Abdur Rahman ibn Yusuf Mangera – What is the Cure for Extreme Greed
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hamdu Lillahi wa salatu salam ala say you the most serene, Li or
Sophia, he was the limit asleep and kefir on Eli Yomi been
American. Inshallah, we'll have to keep it a bit shorter today
because there's a bit of trouble getting back home yesterday in
time from other IP. So
today we want to discuss another important topic.
It's in Arabic, it's called the hearse.
And that means in English, it means avid greed,
extreme greed. And when we speaking about greed, we're
speaking about greed for the world and having no contentment, no
satisfaction,
just keep wanting to have more and more and more. So avid greed, avid
greed and hills is a blameworthy desire.
What it does is it actually leads a person
to exertion and dedication of all of one's time,
towards one straight, and profession, or means of earning.
Or just greed for what others possess, is constantly looking,
okay, he's got this, she's got this, they have this, I can also
have it, there's no satisfaction whatsoever. There's no sugar ever.
It's always like, I need to get more I need to get more. This is a
very bad state of the heart. This is not necessarily a physical sin
in terms of Zina or stealing. But this is a state of the heart is a
state of mind. It's a state of being. And it's all pervasive, you
will be sitting down at home and you'll be thinking about something
and you'll want it. And it's just the constant desire, desire,
desire, whether that be the next phone or a new house or a new car
or whatever, it never ends. The opposite of it. Because generally
with things when you understand the opposites, you can it makes
more sense. So the opposite of this is contentment. In Arabic,
it's called canards,
contentment, which is to feel sufficed, with even a bit of
material possessions. Without having to seek more you're
satisfied with what you have.
It was recently some of you may have seen this clip from this
rickshaw driver in upstate Gujarat
is guy he's got his clothing is you can see he's got patches on
his clothing.
He found a number of gold
jewelry, and I think it was 70,000 rupees, which is good amount of
money that is about 600 pounds. I mean, in India, that's not I mean,
here, 600 pound, okay, you know, it's still a lot of money. But in
India, that's a lot of money. That's a good amount of money.
So what he did was, somebody left their purse inside the car took
off, he went home, and his wife is saying Go and give it back, go and
find out whose it is right now. The this woman who left the
husband is going to be very angry with her. Can you imagine the kind
of thought process that's going through their mind? He says, well,
at nighttime, there's no no way we can track anybody down. So the
next morning, he went there. And when he had made a number of his
pick the central location, he gave everybody his number that if
anybody comes looking for a person, let them call me. So
eventually he got a call or whatever the case is, and he went,
and they identified what was in there. And then they said, from
here, take what he took him to his house to pick the person. And they
sold the house. And you know, just basic said, Take whatever you want
from here. He said, No, I don't want anything. I've already got
enough.
I've already got enough. So they then tried to give some money to
one of his kids or something. And he was very angry about that says
we have enough why do we need this like it was just so genuine. It
wasn't he wasn't even playing a role. He just look at his facial
expression.
So then this woman is asking him later another report of something
that how much do you make? Because I make this much as small amount.
But he says the reason why it's sufficient is because from my
village, I have a bit of land and the grain and etc. I bring that
over and it's enough for us we eat the basic food and it's enough for
us. I thought wow, what cannot
he didn't take even 1000 rupees, just refused. And yet if you look
at his clothes, he's just and he's constantly saying, you know, this
is in our shirt. This is not because the person who was
interacting with was a Hindu, they say no, this is for the sake of
the Hereafter this is for Allah subhana wa Tada you know, we have
to be trustworthy and this time on the other and his wife is so
interested is she didn't say keep it so they both on the same page.
She is saying to him go because the woman who lost her purse, her
husband's gonna get angry on her. She's feeling for the woman.
That's what you that's what you call insomnia. But with everything
that we have to
at
our disposal, and availability, Amazon, and so on and so forth, so
easy to get things these days, we just become that much more greedy
and we're never satisfied.
And then we wonder.
So, the opposite is called Karna.
This cannot exist without certain things. For a person to be
satisfied, a person has to have a balanced livelihood and be
moderate of spending. The prophets of Allah some said something that
is just so wise.
And I've mentioned this in a number of interfaith programs, the
Prophet sallallahu sallam said on the side of in Africa, Teenies
Folmer Isha, moderation in spending is half of livelihood.
Moderation in spending is half of your livelihood. Livelihood means
the income you have
moderation in spending is half of your livelihood, the explanation
of that is very simple. You don't have much control, we don't have
much control of what we get. Because we don't know what we're
gonna get tomorrow, may have a wonderful job tomorrow may lose it
tomorrow, anything can go, anything can happen. But what we
do have, if we're moderate in the way we spend that, then we are
very going to be we're going to be very balanced. And that is going
to be half of our livelihood, because we've got control over
what we spend, but we don't necessarily have control over what
we earn. But once you have it, then you control it.
A balance livelihood and moderate spending, which is the basis of
contentment, since one who earns a lot and spends a lot cannot ever
be content.
The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said, one who is balanced
in livelihood does not depend on others. You have no dependency,
you are satisfied for your own sake. That's why if not, I thought
Allah he says, You are free and independent of what you covet, not
meaning you are not free and independent of what you Corvette.
Corvette means what you are greedy for, you're never going to be
independent, because you are slave to that thing. When you're greedy
for something, it's overcome you.
You need it.
You're a young guy, you're just about making a bit of money, but
you have to pay your school fees, and so on and so forth. But you
must have the latest phone that cost 600 pounds.
For a little gadget in the pocket, it gives you bragging rights. Yes.
You could get one half the price. But now this one is for bragging
rights. I don't have money, but this is I need it. I'm a slave to
it. I mean, in society, don't call that slavery. But it is a form of
slavery from a psychological perspective. That's what it what
it is you must do what it says.
The slave is fully dedicated to his master, any slave of any
Master has to be fully dedicated.
And
the similar thing is with the greedy one towards the object of
his greed. Yet the person who does not covet the glitter of this
world has true freedom doesn't care what happens. He's got
freedom. He runs his own life. Nobody tells him what to buy, what
to do, where to live, he runs his own life.
What have you been? I'm gonna be Rahim Allah, he said that once
dignity and freedom, dignity and freedom, one day set out for a
walk, to search for a third companion, who can be the
companion for dignity and freedom. They met contentment on the way
and they became permanently settled with it. So you want
dignity and freedom, you must have contentment. And believe me
itself, it is so liberating. When that happens, you don't have to
worry about what everybody else is having. Doesn't matter what
everybody else is buying or doing. You run your own life. If you
think something is good, and it's useful for you, you will get it
not because everybody else says so. Not because everybody else
does that same type of wedding or not, because everybody spends that
same kind of money.
Allah subhanho wa Taala says states that whoever acts
righteously, whether male or female, while being grounded in
faith, then we shall certainly revive him with a pure and goodly
life. The Greil goodly life when you feel satisfied, is when you do
things for Allah subhanaw taala. Then he gives you that
satisfaction,
even though at the face of it, you don't have what everybody else
does, but you are satisfied. It is so difficult to explain this idea
to people because the person doesn't have much, but he's
satisfied.
How do you explain that? How do you sell that package to
somebody, you can sell objects you can sell possessions. But how do
you sell an idea like that it has to be experienced. So the first
thing to gain Kana by is a balanced livelihood, moderate
spending, that is going to be the basis of contentment.
Number two is to become realized, in the belief that sustenance
decreed to a person must necessarily reach him, even if he
has no greed for it. This doesn't mean you sit back and do nothing.
You have to try whatever is written for us is also written
according to how much we're going to try.
So that should get rid of this idea that if everything is
written, then why bother doing anything.
Because what's written is based on what you will do or what you will
not do.
Because we don't know what's written, we have to do what we can
do, based on our Sharia guidelines, and according to the
rules of contentment, and satisfaction, and we live the rest
of Allah subhanaw taala. The benefit of this is that if we
don't get something that we've been we've set out to get despite
our hard efforts, then we know that that's not written for us.
So you don't feel you don't feel grieved about it.
Number three, another way to gain this is to realize the honor of
self sufficiency, that you get in contentment, and the humiliation
and flattery that is some time you have to do to get something you
have to flatter somebody, sometimes you have to do things to
use contacts, you have to praise you have to do this you have to do
sometimes get a position or whatever the case is.
Number four, to reflect upon the status of the prophets and listen
attentively to their sayings, whereby patients and contentment
with little sustenance becomes easy because that is how the life
of the prophets used to be the prophets Allah son, despite having
literally millions going through his hands, as in the form of
collection and sadaqa. He remained a voluntary poor person, so that
even the lowest person in Madina Munawwara could relate to him.
Even the lowest and most weakest and poorest person in Madina,
Munawwara can say, the Prophet also only has just dates and water
on normal day sometimes, and the fire doesn't, is not kindled in
his home for a long time. That's the province Allah Islam is a
voluntary poverty. We're not saying we need to do that. It's
very difficult, but at least be content with the little the
nominal mystery Rahmatullah here and he said, He who is content
will find repose from the people of his time, he will be
he won't have any trouble from the people of his time, and he will
surpass all of his peers. That is indignity, chivalry, self
sufficiency, self sufficiency, and greater spiritual rank, all By
Allah's grace.
Except that you will have some relatives who will say, what's
your problem? Everybody else is getting Why don't you do it?
Right, you have you have some people who don't like it when
other people don't do what everybody else does. So they
condemn people. And that's wrong as well.
Whoever the opposite condition of this is whoever's two eyes chase
after the position of others.
You see what other people have, they've got the latest phone,
they've got the latest car, whatever. So you're chasing after
the possession that is constantly looking at the position of others.
They will constantly have they will have chronic stress and
depression.
Quite clear, isn't it? Because you'll be depressed I don't have
it. And until you don't get it you feel unsatisfied.
Which echoes the divine admonition as Allah subhanaw taala says in
the Quran, Allah Talmud then Naica, Illa, Mama Tara nervy as
word and Minam Zahal hayati dunya Linhof Tina whom fee what is core
up bigger Hi, Rubicon which means
do not extend your two eyes gazing with longing and Marvel to what we
have given to groups of people for their pleasure. It is mere shallow
adornment of this lowly a boat, they can take all of these
holidays, they can go gambling, they can go here they can go there
they can go enjoying clubbing whatever the case is.
I have to come to the mosque.
Don't let your eyes go in that direction, because we've only
given it to them as mere shallow don't adornment of this lowly
about so as to test them there with the provision of your Lord is
far, far superior and shall last much
longer, but it takes belief to believe that
the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said, in January's Hadith
in Bukhari and Muslim, look at those below you in material
blessings.
Always stay with and look at people who have less than you,
compared to those who have more than you, for that is more
conducive to you're not belittling the blessings of Allah upon you.
If you look at what people have been given more than you, then you
will always think that Allah hasn't given me anything.
And if you look at people who have less than you, then you are rare
man, I've got so much. And you know, we hardly look at people.
It's not we we normally admiring or people are more than us. But
try it. If you have the opportunity sometimes to go to a
poor person's house, or just and just see what they did you think
Subhanallah I have so much more. And then you will thank Allah.
Otherwise, if you continue looking at what others have said, Oh, I
don't have that. I don't have that I can do that in my house as well.
I can get that in my house as well.
Scholars comment on this hadith, this hadith they say that it is
the basis of numerous virtues, because it encourages one to
reflect upon the less fortunate in worldly blessings, because that
will inspire gratitude and contentment.
But with respect to religious practice, it implies that one
should look at one superiors when it comes to religious practice and
piety, then look at people above you. That will then give us the in
encouragement to do more for our deen when it comes to the dunya
look up people below you. So it will give you satisfaction. If we
can fine tune this you will be much more satisfied with your
life, you will then be able to walk through malls through duty
freeze through whatever it may be
among a range of cars in West End or whatever it may be, and you
will not have a problem whatsoever.
See, when I came back to the UK, in America, I had
like nearly nearly a brand new car. But there you had parking
space you had everything came to London, I thought there is no way
that there is worth having a new car in London. You are crazy if
you have a new car in London.
Unless you've got lots of money just to throw away.
Go and check any car on the street see and you will see that every
single car needy will have a scratch
or dent. Just our parking problems, all the rest of it, who
you're going to chase, a friend of mine that I know very closely.
He's just bought a Land Rover, a special long, long one with it's
only got two seats at the back.
And somebody came in scratched it. He's got a tracker on it and
everything but somebody came in scratched it
and now each other he's put
he's had to put he's got two tracking systems on there. But now
he's had to put cameras outside his house outside is flat, so that
at least he can try to figure out who it is. I said what is the
point
another friend of mine had a brand new car on lease for three, three
years. A BMW.
His wife insisted on buying it getting it for him. So she he got
it. He's gonna give it back the next day three years up. He's
going back to give it back the next day. He's cleaned up all the
dents and now because they charge you huge amounts of money for
these little things. So he's cleaned it all up. He goes and
parks it at his sister's place. Next day is going to give it back.
He goes somebody's taken two keys right from the front to the back
and given to scratches all the way on every single panel.
That sets him back 1000 pounds for free. For nothing.
That's grievance. What's the grief?
What's the grief?
The more you have the more grief it provides. You have a card that
has a few bangs and ding dings and dents.
I've made a conscious that I go past good cause no problem.
I'm going to get another guy is going to be because he's got some
driving pleasure. Right now because of the way it looks. Who
cares about that?
Yes, if you get something that drives well and it takes you
comfortably somewhere that's understandable. But if you're
getting it just to show others
then the all the aggravation that comes with it. What's the point?
You have to look after these things they they sell you these
one they look so well but then you have to put a cover on it and it
covers everything up. I always wondered about that.
The way they promote the phone has one of these sleek designs and
it's very thin and everything and as soon as you buy it you have to
buy a cover. You have to then put a glass
screensaver I'm sorry, would you call it a protector?
And then you have to get these big ones so that even when it falls,
it doesn't break. And I was like, Okay, what's the point?
Marketing? Yes, it does look good. Your eyes dazzles the eyes, a lot
of psychology goes behind it. But at the end of the day, get
something that works for you.
Not just the status symbol, just get something that works for you.
That's the main thing. And yes, if it is the top phone that works for
you, because you need that, for whatever reason, then get that,
but don't get it because it's a status symbol, or because you must
have the latest thing.
The reason is the reason the same person will have two different
people will have the same phone, but one is going to be miserable
and the other one is going to be happy. It depends on where your
mind is. Always ask Allah subhanaw taala for satisfaction and start
thanking Allah with what He gives you. And start being real about
what is really good for you and what is bad for you. And don't
follow what others are doing. Just do what you think is beneficial
for you in a genuine way. Ask others if you have to think about
it. But the main thing is read the stories of the righteous, the
pious, the Sahaba the prophets and you will see how they kept their
life though we can never get to that level but at least it will
inspire us insha Allah to get better than we are May Allah
subhanaw taala give us a little peek Welcome to Darwin on in terms
of
allotment Salam salam ala, Karim, Allah who may or
may still love me or hinder me I'm in Allah Subhana Allah in the
mean, oh Allah we ask You for Your Mercy we ask You for Your blessing
of Allah we ask for contentment of Allah we ask you for your
satisfaction of Allah We ask that you give us the ability to do all
of those things which satisfy you, our Allah, we ask You that do not
make us slaves of others or Allah we want to be slaves of only you
have Allah all of these things so Allah grant us Baraka in whatever
you have given us and our law makers content with what you have
given us and our Allah make us satisfied with what you have given
us. Oh Allah, this is a month of Ramadan your blessings are great
Oh Allah do not deprive us of the blessings of this month and allow
this month to be the best of the Ramadan months that we've ever so
far spent. And that will Allah give us many more better Ramadan
months, and Oh Allah, we ask that you send your abundant blessings
on our messenger Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam Subhan
Allah be carbonized city and IOC for when I sit down when I want to
study in our hands
Jazak Allah here for listening May Allah subhanaw taala bless you.
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Wabarakatuh