Material Does Not Always Work

The life horizon

Life worth more than materials achievements. It is not always about how much money do we have or how high our position is in the society. Not also about how many wives or children we have in our possession alone. Certificates, titles, properties, companies are not the reasons why we live.

If those things are the only indicators of a meaningful life, then those people without any of them might live an empty life ever. Undeniably, those material indicators might affect our life to some extent but not the goals of life. Truth be told, some (or most) people having those materials in their possession might not enjoy life as much as those who are not. To some extent, those who doesn't really possess all those things might live happier, healthier and longer. Materials does not always equal to happiness.

The current living society

In our current living society whereby materials parameter are being assessed seriously as indicators of success, our perspective of life has become vague or diverged. We believe in something but living in a totally different environment of a society. We might end up (or already have been) turned into a materialist. Everywhere we go, people are asking about our work, our post, our properties, our salary. If not being asked, we might be interested to know about others the same way. We get motivated when we meet those with lots of money, lots of properties, lots of salary. 

Is there anything wrong with those attention? No. It is not to some extent. It will be destructing if those materials that should be our needs of life become our goal of life. We end up struggling and spending so much time and energy accumulating materials. The moment we realized and try to start living a true life, our life might be at the edge of death. We travel all the way doing things to satisfy our needs, but forget to achieve our goals of life. Afterall, life is not only about maintaining the hardware, the software also needs maintenance.

Hate it or love it, the culture of materialistic thinking has embraced our society so tight and being accepted widely. We failed to appreciate helping others as much as taking advantage on them. We failed to appreciate the philosophy of knowledge as much as the wealth we can generate from the knowledge. This might not applied to every soul living in this world, but this is the situation occurs at a large scale of this world.

The solution

Those years back, people are recognizing intelligent quotient (IQ) as a major determinant of greatness. It has been highly appreciated until then it is found that IQ only contributes 20% to success, the other 80% contributed by emotional quotient (EQ). IQ and EQ alone has not been enough when eventually spiritual quotient (SQ) has been introduced as the other determinants of human quality of life, in fact the utmost important. Our body health as in physical quotient (PQ) has also been given attentions as a part of important parameters. Lots of books are written to address the importance of integrating all the quotients in order to live a meaningful life. In other words, the definition of success has emerged. Motivators around the world has been preaching people to develop life based on integration of those quotients.

Subhanallah, the solution is already there before the 'formal' world has recognized it. Islam through Rasulullah SAW has taught us about the integration long time ago. Humans who rejected the revelation has gone so far around the bush before they actually come back to restate back what has already been addressed by the revelation. They come to provide all the details and strategies by closing one eye to what Islam already taught. 

Islam taught us about tawazun (balanced) between every quotients of our life. Moreover, Islam gives extra focus on the enhancement of heart as the major essence of human being. Besides cleansing of heart, Islam always encourage humans to take care of mind and body. The denying syndrome of human beings to revelation does not bring them to a better solution. Islam is enough as the only solution of life.

"And whoever desires a religion other than Islam, it shall not be accepted from him, and in the hereafter he shall be one of the losers." (Al-Baqarah: 85)

The sea is deep but we only swim at the surface and end up losing precious things. Dive deeper and understand Islam better, a lot more of life issues will be understood. We are not asked to leave our strive to achieve wordly matters but our direction is always emphasized on the hereafter. We are taught that our real life is beyond the death itself. All in this world are only tests for us in whatever presentation they might be.

Those who failed to understand and really appreciate their ultimate goal of life as been taught by the Creator has failed to live a meanigful life, no matter how success they might be seemed in their material world.

Beware, we might be one of them. Clear our mind, sharpen our thoughts, let's move forward to our ultimate goal of life. May Allah lead us to real success.

Wallahua'lam.