HOARDING/ACCUMULATING WEALTH? Your Foreheads & Flanks Will Be Branded With It.

Hoarding/Accumulating Wealth?

Your Foreheads And Flanks

Will Be Branded With The Same

On The Judgment Day!

(M. Javed Naseem)

وَفِيۤ أَمْوَالِهِمْ حَقٌّ لَّلسَّآئِلِ وَٱلْمَحْرُومِ

“And in their wealth and possessions (was

remembered) the right of the (needy,) him

who asked, and him who (for some reason)

was prevented (from asking).”

(al-Quran 51:19)

When a man starts hoarding wealth, gold, silver, jewelry, etc., he does not think about his death. He thinks about tomorrow and living a happy/luxury life in the near future but he does not like to think about the end of himself. His death can come any time to meet him – even tomorrow or in the near future. So, what good that wealth, gold or silver be when you are gone and leave everything for others?

It seems that greed hamper’s the mental faculties of a man. He cannot think clearly, and cannot plan logically or reasonably.

As a believer, a man is told to remember his death and the Hereafter. He needs to work on the life after death right in this world while he is still breathing.

Another thing most of us forget that we are commanded by the Almighty Lord to take care of the needy, the poor, the orphans and the weaker/older generation. They all have a share in our wealth. If we don’t deliver that share to them, we are guilty of theft; and that’s a crime. And all crimes merit punishment.

The Believers are warned by the Almighty of hoarding wealth or accumulating money, gold, silver, jewels, etc. Allah gives us wealth to share with the needy and the poor. This is an obligation that we cannot escape from. Allah says:

ٰأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ إِنَّ كَثِيراً مِّنَ ٱلأَحْبَارِ وَٱلرُّهْبَانِ

 لَيَأْكُلُونَ أَمْوَالَ ٱلنَّاسِ بِٱلْبَاطِلِ وَيَصُدُّونَ عَن

 سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ وَٱلَّذِينَ يَكْنِزُونَ ٱلذَّهَبَ وَٱلْفِضَّةَ وَلاَ يُنفِقُونَهَا

 فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ فَبَشِّرْهُمْ بِعَذَابٍ أَلِيمٍ
“O you who believe! There are indeed many among

the priests and anchorites, who in falsehood devour

the substance of men and hinder (them) from the way

of Allah. And there are those who bury gold and

silver and spend it not in the way of Allah.

Announce unto them a most grievous penalty!”

(al-Quran 9:34)

يَوْمَ يُحْمَىٰ عَلَيْهَا فِى نَارِ جَهَنَّمَ فَتُكْوَىٰ بِهَا

 جِبَاهُهُمْ وَجُنوبُهُمْ وَظُهُورُهُمْ هَـٰذَا مَاكَنَزْتُمْ لِـأَنْفُسِكُمْ

 فَذُوقُواْ مَاكُنتُمْ تَكْنِزُونَ
”On the Day when heat will be produced out of that

(wealth) in the fire of Hell, and with it will be branded

their foreheads, their flanks, and their backs. ‘This is

the (treasure) which you buried for yourselves. Taste,

then, the (treasures) you buried (hoarded)!"

(al-Quran 9:35)

That reminds me of an historic event that marked the end of the Abbasid Muslim Caliphate in the Middle East – the encounter between the Mongol warrior Holagu Khan and the Muslim Caliph of Baghdad, Musta’sim Billah. Here’s a brief refresher!

Hulagu's march to Baghdad

After defeating the Assassins, Hulagu sent word to Al-Musta'sim, demanding his acquiescence to the terms imposed by Möngke. Al-Musta'sim refused, in large part due to the influence of his Shia advisor and grand vizier, Ibn al-Alkami. Historians have ascribed various motives to al-Alkami's opposition to submission, including treachery and incompetence, and it appears that he lied to the Caliph about the severity of the invasion, assuring Al-Musta'sim that, if the capital of the caliphate was endangered by a Mongol army, the Islamic world would rush to its aid.

The Mongols were close to the city, establishing themselves on both banks of the Tigris River, so as to form a pincer around the city. Al-Musta'sim finally decided to fight them and sent out a force of 20,000 cavalry to attack the Mongols. The cavalry were wiped out by the Mongols, who breached dikes along the Tigris River and flooded the ground behind the Abbasid forces, trapping them.

Al-Musta'sim attempted to open negotiations with Hulagu, who rebuffed the Caliph. Around 3,000 of Baghdad's notables also tried to negotiate with Hulagu but were murdered. Five days later, the city surrendered, but the Mongols did not enter the city until the 13th February, 1258, beginning a week of massacre and destruction. Many historical accounts detailed the cruelties of the Mongol conquerors.

Baghdad became a depopulated, ruined city for several centuries and only gradually recovered some of its former glory. The Mongols looted and then destroyed mosques, palaces, libraries, and hospitals. Priceless books from Baghdad's thirty-six public libraries were torn apart, the looters using their leather covers as sandals. Grand buildings that had been the work of generations were burned to the ground. The House of Wisdom (the Grand Library of Baghdad), containing countless precious historical documents and books on subjects ranging from medicine to astronomy, was destroyed. Survivors said that the waters of the Tigris ran black with ink from the enormous quantities of books flung into the river and red from the blood of the scientists and philosophers killed.

Citizens attempted to flee, but were intercepted by Mongol soldiers who killed in abundance, sparing neither women nor children. Martin Sicker writes that close to 90,000 people may have died. Other estimates go much higher. Wassaf claims the loss of life was several hundred thousand. Ian Frazier of The New Yorker says estimates of the death toll have ranged from 200,000 to a million.

The city had about a million inhabitants, and none were allowed to escape. The only people who were spared were Baghdad’s population of Nestorian Christians. Hulagu’s mother was a Nestorian, and this is why he let them live. (Courtesy: Wikipedia).

The Caliph Al-Musta'sim was captured and forced to watch as his citizens were murdered and his treasury plundered. The Travels of Marco Polo reports that upon finding the caliph's great stores of treasure (gold, silver and jewels) which could have been spent on the defense of his realm, Hulagu Khan locked him in his treasure room without food and water, telling him "eat of your treasure as much as you will, since you are so fond of it."

According to most accounts, the Caliph was killed by trampling. The Mongols rolled the caliph up in a rug, and rode their horses over him.

Now, scroll up to the above-mentioned verses from the Quran (9:34-35)! Do you see any similarity between the two messages or the two events? There is a striking similarity! Hulagu Khan showed the world what Allah meant by those verses of the Quran. While Allah is talking about the event in the Hereafter, Hulagu Khan showed a light version of that in this world. The message is loud and clear: No hoarding or accumulation of wealth! The same wealth can become your punishment.

Have we learned any lesson from the History? Probably not!

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