On wealth and materialism

I desperately need to find an outlet for all of the anger that is now pent up inside of me and I think this blog is probably going to go a long way in helping me calm down. 

Anyways.

One of the things that came up during my visit to her home was cars. Her brother has a keen interest in cars and suggested that I sell my aqua and put in about five million and buy a Mercedes. I asked him how was a Mercedes any different from my aqua. They are both, after all, cars. To this her father remarked rather sarcastically "well one feels a little something when they are driving around in a Merc that one doesn't feel when driving around in any other car".

To this I said "Uncle, I don't see things the same way. To me a car is a mode of transport, it's job like any other mode of transport for example a motorcycle, walking or a donkey cart, is to get one from point A to point B. Cars are just a little quicker and slightly more comfortable".

This conversation reminded me of my fondest memory to date. Back when I was a student at LGS JT, I used to ride a motorcycle to school everyday.  I was given an allowance of a thousand rupees per week(this was at a time when the Pakistani economy hadn't gone belly up), which I would spend mainly on three things namely getting petrol, getting food at school and getting repairs done on the bike. Also on my way back I would often give a very dear classfellow, Aurangzeb Khalid, a ride home as he too lived in Valancia.

I still to this day very vividly remember the time when my bike ran out of petrol and we had to drag it all the way from Johar town to Valancia on foot. This happened on Friday the 18th of August 2017, I was coming back home from LGS with Aurangzeb when, right at what used to be back then the Allah Hoo roundabout, my bike ran out of petrol. There were 3 petrol pumps on the way from JT to Valancia, all of which happened to be closed that particular day for some reason. 

What followed was a four hour long trek under the hot August sun with me and Aurangzeb taking turns at pushing the bike. Those four hours are forever etched in my memory as one of the most happiest four hours of my life. I am glad my bike ran out of petrol that day. 

Aurangzeb and I talked about everything from what we were going to be doing after A levels to how lit coke studio was to his problems with his girlfriend. He then got his phone out and played a song which had back then only just recently come out on a show called Pepsi battle of the bands, mera payar by Kashmir. 

Halfway between Valancia and Johar town at the gates of Wapda town, we stopped by on a cart selling sugar cane juice or roh as it is known locally. That roh was hands down the best drink I have ever had in my entire life.

We continued pushing the bike and at about half past four in the evening we finally made it to Valancia. My only regret about the whole experience was that it came to an end too soon.

Aurangzeb died in a car accident 3 months later. I am glad to have had those four hours with him. Those four hours to me are one of my fondest memories. Rest in peace brother, and yes you were right nothing beats a CD 70 and yes dunya is a very fucked up place full of Judases.

It is easy to get caught up in the glitz glam of the modern world. It is easy to forget the temporariness that is life. I'd much rather watch a sunset into the sea, hear birds chirping early in the morning, feel the wind as it breezes past in the evenings, make lifelong friends and finally use the means at my disposal to make life easier for those who perhaps aren't as privileged as me, or failing that atleast not insult the sentiments of the less privileged by not engaging in acts of pompous display. In the long run, we're all dead anyway.

I would end this piece with one of my favorite paragraphs from Islam and the Destiny of Man and a verse from the Quran:

Your wealth and children are but a trial and Allah has with him a great reward. - Quran [64:15]

When, in accordance with the third Pillar, this Muslim pays the poor-due and observes the obligation of loving-kindness towards his fellows, he acknowledges the rights of other creatures — made in the same image as himself — and recognizes that God, who is close to him, is close also to them.

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