt a blow
by the Zionist bombing. The Palestinians gained a victory. Yet, the response to
being attacked will be telling as to our reliance upon Allah. Will we, the Muslim
ummah, be the recipients of Allah’s pleasure or will we be questioned for our
apathy?
Muslims have a
duty to command with good and to prevent the evil. It is not merely policy but
needs action. Had we that strong inclination to be the “khalifah” as Allah
described us to the angels, we will act in the ideal manner to bring betterment
to society and the world at large.
