Ramadan Message 2008 - Day 17 (The Pursuit)

The Pursuit

Money is important. If you have lived one day without money, you will know of its importance. We need money to buy food, pay the mortgage on our homes, pay utility bills, car bills, clothing bills, schooling for the children and so on. We aspire to have money so that we can live comfortably. That's why we have jobs, that's why we create businesses.

Sometimes we succeed. Sometimes we do not. Sometimes we make no money at all, and we are consumed by the need to make enough. If we do not make enough, we will be beset by problems - home foreclosures, court judgements, seizing of assets. We might become homeless. Scary thoughts indeed.

There is no worse financial time than today for most people. There is inflation in consumer prices. We are paying more for food and gas. Our pay checks have not increased, lay-offs are increasing. But it would be mindful to remember in these difficult times that God has told us that He gives us no more burden than what we can handle.

The key is to continue praying for guidance and help. But we should not become overwhelmed with a desire to make more money because of our situations and forget that life is not all about the pursuit of wealth, prestige and social status. Maybe there is a lesson in any financial calamity. Take pause, understand what went wrong.

If we lose money and become poor, or lose our prestige and social status, then have faith that we will recover it, and continue to do good in this world. If we haven't experienced loss, then ask for mercy and strength from God, and continue to have faith and do good.

Do not give up, live in despair and see only darkness in your life. If you persist on the destructive path of forgetting God AND INSTEAD focusing on solving your worldly problems with the mindset that only you (by your own actions) will save you from problems and pain, then pay heed to what God said below:

The mutual rivalry for piling up (the good things of this world) diverts you (from the more serious things),

Until ye visit the graves.

But nay, ye soon shall know (the reality).

Again, ye soon shall know!

Nay, were ye to know with certainty of mind, (ye would beware!)

Ye shall certainly see Hell-Fire!

Again, ye shall see it with certainty of sight!

Then, shall ye be questioned that Day about the joy (ye indulged in!).

(Quran 102:1-8)