Assalamu’alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh
Bismillahir- Rahmanir-Rahim
1. Opening
Beloved friends whom Allah has blessed,
Have you ever felt exhausted chasing the world? Running nonstop, yet the soul still feels empty. Why? Because we often misjudge what is valuable in the sight of the Creator. We think the peak of success is abundant wealth and a prestigious position. Yet there is one immense asset that, if we possess it, we have already grasped the most complete goodness in the universe. That asset is _Al-Ḥikmah_—wisdom.
Let us reflect on how Allah SWT views the value of wisdom in His words:
يُؤْتِي الْحِكْمَةَ مَنْ يَشَاءُ وَمَنْ يُؤْتَ الْحِكْمَةَ فَقَدْ أُوتِيَ خَيْرًا كَثِيرًا وَمَا يَذَّكَّرُ إِلَّا أُولُو الْأَلْبَابِ
“He gives wisdom to whom He wills, and whoever has been given wisdom has certainly been given much good. And none will remember except those of understanding.”[QS. Al-Baqarah: 269]
From both a psychological and spiritual standpoint, a person who possesses wisdom will not be easily stressed by life’s shocks. Why? Because they view the world through the lens of faith.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ also affirmed how eminent a person whom Allah has granted wisdom is—so much so that we are permitted to have a positive “envy” [ghibṭah] toward them:
لَا حَسَدَ إِلَّا فِي اثْنَتَيْنِ: رَجُلٌ آتَاهُ اللَّهُ مَالًا فَسُلِّطَ عَلَى هَلَكَتِهِ فِي الْحَقِّ، وَرَجُلٌ آتَاهُ اللَّهُ الْحِكْمَةَ فَهُوَ يَقْضِي بِهَا وَيُعَلِّمُهَا
“There is to be no envy except in two cases: a man whom Allah has given wealth and he spends it in truth, and a man whom Allah has given wisdom and he judges by it and teaches it.”[HR. Bukhārī and Muslim]
2. Lessons and Message
Imagine a real story we often see around us. An elderly billionaire lies frail in the ICU of a luxurious hospital. Outside the room, his children are busy quarreling over signatures for the inheritance. The father weeps behind his oxygen mask, realizing that all the trillions he amassed in his lifetime cannot buy his children’s sincerity, and cannot even buy one easy breath. When death arrives, all that luxury is cut off. How tragic—to spend a lifetime accumulating wealth, yet die in loneliness of the soul.
Allah SWT has already reminded us how small the value is of the world we chase so desperately:
قُلْ مَتَاعُ الدُّنْيَا قَلِيلٌ وَالْآخِرَةُ خَيْرٌ لِمَنِ اتَّقَىٰ وَلَا تُظْلَمُونَ فَتِيلًا
“Say, ‘The enjoyment of this world is little, and the Hereafter is better for he who fears Allah. And you will not be wronged [even as much as] a thread.’[QS. An-Nisā’: 77]
Let us make an analogy. Imagine you are on a plane from Jakarta to London. On the plane, the flight attendant provides a soft pillow, delicious food, and a warm blanket. Would you dismantle the airplane seat and intend to take it home? Of course not! You know all of that is only “temporary” facility for the journey. Your real home is at the destination. This world is the plane, and the Hereafter is our home. A wise person—one who has _ḥikmah_—will enjoy the world’s facilities just enough to reach the destination, not busy clutching the airplane seat until he forgets how to land safely.
How funny we humans are: sometimes our “loss of wisdom” is beyond reason. We often cry hysterically if we lose a smartphone worth 5 million, yet we’re totally relaxed and even laugh when we lose the Fajr prayer or lose our manners toward our parents.There are people so obsessed with the world that when asked, “Bro, if you get rich, what will you buy?” He answers, “I’ll buy an island!” When asked again, “And when you die, where will you be buried?” He’s confused, only realizing that the island he bought can’t be taken into a grave measuring 2×1 meters. Isn’t that ironic? Having the ambition to buy an island, yet forgetting to prepare the piece of land he’ll occupy forever.
3. Conclusion and Closing
Blessed brothers and sisters, material wealth is conditional and will perish. It will be cut off the moment the shroud wraps our body. But wisdom—the ability to view the world as a place to plant and the Hereafter as a place to harvest—is an eternal gift. A wise person is the richest person, because his heart always feels content with Allah’s provision [qanā‘ah].
Let us pray that Allah always grants us Al-Ḥikmah, so that we are not deceived by this “little” world, and are able to gather “abundant” provisions for the Hereafter to come.
. والله أعلم بالصواب
الحمد لله رب العالمين
Wassalamu’alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh.
Abu Sultan Al-Qadrie
