Allah – the Most High – has placed in everyone that He has created, a heart which must be filled; either with submission and servitude to Allah, or with submission and servitude to other than Allah. Every single heart has feelings, desires and inclinations. The question is: will those feelings, desires and inclinations be directed to Allah alone, or will they be directed to other than Allah? Only the former truly being the subjugation and servitude to Allah.
The ‘ubudiyyah of the heart to things other than Allah are many. Sometimes it is submission and servitude to money, sometimes to power and position, sometimes to women; and other such things that people covet very much. However, what they covet can either lessen their servitude and worship of Allah, or completely nullify it!
THE SLAVE OF WEALTH
Someone may ask: what is the proof that some people submit themselves to money and other such things? The proof is in the hadith of the Prophet sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam where he said:
“Wretched is the worshipper of the Dirham, wretched is the worshipper of the Dinar … ”
Someone may ask: how does this servitude to money manifest itself and what is it’s nature? It is when the heart becomes so in love with money, that it covers up, or suppresses the love for Allah. Even to the degree that the persons attempts to attain that wealth by any means possible – neither caring whether that wealth comes to him through lawful means; in obedience to Allah and His Messenger sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, or means that are unlawful and prohibited in the Religion.
Understand by reflection, that every single heart in all created things has feelings, desires and inclinations. It has the desire to love, to gain good and beneficial things for itself; It can feel fear, terror, and also it can submit and surrender. When its feelings, desires and inclinations are all directed towards Allah, then it is a heart that worships and serves Allah alone. Therefore, it fears only Allah, seeks and desires only Allah’s mercy, it loves Allah and whatever He loves; and it surrenders and submits itself only to Allah. However, when these feelings desires and inclinations are directed to other than Allah, then it is a heart which worships and serves that object which has captured and enslaved it.
SIGNIFICANCE OF WEALTH
The forbiddance of the heart submitting to other than Allah should not be misunderstood to mean that Muslims must forsake the world and dealing with it. Rather, the true position of a Muslim is that which was with the Sahabah (Companions) radhiallahu ‘anhum. They held the wealth in their hands, yet none of this was in their hearts.
The point being made is that we are not trying to call the people to the opinion of some of the Sufis, who believe that it was forbidden for a Muslim to possess wealth and take part in any worldly transaction. Rather, it is obligatory for the Muslims to be the richest of people so that they may use this wealth as a means to help people and worship Allah – the One free from all imperfections.
Another form of submitting to other than Allah is when people submit and surrender their hearts to power and leadership. They are willing for humiliation to take hold of them and to abandon their scruples in order to gain votes during elections, or other such similar matters. They are prepared to humble themselves in front of other people, doing whatever is necessary for them to do in order to win over other peoples favour and thus gain that position. This is thus another form of submitting ones heart to other than Allah.