It is quite disturbing to it would be good if you can share the figure on corruption in Malaysia. According to a report by Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, among the main causes of corruption especially among civil servants are greed and the tendency to have a lifestyle beyond their means. The problem is being aggravated by the unhealthy environment where the extreme obsession with material wealth has been quite predominant in the current lifestyle of the people.
The tendency of being swayed by the temptation of material wealth should not be underrated. The love of wealth according to the Prophet is the everlasting inspiration that is continuously being refreshed in the psychology of man:
“The children of Adam will surely be getting old but two things in him that will be always young, his hope and his love of wealth.”
Extravagance and aggrandization of wealth by some individuals would not make wealth bad in itself. In Islam, to gain material wealth is originally permissible. Its status will, later on, depends on how it is used or misused towards its respective ends. While in some cases, proper accumulation of wealth and its appropriate distribution can create a prosperous life and activate the economy in a country, there are also cases where excessive aggrandization of wealth will on the other hand cause destruction to individuals, society, and civilization.
Imam al-Ghazali, the great Muslim sage of the twelfth century has given an interesting analogy on this dual nature of wealth. Wealth, according to him, is like a snake which inherent in it both poison and cure, danger and benefit. Those who know very well about a snake will be able to use its venom as the antidote of its poison. Similarly, whoever knows the nature of wealth will know how to avoid the danger of wealth and gain the benefit of it.
But just like the snake, most mankind, out of ignorance, is rather open to the danger of material wealth rather than its benefit particularly those who are new to it. This is what Umar al-Khattab, the second Caliph of Islamic Caliphate whose geographically extent of his conquest extends more than one million square kilometers, hinted at when he suddenly wept after seeing the abundant wealth of the fallen Persian Empire including fine carpets brought back by his lieutenant, Sa’ad bin Abi Waqas upon his return from war. When he was asked the reason for his sadness on that supposedly joyful occasion, he responded, “This abundant of wealth has been the cause of the downfall of the Persian Kingdom, and now it comes to us to indicate our downfall”.
The philosophy of wealth reflected in these words of Umar is indeed the gist of how Islam views the possession of wealth. Islam is neither against any material pursuit nor opposes any act of accumulation of wealth. The only caution Islam put forward isthe danger of excessive preoccupation in accumulating and conglomerating wealth either at the individual or collective level which ultimately leads towards selfishness, greed, and unjust actions such as corruption and unjust discrimination.
The Qur’an gives a strong caution about the danger of piling up wealth to the extent that it influences the whole psychology and worldview of a person: “Woe to every scandalmonger and backbiter. Who pileth up wealth and layeth it by. Thinking that his wealth would make him last forever. By no means! He will be sure to be thrown into that which breaks to pieces” (Surah al-Humazah (104): verse 1-4)
To those who are involved in business and trading which are potentially dealing with abundant wealth and being the door towards richness and greater fortune, the Quran has extra reminder concerning the danger that lies behind the love of material profit to the point of being heedless to the love of the Divine and the Prophet:
“Say, if it is that your fathers, your sons, your brothers, your mates, or your kindred, or the wealth that you have gained, the commerce in which you are fear a decline or dwellings in which you are delightful, are dearer to you than Allah or His Messenger, or striving in His cause, than wait until Allah brings about His decision; and Allah guides not to the rebellious,” (Surah al-Tawbah (9): verse 24)
And to those who are having the opportunity to misuse the power in accumulating wealth, there is a stern warning from God: “And do not deprive people of their due and do not commit abuse on the earth, spreading corruption.” (Surah al-Shu’ara (26): verse 183)
It is clear that with a correct worldview especially on the position of wealth as means to a higher objective such as prosperity, justice, and obedience to God, the obsessive accumulation of wealth that is destructive can be curbed.