Imagine that someone brings you a gift. And when you open it, it’s exactly what you’ve been praying for. You are so thrilled that you become obsessed with it to the point that you forget who gave it to you.
Well that’s how so many people treat Allah soubhanah unfortunately.
We tend to forget that HE made all things possible. We cherish our blessings so deeply that it overshadows our love for the One who bestowed them. And before we know it, they become a source of all our problems.
Allah told us that in this life ‘We test you with good and evil as a trial’ ‘وَنَبْلُوكُم بِٱلشَّرِّ وَٱلْخَيْرِ فِتْنَةًۭ ۖ’. Why is it that being granted what is good, is a test as well ?
Perhaps so we can choose how to react. Allah indeed says: ‘whether they ˹choose to˺ be grateful or ungrateful.’ ‘إِنَّا هَدَيْنَـٰهُ ٱلسَّبِيلَ إِمَّا شَاكِرًۭا وَإِمَّا كَفُورًا’ al- insan 3.
While gratitude is an important subject I plan to expand on later. I want to focus today on having skewed, misplaced priorities. It’s easy to say ‘oh no, of course not. Allah is first in my heart’. But do our actions reflect that?
Lets take 2 common example that could challenge anyone’s tawheed.
Allah says ‘Wealth and children are the adornment of this worldly life”ٱلْمَالُ وَٱلْبَنُونَ زِينَةُ ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا ۖ’ Al-kahf 46
But at the same time ‘O believers! Do not let your wealth or your children divert you from the remembrance of Allah’ ‘يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ لَا تُلْهِكُمْ أَمْوَٰلُكُمْ وَلَآ أَوْلَـٰدُكُمْ عَن ذِكْرِ ٱللَّهِ ۚ’ Al-Munafiqun 9
- Financial gain
The first example I wish to put forward is financial gain. Imagine a muslim wealthy man who achieved financial success by the barakah of Allah. But he’s become so absorbed in accumulating profits that he avoids giving his zakat (mandatory charity), or sadaqa.
Even if Allah clearly and consistently states in the Quran, ‘O believers! Donate from what We have provided for you before the arrival of a Day when there will be no bargaining, friendship, or intercession. Those who disbelieve are ˹truly˺ the wrongdoers. ‘ يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ أَنفِقُوا۟ مِمَّا رَزَقْنَـٰكُم مِّن قَبْلِ أَن يَأْتِىَ يَوْمٌۭ لَّا بَيْعٌۭ فِيهِ وَلَا خُلَّةٌۭ وَلَا شَفَـٰعَةٌۭ ۗ وَٱلْكَـٰفِرُونَ هُمُ ٱلظَّـٰلِمُونَ Surah al-baqarah 254
Or perhaps he is becomes stingy with his family even they have the priority in his spending ‘Righteousness is not in turning your faces towards the east or the west. Rather, the righteous are those who believe in Allah, the Last Day, the angels, the Books, and the prophets; who give charity out of their cherished wealth to relatives…’ ‘۞ لَّيْسَ ٱلْبِرَّ أَن تُوَلُّوا۟ وُجُوهَكُمْ قِبَلَ ٱلْمَشْرِقِ وَٱلْمَغْرِبِ وَلَـٰكِنَّ ٱلْبِرَّ مَنْ ءَامَنَ بِٱللَّهِ وَٱلْيَوْمِ ٱلْـَٔاخِرِ وَٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةِ وَٱلْكِتَـٰبِ وَٱلنَّبِيِّـۧنَ وَءَاتَى ٱلْمَالَ عَلَىٰ حُبِّهِۦ ذَوِى ٱلْقُرْبَىٰ’ al-baqarah 177.
2. Children
If you have child whom you adore. Try to think, are they above God in your priority list? If you recall, even our prophet Ibrahim peace be upon him got tested with his beloved son Ismail peace be upon him.
Are you a mother , for example, that avoids disciplining her child when they cause harm? Allah says ‘O believers! Stand firm for justice as witnesses for Allah even if it is against yourselves, your parents, or close relatives.’ “۞ يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ كُونُوا۟ قَوَّٰمِينَ بِٱلْقِسْطِ شُهَدَآءَ لِلَّهِ وَلَوْ عَلَىٰٓ أَنفُسِكُمْ أَوِ ٱلْوَٰلِدَيْنِ وَٱلْأَقْرَبِينَ ۚ’ An-Nisa
If you are avoiding such an essential parenting task, Allah isn’t first in your priorities. what’s first is your comfort, keeping a ‘nice’ mom label and never upsetting your child.
So this is a reminder to you and me, to never grow more attached to the gifts we’re given than the gift giver himself.
We shouldn’t be overly and/or wrongfully devout to anything except the creator and maintainer of the universe. We’ll take none of those things with us beyond death.
It does NOT mean we need to be cold and unappreciative. But instead, struggle to live and die upon tawheed. Especially the tawheed of our hearts.
