How wealth and comfort can slowly get to one's head

When Wealth Gets to Your Head

When you start to absorb this mindset — I have earned this. This is my success, my achievement — it's not obvious to you and it's not obvious to those around you.

It comes out in conversation. "You know that Range Rover that I have outside? I'm thinking of upgrading it this year. You know those three houses next door? Yeah, I own all of them."

You just slip it in conversation. This is what happens with this man and his neighbor. He goes to his garden, he plucks the fruits, he goes to his neighbor. And this is really important — while chatting to him, the way you normally chat to your friend. "How's it going? What's new?" He just slips it in:

"You know, I've got more wealth than you and I've got more employees." He just slips it in like that in the conversation. Without realizing, he has started to boast to the people around him. And then he goes back to his garden.

A Disease of the Heart

The mindset is so deeply entrenched inside him. He enters his garden without realizing he has a disease in his heart. What is that disease? Some scholars say he didn't even say this out loud — he is thinking this as he walks into his garden, as he strolls between the trees, as he looks at the acres of land.

He says to himself: "This is never going to finish. I'm going to pass this down to my kids, my grandkids."

People walk past their properties. They log in to check their savings account and say: "You know what? I made a killing. I made some smart investments. I'm going to pass this to my kids." It doesn't even cross your mind that in an instant, the whole thing can disappear.

A False Sense of Security

He starts to feel safe with his wealth. He starts to feel this thing is going nowhere. But that takes him to something even more dangerous:

"I don't even think the Day of Judgment will come. And even if there was a Day of Judgment — even if I go to Allah — look how much wealth He gave me. Surely He is going to look after me."

You start to think that the wealth you have, the blessings you have, the house you have, the clothes you have, the children you have — you start to think this is because Allah loves me. That's why He gave me these things. So I'm going to get a default access to Paradise.