|
CONTENTMENT
It
is to be satisfied with the things that are given to one
as worldly endowments, to be contented with the things one
has and not to be too shrewd.
Because man has a carnal
mind-nefs- he wants to have many things. He has greed and
has an insatiable appetite in regard to wealth. When he
attains a favor he feels the desire of having another one.
He spends his life in the pursuit of wealth and worldly
goods.
World and the things
inside of it are shown as embellished to human being. A
desire, wish and inclination towards them are created in
man. All people have to work to sustain their life and possess
worldly goods.
Life and body are the
trusts given to man. One can not torture to his body by
not giving the needs of it and he can not end his life with
his hands.
For the continuation
of life eating, drinking, dressing, having a shelter and
using some tools are compulsory. If there were no desire
against worldly goods in man he would show laziness even
to meet his basic needs.
The responsibility of
some people is greater. Fathers and mothers are in charge
of the care, nourishment and education of their children.
Sometimes people may be in a situation to undertake the
care of their elders. If they do not have worldly favors
and goods how can they perform these duties.
According to Islam,
giving alms, keeping other people, in other words spending
in the way of Allah is one of the greatest and most important
worship. How people who have no money and goods can perform
those tasks?
If man didn’t
have the desire to gain, taking into possession, and to
attain, he can not do those things. Then the balance of
life would upset and a distress would appear.
But Islam doesn’t consider the excessive demands,
insatiable appetites, limitless greed and avarice as good.
The limitation of desires and wishes is essential. A “nefs”-carnal
mind- which is left undeterred, asks everything from its
owner and doesn’t consider if those things are allowed
or forbidden. It doesn’t let the man to spend in the
way of Allah.
Yes, the worldly favors
were created for the man and these favors have been liked
to him. (1) But in the same verse it is also reminded that
the world life is transitory, and the real place that will
be taken as shelter is near Allah. In other verses the temporariness
of the world life is drawn attention frequently and the
necessity for the man not to forget of Allah being deceived
by this world life and its little pleasures is reminded.
--------------------------------------
(1) Chapter Ali Imran, 3/14.
“What
is the life of this world but amusement and play? But verily
the Home in the Hereafter that is life indeed if they but
knew.” (1)
That means a person
may ask worldly favors and even may wish to be rich and
he can be rich. But it is a condition not to be dependent
on them, not to spent life in the pursuit of them and not
to put the desire of goods on the axis of the life and not
to idolize them.
At this point the attitude of contentment comes out. Contentment
expressess a balanced attitude towards worldly goods. Neither
to be shrewd nor being too extravagant. A beautiful and
balanced behavior between them.
Contentment
as a souce of richness
A person should be contended
with the worldly goods that fall to his lot and not spend
all time with greed and avarice. Because greed and avarice
make the man dissatisfied, stingy, insatiable, jealous and
uneasy. Even those two bad habits may lead the person to
injustice and oppression with the aim of having more wealth
and fall him into other bad habits.
A Muslim may wish to be rich and try to be rich but
he should ask satisfaction together with them.
Those who are not contended can never be rich. That means
if their wealth becomes abundent still they are not satisfied
and their hearts do not calm down. Our Prophet -peace be
upon him- said:
“Richness is not with the abundance of wealth.
On the contrary richness is possible with satisfaction”
(2)
This advice is so necessary
for the man especially for the people of today who are fond
of goods and luxury. Ebu Hureyre communicated: The Apostle
of Allah declared: “When one of you wants to look
to a person who is superior to him in regard to wealth and
disposition, it’s better for him to turn his glance
once to the one who is inferior to him. To do so is necessary
for not to be little the favor of Alah over yourselves.”(3)
At the end of this hadith there is also an addition:
Abdullah b. Utbe said: I was with rich people. In
those times there was nobody eager than me. When I saw a
saddle horse I regarded it as better than mine. When I look
to a dress I used to think that, it was better than my dress.
. When I heard this hadith I became friends with the poor
and I relieved.”
------------------------------------
(1) Chapter Ankebut, 29/64.
(2) Muslim, Alms/120.
(3) Muslim, zuhd/8.
Unless their hearts
are satisfied with higher and delicious and permanent nourishments,
eyes will be left insatiable. Which nourishment that is
not dominated by faith can satiate the person? Which richness
can satisfy the spirit that is not directed by faith?
Are there any other
provisions that are satisfying more than belief and the
piety which is a result of it. Those hearts that are deprived
of the longing of eternal taste look for consolation on
transitory tastes. It is not possible to be satisfied with
them.
The love for Allah and
to remind Him on whom all loves and respect are dependent
is the main nourishment of the hearts. Those who are deprived
of that nourishment fall themselves to an endless poverty,
to an insatiable appetite and shrewdness. People who go
far a way from this High Love also distance themselves from
the feeling of compassion, the virtue of sharing the favors
and the morals of keeping others. Because the hearts which
are not satisfied with the Love of Allah become hungry against
everything.
Quran declares:
“Allah doth enlarge or grant by
(strict) measure the Sustenance (which He giveth) to whom
so He pleaseth. (The worldly) rejoice in the life of this
world: but the life of this world is but little comfort
in the Hereafter.”
”The Unbelievers say: "Why is not a Sign
sent down to him from his Lord?" Say: "Truly Allah
leaveth to stray whom He will; but He guideth to Himself
those who turn to Him in penitence”
”Those who believe and whose hearts find satisfaction
in the remembrance of Allah: for without doubt in the remembrance
of Allah do hearts find satisfaction.” (1)
Modern man who makes
the consumption as the aim of life, and who doesn’t
have any thought other than earning and spending, who has
any cause other than attaining of worldly goods is shrewd,
stingy and selfish. He is dissatisfied and crazy for metarial
wealth as to think about only himself. The desire for having
more of it, the newer of it, and more luxurious of it have
become an understanding of life. Poeple of today are in
an endless competition. Because the values are based on
having material wealth, the desire of material gains have
become inevitable for everybody. Those who are affected
by material goods become selfish, stingy and greedy.
-----------------------------------
(1)Chapter Ra’d, 13/26-28.
Such people try ever
way to have wealth, they exceed the rights of others, and
apply to injustice and to illegitimate ways. Because they
do not know the morals of satisfaction that Islam proposes
and the balance that is established in the lives of individuals
and society with this morals.
At the same time contentment
is used in the sense of to pursue the modesty in worship.
That means neither to worship excessively nor to neglect
it, to perform worship less but continuously.
Another meaning of satisfaction is not to be dependent
to people but asking from only Allah. Those who know that
property belongs to only Allah and that He has inexhaustible
treasures do not want anything from transitory beings. Contentment
frees the man from being servant to material goods and from
the slavery of greed and avarice. It breaks the chain of
living without honor, brings the man dignity, honor and
it satisfies him spiritually and makes him happy.
Together with contentment
patience and consent also exist. Many commentators on the
Noble Quran interpreted the expression of “hayaten
tayyibeten” -beautiful life- in the verse of
“Whoever
works righteousness man or woman and has faith verily to
him will We give a new life a life that is good and pure
and We will bestow on such their reward according to the
best of their actions.” (1)
as contentment. Our Prophet
also declared: “How fortunate that person who is guided
to Islam and is satisfied with a sustenance which is enough
for him.” “Contentment is an endless and inexhaustible
treasury” (2)
Hadrat Prophet -peace be upon him-wished his and his
families’ sustenance to be frugal and said: “O
My Allah, make the food of Muhammad and his family frugal”
(3). Because the more of the sustenance may cause trouble
for the person in the next world. In a hadith: “In
the day of judgment rich or poor everybody will wish that
in the world they had been given frugal food.” In
another hadith it was declared: “In the Day of Judgment
Allah says: ‘Where is my pure servants among the ones
I created’ Angels say: ‘O Our Lord who are they?’
Allah says : ‘The poor Muslims who satisfied with
less and contented to their fate. Let them go into Paradise!’
While other people were occupied with rendering account
they go into Paradise, eat and drink there.” (5)
----------------------------------------
(1) Nahl Sûra, 16/97.
(2) Ibn Mace, Tirmizi, Müsned.
(3) Buhâri, Muslim, Tirmizi.
(4) Ibn Mâce.
(5) Ihya.
|