Materialism, Spirituality & Islamic Values

"Our minds have become so engrossed in materialism that it has made us immune to all sorts of spiritualism."

Life is not a mathematical equation. It is a rainbow full of diverse colours. Life is not simply materialistic pleasure, ambition and desires. And the spiritual aspect of life is as important as its material aspect.

All religions including Islam emphasize the spiritual aspect of life. The very foundation of Islam is that man has dual nature i.e. material body and spirit. Both have their respective needs. Unlike Christianity, however, Islam does not ask for a complete refrain from the material world. Instead, Islam recognizes the significance of the material world and guides us properly through it.

It is an undeniable fact that we live in a Westernized world. Our ideas, ambitions and desires are shaped by Western thought.

Modern European thought, however, has completely discredited spiritualism from its foundations. In a pursuit to free itself from the shackles of the Church, Europe has deprived its sons of spiritualism.

Consequently, every idea and ambition in Europe stems from the perspective of materialism. If a thing gives you material pleasure, it is acceptable. If a thing deprives you of material pleasure, it is bad. Education is meant to earn you a high-paying job. Hospitals can be high-profit businesses.

This materialism manifests itself as nationalism, individualism, pride movement etc. Since Europe has no spiritual light, nations must be formed based on geography. The sole purpose of a human should be his material pleasure; there is no reason for him to give charity or help the poor. Pride must be celebrated regardless of how harmful it is to society.

European colonization and industrial growth have spread these notions of materialism. Not only the Islamic world has been affected by it, but this also has devoid the normal Muslim of spiritual pleasures and desires.

Islam is different in its polity and social structure. The very basis of society and nation in Islam is spiritual; Muslims are like a single soul, affirms the Prophet PBUH. Islam gives primary importance to spiritualism. It is the material manifestation of Islamic spirituality that manifests itself in society, politics and material gains.

Nationalism for Islam is simply a state of Islam, based on the ideals of Islam. Individualism for Islam is simply personal efforts manifested for the greater good of society. Politics for Islam is an effort for Islamic principles. Science for Islam is a means to understand God through the observation of the universe.

However, the Westernized Muslim mind fails to acknowledge this spiritualism embossed in the principles of Islam. It demands a material explanation for metaphysical aspects. The first act of a Westernized Muslim mind is to dismiss spirituality.

This subsequently leads to an inferiority complex toward Western society. Nationalism, liberalism, secularism, feminism, individualism, freedom and pride are all the fruits of uncritical acceptance and admiration of Western ideals and materialism.

It is the need of the hour that we distinguish ourselves from Western ideals and develop our society on the ideals of Islam - accepting Islamic spiritualism and commands as a beacon for our development. We need to shift our idea from mom the assemblies of Geneva and New York to the dunes of Madina and Najaf - a shift from darkness to light.