Part II: Want
Part III: Debt
Part IV: Money
OK - this will be the final one. First off, a few more quotes:
A man is rich in proportion to the number of things which he can afford to let alone - Thoreau
He who would travel happily must travel light - Antoine de Saint-Exupery
Most of the luxuries and many of the so-called comforts of life are not only not indispensable, but positive hindrances to the elevation of mankind. - Thoreau
Beautiful, all of them. And that's where it all started - clutter/excessive possessions/minimalism/call-it-what-you-will. Note also that the quote by Antoine de Saint-Exupery has a brilliant double meaning for us muslims, who are travelling towards death and the next life.
Anyway. I've covered a lot of ground in the last four posts, but never quite saw the outcome of the final post until I wrote it yesterday. It's like I was following a chain of linked thoughts, without knowing how it would all turn out, though each time it was logical to make the step from one to the next.
Again, I want to re-iterate what I said at the very beginning... if at any point I sounded judgemental, it's directed at me only, and not at anyone else. I want to lead my life in a very particular way, and I'm always kinda angry/upset at myself for allowing such things to distract and detract from my goal.
What I'm against mostly is the vicious cycle I espoused in the Debt piece, which I've reproduced here in the shape of a (not so) fancy graphic.
That's the crux. If you find yourself following the above pattern, and as a result, find your house increasing in material clutter, most of which seemed important at the time, but you never actually use, then stop, put the money to good use, and clear out your junk. (I honestly can't write that without feeling hypocritical. Why is it always so hard to follow your own advice?)
And money? After all that I have written, I shouldn't see money as other than fake, but it hasn't happened. There is a difference between knowing something intellectually to be true, and knowing something to be true with every fibre of your being - and my recent thoughts regarding this are at the first stage. (Incidentally, when it comes to questioning in the grave, the same holds true. Various lectures have pointed out that the shock of death takes away your mental faculties, and so if you only intellectually believed in the existence of God, and the appointment of Muhammad (SAWW) as his final prophet, and Ali (AS) as his divinely appointed successor, but in your heart felt nothing, or did nothing, then it won't be enough. These you have to know and believe in with every fibre of your being, and these we are reminded of in the talqeen before we are buried.)
That it is fake does not negate the fact that we live in a world which accepts it as real. In a way, it is perfect this way, as the illusory nature of money reflects the illusory nature of this world, and eventually, as repeated contemplation of this will allow this seed of knowledge to take root in the heart and grow, I know I'll become less attached to both this world and its fake currency.
Having said that, we are supposed to work for our living, and pay for it lawfully, and if this means that we have to live in a system which we know to be illusory, then I guess that we have to do it. It just becomes easier to let things which are not important go, and focus on what we need. Also, despite it's illusory nature, we still have to account for all that we are given in this life, including money, and this again becomes easier with said knowledge. If I know that what is given to me is really fake, than I cannot really feel any desire for it, but if someone tells me that there is real, tangible, good for me in spending it wisely, in the way of Allah, then its a no-brainer. Good uses come to mind easily, and very few involve the hoarding of money. The best to me seems to be giving to charity.
And debt? What of debt? Pay them off ASAP. The money may be fake, but I still don't want to owe anyone anything before I pass away. Also, I still hate the parasitic idea of interest. Debts and interest take away your potential to do good with the money you are given, so clear them first. Then set about doing good, swapping what is fake for what is real, and tangible, and of benefit, in this life and the next.
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I'm done. I've written 2,500+ words, which I had no idea I would do before I started writing this series. I feel odd, now that I've written it. Like I've started something, and the consequences are as yet unclear. We'll see.
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