Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Dunya Check

Bism Illah wa as salaamu alaykum wa Rahmat Allah wa Barakatuh.

We can find excellent and detailed reading material on not giving importance to material things and avoiding pride, arrogance, and showing off, mashaa'Allah. However, I think we can all benefit from a daily dunya check.

Ask yourself why you are doing whatever you do.
  • Why did you choose those particular clothes and accessories?
  • Why are you buying whatever you plan to buy?
  • Why are you giving or taking that thing?
  • Why do you have each and every one of your possessions?

Think about it honestly. What influences your decision to do the things you do? Is it for the pleasure of, and obedience to, Allah? Or is it to present yourself in the best light and get others' approval or compliments? Is it to fulfill a life necessity? Or is it to add to the collection of things you want or like? Does everything you own have a genuinely beneficial purpose? Or is there a trace of competition in you, to in some way be better than, or outdo, others?

I'll pop an extreme (LOL) example in here now. I have some jewelry, mashaa'Allah. While it is all simple in design, it has notable value, mashaa'Allah. However, I very, very, rarely wear any of it.  The only thing I do wear are earrings (so my holes don't close up), which I change from time to time so my husband sees something different, and a watch.

You might think that I wear the jewellery when I go out to gatherings, but most especially I never wear it then. Why? Because I do not want to show off. I don't want to draw attention to my possessions. I don't want some sister, who may not have such jewelry, to feel jealousy or instill a desire for such material things in her. For me, such things are pure dunya. To be honest, I don't even see any reason to adorn myself in such a way for other women; such adornment is reserved for my husband.You might wonder why I even keep the jewelry, but it is for my children to inherit on my death. Allah only knows what they may need in the future, and it is their right.

I have things of good enough quality that they are beneficial to my well-being and health, but not so good that they are extravagant, inshaa'Allah. Believe me, I've been down the extravagant and wasteful road and I pray I see the road signs and never go down that road again, wa audhu b'Illahi min as-shaytaan ir-rajeem!

I know that often we don't like to ask ourselves questions that we don't have good, or the right answers, for. However, those are exactly the questions we have to keep asking ourselves if we are to correct ourselves and improve.

People don't know your worth - only Allah does. 
Strive to increase in value every day - just for Him.

3 comments:

  1. Assalaamu Alaykum! What is the proof for the permissability of piercing one's ears (if you know) - I am in dispute about this :-) Wa Salaam

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  2. Wa alaykum as salaam wa Rahmat Allah wa Barakatuh Anonymous.

    Rather than give you various links on the subject, I will simply quote these few lines taken from Multaqa Ahl al-Hadeeth.

    "As far as ear-rings are concerned, the scholars disagreed. Hanafi and Hanbali madhab scholars and scholars outside the madhabs stated that it is permissible, and their view is backed by the proof from the Sunnah, in a hadith narrated by Ibn Abbas for the prophet -s.a.a.w.- where he went to collect charity from the women after a prayer and they took off their ear-rings and jewellery and piling it in. Such a hadith shows evidence that women of the companions were wearing earrings without being told off or forbidden by the prophet -s.a.a.w.-. Shafie and Maliki scholars said it isn't permissible, not because it is a change of Allah's creation but because the hole-making is a painful process and there is no compelling reason to subject a girl to it.

    The correct view and one adopted by most scholars today is permissibility, since it relies on Sunnah evidence, and that will always supersede any jurisprudence measurement or conclusions."

    May Allah guide us to the truth always - ameen!

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  3. As salaamu alaykum All my wonders!

    Welcome! Believe me, I'm reminding myself first...the fact that someone else benefits is just an added bonus! I'm blessed and honored to have you visit. Please come again and often. :D

    ReplyDelete

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