How to Protect Ourselves From Spiritual Threats

If i ask you what is the most dangerous thing to your IMAN (faith) what is the biggest threat. You might think about circumstances major sins you might think social media or bad friends you will think about certain things that are haram things that are forbidden and prohibited and some of the things that we will already speak about right like adultery, fornication or drinking alcohol.

All these things that we said that IMAN would even depart from a person if they are guilty of these things but listen to what the Prophet (PBUH) said in this authentic hadith narrated in AT-TIRMIDHI the prophet (PBUH) said that there is nothing more dangerous to a person’s faith like two wolves that are let free amongst a flock of sheep imagine what the Prophet (PBUH) is saying imagine two wolves that go into a flock of sheep.

He said (PBUH) the two most dangerous things those two wolves to your faith being the sheep are the love of wealth and the love of fame that a person has. The love of wealth and the love of fame are the two most dangerous threats to your iman to your faith. So it’s not a major sin it’s not some horrible harm thing it’s wealth and fame the love of wealth and the love of fame.

Now is wealth a bad thing? No the Prophet (PBUH) taught us to have the upper hand instead of the lower hand i.e. giving a hand is better than a receiving hand. Allah (SWT) teaches us to say… to give us the best of this world and the best of the next. But if a person has an uncontrollable desire for this world for materialism and they constantly pursue more and more and more wealth. Then they’re going to find themselves in a situation where they will resort to unethical thing where they will start to place expectations on that wealth and that will distance them from Allah (SWT) and sometimes have a lot of money changes a person’s personality, his behavior, his attitude they start considering themselves superior to others.

So they start to resort to some of the things that we’ve spoken about in the past. Similarly the desire for the fame if I want to be the famous and it’s all about the fame then a person start to resort to unethical behavior to get that fame or when a person gets that fame once again they change and they find it very easy to resort to some of the major sins that have been described.

So what is the solution Number 1, the uncontrollable desire for wealth the prophet (PBUH) gave us a few things to deal materialism first he (PBUH) taught us charity it sounds simple enough but if you dictate on yourself to give a certain amount of charity every time you earn then it’s going to be a routine and it will be already baked into anytime that you’re going to receive.

Number 2, the Prophet (PBUH) taught us not be extravagant so the difference between needing something and wanting something to check your extravagance.

Number 3, as we learn in the month of Ramadan and the importance of sometimes breaking off from something that is available to you of this world as a means of gaining greater appreciation for it. So umer (RA) said if you have a comfortable bed don’t always sleep on it. Take a night off and sleep on the floor the next day you’re going to appreciate the comfort of that bed. When you fast you appreciate the blessing of that food. So a person becomes content with what they have.

Number 4, the Prophet (PBUH) taught us to constantly be grateful for what has given to us. Ask for the love for the fame the messenger (PBUH) taught us that we need to make sure that we never pursue something for the sight of the people and he taught us that showing off particularly doing something to be seen the people is a hidden shirk.