Blessed in Simplicity

In a village not far from where I live, a happy little family lives. They are far from luxurious life and worldly pleasures. But they are always smiling and grateful. This is evident from the way they welcome guests, giving sincerity and everyday behavior. Their simple house consists of only two rooms, one kitchen and one bathroom with a living room with no chairs. The head of the family only works as a teacher to study the children he collected in one of the rooms in his house, when he was an Arabic scholar from a state university. This man often says that he wants to eliminate the love of the world and dedicate his life only to the religion of God alone without forgetting the responsibility to support his wife's children by raising ducks.

Actually a simple life has lived for a long time. Even during college, travel to campus he traveled by foot every day from his house to his campus in the city, which is about 20 km. He did it because of limited costs. If totaled, he travels for 3 hours. Subhan Allah. his spirits are so great in searching for knowledge. Despite the difficult life of any life that must be lived, he still tried to achieve his goals. It is hard to find such a grateful person in this day and age. Our friend of this one really inspires us all to sincerely live in simplicity and even shortcomings.

Surely, everybody dreams of a life that is very comfortable, easy, practical and not too much trouble. However, whether the problem will be completed if it is all met. Apparently not. Humans live with a million and even billions of desires. The fulfillment of a desire will be followed by another desire. And we all feel it. Unwittingly, marketing experts have successfully influenced us to buy the products offered through advertising. They use the theory that humans never reach the point of satisfaction. We will be interested in the packaging and benefits conveyed by the narrator, but that's not necessarily true.

Oddly enough, the audience always wanted to be fooled by excessive and often unreasonable advertising. Can fly after drinking something for example or the child immediately so tall and smart because of certain vitamins. Indirectly the media have a great influence in directing the way of thinking community. Soap operas that always reveal the glamor and glamor life of celebrities make people wish to be like them.

Every time people want something. Human desire is a gift of God, but it needs to be controlled so that it is not used by demons to plot people on misleading behaviors. For example black people want to be white, short people want to be tall, fat people want thin, curly haired people want straight hair, poor people want rich. If man can not control his will, he will always be colonized by his will and use every means to achieve his goal.

Simplicity arises from gratitude to Allah Almighty. Feel enough with everything Allah has granted him. Not feeling less let alone envy the advantages possessed by others. Seeing a beautiful and perfectly built person may make us inferior and inferior, but every human being must have its own flaws and weaknesses. Maybe we are not as beautiful as him but not necessarily he is more morals than us or even not as smart as we are. Not that arrogant, instead we want to throw away the nature of envy in the heart and be grateful for what it is.

Thanksgiving is related to how we accept, look and understand what we receive. Not to mention how much pleasure we get. How many people are lucky and live in luxury but still anxious and complacent. We hold a bunch of blessings with a sense of happiness because we do not have to compare the benefits we get with other people. Allah SWT promises to increase that favor to those who are grateful.

 "And when your Lord said: 'If you are grateful, We will increase your favor, and if you disbelieve, then surely My punishment is very painful.'

We'll see farmers, they should also be able to inspire us to live more modestly. They never had big ambitions, they lived their hard lives for what they were. Under the hot sun they have to wrestle with mud and sweat. The results they get are nothing compared to their hard work, but they are very beneficial to other humans.

Compare with the office workers who sit well behind the desk complete with laptop and padded seat. They will never be satisfied with what they have. Surely they still feel the need to pursue a higher career, of course with the purpose of treasure that they get more and more abundant. What distinguishes the peasants and the executives? One of them is their gratitude to God. The peasants were quite happy and calm with their harsh lives and little income, whereas executives were never satisfied with their position even though their income was considerable.

Islam always directs its adherents to a simple life. Eating is not excessive as hadith the Prophet that he never ate when not hungry and stop eating before full. Similarly, residual wudu water can be used for other purposes. This is a suggestion to behave sparingly and to minimize waste of water as much as possible. The most important example in applying simplicity is Rasulullah SAW, because as a leader of the people, he never wanted to enjoy the abundant facilities.

A story narrated by Muslims can give us an idea of ​​how simple the Prophet SAW is. Umar RA recounts: "I (Umar) went to meet the Messenger of Allah. who was lying on a mat. I sat near him and he lowered her sarong and there was nothing else to cover her besides the cloth. Look at the body of his former mat.

Then I looked around his room. Suddenly I saw a handful of wheat about one sho 'and a leather tanner in one corner of the room and an unfit leather animal. Instantly my eyes shed tears without being able to hold me. The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: 'What makes you cry, son of Khatthab?' I replied: 'O Messenger of God, how I do not cry, the mat has made an impression on your waist and this place I see no other than what I have seen. While the emperor (king of the Romans) and Kisra (the Persian king) are clad in fruits and rivers while you are the messenger of God and His chosen servants are only in a room of exile like this. '

Rasulullah SAW. then said: ‘Son of Khatthab, are you not willing, if hereafter be our part and the world becomes their part?' "[HR. Musli

Simple in life exemplified by the Prophet Muhammad does not mean Islam recommends living in poverty and concern. Because after all poverty without faith can plunge into disbelief. Simple behavior is not exaggeration and understated. In a sense, if it is enough to have one car for what has two. Not to mention there are still people who have the heart to make luxury parties and food abundant, when at the same time there are people who scavenged garbage to fill his stomach.

God said

“And give to the families who are close to their right, to the poor and to those who are on the journey and do not scatter (your wealth) in vain." (Al Isra ': 26)

Muslims who have been blessed with wealth have the responsibility to give up their wealth for those who are not able. There is their right in the property we have. How can the Arabian tycoon live in luxury while there is a fellow Arabian in Palestine who lives miserably in war and poverty? How ironic their attitude is with the attitude of the friends who donate their souls and their wealth to the Islamic struggle. As the sincerity of Sayyidina Abu Bakar RA. who donated all his property to jihad fi sabilillah.

The conglomerates may have been infected with wahn disease (the love of the world and the fear of death) as the Prophet Muhammad said. The eyes of their hearts have been covered by the joy of luxurious life and the richness of treasure. Had their treasures collected, it might have been able to form a force that could match the strength of Israel. Yet they chose to close their eyes and ears for the sake of worldly pleasures. They are afraid and anxious when they lose it.

In any corner of the globe, people with abundant wealth tend to love to share it. That's why Islam always advocates a simple life as exemplified by the Prophet. In order for the eyes to be closed not by the gloom of the world, God reminds us that the hereafter is better and eternal from the world. "It is the day after that it is better for you than the world" [Adh Dhuhaa: 4]. Then what will we choose?