Desire to use divine blessings in Islamic perspective
Enjoying the divine blessings by humans in order to preserve their health and life and performing their individual and social duties with exuberance is not only a desirable action but also obligatory and necessary from the view of Islam. Islam has even emphasized the qualitative improvement of one’s life and appearance of individuals and criticizes any act of pretending to poverty, misery and untidiness. The holy Qur’an has ordered the people to make use of divine blessings.
Qur’an is a book that contributes to the promotion of human status and uses terms such as divine sustenance and purities and encourages people to use the material amenities and God-given blessings and in this way strengthens the motive for being grateful to God and delineates certain limits and rules promoting a rational and appropriate use.
Some of the relevant verses that are briefly elaborated are as the following:
Eat of the lawful and good things with which Allah has provided you and be thankful for the favors of Allah if it is he you worship (An-Nahl, 114)
Believers, do not forbid the good things that Allah has made lawful to you (Al-Maeda, 87)
Children of Adam, take your adornment at every place of prayer. Eat and drink, and do not waste. He does not love the wasteful. Say: 'who has forbidden the adornment that Allah has brought for his worshipers and the good provision? (Al-Araf, 31-32).
There are things that cover up one’s flaws and shortcomings and bring about adornment for the person such as moral values or clothes and make-up attracting others’ attention and eliminating hatred. Worn-out clothes, untidy hair, dirty body, uncleanness and disorder at home or work place are factors that cause hatred and are not acceptable by God for persons particularly faithful persons. On this basis, humans like beauty and adornment by nature. Humans live in a social environment and they have been inspired by means of adornment in order to be welcomed by others and meet the mental and material demands of the society by establishing social bonds.
God has created desirable things for all humans particularly the faithful persons. There are some who think that making efforts for achieving materialistic things will bring about certain deviations and it is therefore better for faithful people to refrain from using worldly blessings. This way of thinking is not acceptable from the Islamic perspective.
Imam Sadiq (Peace be upon him) has stated that when there are abundant blessings in the world, the faithful and virtuous people deserve using these blessings more than others.
Translated by: Sadroddin Musawi
