There may be a few ways.

First, Take an Honest Look at Yourself

The obsession with matters of the dunya often happens when comparing one’s self with others, causing materialism to quickly become the nucleus of the soul.

Take an honest look at yourself. Do you really want to satisfy all those desires?

Is it possible that just because you desire something, you will eventually be happy and grateful when you receive whatever it is?

The simple answer is no. Amongst the unhappiest people are those who have plenty. They live on a constant drive to fulfill a never ending materialistic void.

Here is a story to ponder upon.

One of the richest and privileged women of all times was Asiya, the wife of Pharaoh, one of the most powerful men in the course of history.

Asiya need not have lifted a finger, as she was immersed in practically everything and anything she had ever wanted and needed. Yet, she was amongst the unhappiest women to have lived, being married to a barbaric tyrant.

Alhamdulillah, being a woman of virtue, she identified with this unhappiness and was able to trade her prestige and position in this world, for one that was undeniably better in the Akhirah.

She boldly challenged her husband as to her beliefs and was relentlessly tortured in the harsh climate of the desert, giving her a chance to “repent” and resume her position as the Queen of Egypt.

When she refused, Pharaoh ordered for her to be put to death in the most atrocious manner, but due to her faith in Allah – and her strong convictions that her materialistic status would never get her anywhere – she accepted death as it came and Allah removed her soul, leaving her tormented body to be crushed by a huge boulder.

The story of Asiya does not mean that we have to sacrifice absolutely everything in this dunya, but we understand better that materialism may lead us down a grand path of misery, and this wasn’t something Asiya had wanted. In fact, Pharaoh – though a man of power and status – is recognized as one of the biggest losers in the course of history, due to his obsessions with the haunts of the dunya.

Learn to honor yourself as an individual human being, a slave of Allah, in the sea of slaves of Allah who are blessed uniquely and differently from each other. Allah isAr-Rahman and Ar-Raheem, and will continue to provide for us, no matter what situation we are in.

What you have represents all the blessings that Allah has bestowed upon you (and they will be different from the person next door), and how you respond to the same reflects your gratitude towards Allah, and how honest you are about your own journey through this dunya.

Sacrifice is a big theme in the story of Asiya, so sacrificing for the sake of Allah, by giving up materialistic feats that could be detrimental to us, puts us in our place as strangers or tourists in this world.

Second: Take a Look at Those with Less

Just like above, the obsessions with the dunya tend to brew when admiring those who have more.

Another woman who had plenty, but nowhere as near as much as Asiya, was Khadijah – who was a recognized businesswoman and an iconic female member of the Quraysh tribe.

Just like Asiya, Khadijah also had a naturally humble disposition, and even welcomed a man without any wealth to his name into her life as a husband. Her marriage to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was a simple one, and she became well-acquainted with his activism work; alleviating the burden from the poor and his efforts in eradicating the economic gap in corrupted Makkah.

She knew how the burdens of his activism and the injustices that he saw drove him close to depression, forcing him to retreat in solitude to the confines of Mount Hira’ in search for answers.

Khadijah therefore, had been well-acquainted with the poor, and after the appointment of her husband, she became an integral part of the poorer community as many of the first Muslims were made up of the poor and oppressed.

As part of her role as the Prophet’s wife, she also gave up a lot of her possessions to benefit from the Hereafter and in a shocking turn of events also fell prey to the 3 year boycott upon the Muslims, in which she took in stride and endured in patience, which eventually led to her silent death.

The story of Khadijah reminds us to be wary of the poor. It is not wrong to be wealthy and successful, but they can also be grand tests if not put in perspective.

Constantly thinking of those who are less fortunate reminds us that blessings come from Allah and to not take them for granted. It is also said that a Muslim’s true wealth lies in what he or she can give away, rather than what he or she can accumulate.

Prophet Muhammad and Lady Khadijah are standing testimony that caring for those who are less fortunate is one of the keys to ultimate success, by removing obsessions of the material dunya for the everlasting Hereafter.

Again, this does not mean that every Muslim needs to give away all of his or her possessions, but caring for the poor makes us extremely sensitive to the hardships around us, and puts our own struggles in perspective. Something we may be complaining about, may be something that someone else is asking for, it therefore benefits us to be on a constant look-out at those who have less, rather than more.

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