Muslim Societies and The Problem of Priorities

The issue of priorities in life is so significant that a person is essentially defined by their priorities. One major problem in Muslim societies has been that often the correct determination of priorities is not made, which causes the focus of thought and action to shift. Consequently, where more energy should be expended, less energy is used, and where relatively less energy is needed, more energy is exerted. The potential problems that can arise from this are not difficult to imagine. Unfortunately, this problem has become more severe in Muslim societies because we are not even aware of the problems that arise from the lack or incorrect determination of priorities. Today, our topic is one such issue.

It is true that our religion strongly condemns nudity and vulgarity and instructs the faithful to stay away from immodesty. However, it is mentioned in a Hadith that every nation has a trial (fitna), and the trial for my nation is wealth. Obviously, this does not mean that nudity, vulgarity, and sexual deviations are not trials. They are, but they do not represent the greatest trial for the Muslim nation (Ummah). This means that the trial most likely to harm Muslims is wealth and riches. The definition and explanation of trials are present in our religious literature, but we are not concerned with that here. The Quran mentions various communities and their trials, which are sufficient for our understanding. For instance, the Quran mentions a nation that was involved in the trial of cheating in measurement, and they were destroyed because of it. Another nation that was involved in the trial of homosexuality faced annihilation because of it.

From this perspective, the aforementioned Hadith of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) means that while the Muslim community can be afflicted with other evils, the scope of their consequences will be limited compared to the consequences of wealth. Indeed, the entire history of Muslims, particularly the state of the Arab world, bears witness to the trial of wealth, but we see that in Pakistan and the entire Muslim world, little attention is paid to the trial of wealth. However, much attention is given to the trial of nudity, vulgarity, and sexual deviations. Newspapers are filled with statements against this trial, and preachers in mosques are using their oratory to address this issue. There is no shortage of books and pamphlets on this subject. In contrast, wealth, which the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) identified as the trial for the community, does not seem to provoke a strong reaction among thinkers and reformers.

Our religious scholars and intellectuals argue that modern media, especially television, is promoting stories of love and romance, and our dramas are serving as training courses for these things. This is indeed a regrettable and condemnable matter, but we should not forget that even in shallow and base physical love, one human being is important to another. The attraction is between humans, but wealth is a lifeless object in comparison to a human being, and the worship of wealth is the worship of a dead thing, which is far worse than the worship of carnal desires because it has some connection to human emotions and feelings. However, the worship of wealth strips a person of every human feeling and emotion. It is also no secret that the destruction caused by sexual deviations has a limited scope.

In practical terms, two or slightly more individuals are ruined by it, but wealth, even if it is in the hands of one person, affects countless people and causes widespread destruction. This is because the power of wealth is immense; it can be used to buy a thousand things, including even human beings. One important aspect of wealth is that despite having a face, it is a faceless power. It is a visible element but plays the role of an invisible force. From this perspective, wealth and its trial deserve more of our attention, but this is not happening. Why is it not happening? There are many reasons for this.