Self-Defeating and Confusing things that Muslims Say To Themselves Without Realizing It:


1) "Every good thing that comes from my actions is from Allah, and every bad thing is from my shortcomings and the devil".

WRONG. Where did your shortcomings from? Allah. From an Islamically-consistent theological perspective, everything comes from Allah. This is not to blame God for your shortcomings (because humans don't "intrinsically" deserve to exist in the first place - more on that another day if I feel like it), but the line itself makes no sense at all since it goes against a pretty important premise of Islam - which is that everything originates from Allah. Hearing this line is like hearing really bad grammar to me, it just makes me cringe. And yet it's one of the most frequently spoken lines in every Muslim gathering I go to. Eurgh.

2) "Do not work tirelessly for worldly possessions and positions of power. In the end, they mean nothing."

Eh, this is a half-truth. True, worldly possessions themselves won't follow you to the grave per se. But let's not forget that the PROCESS of working for those worldly-possessions is eminently important for the development of discipline, patience, and good-character. And these are all traits that the early Muslims had in building the foundation of their faith.

In essence, you're life should actually be REVOLVING around WORKING for worldly possessions - because otherwise, you're just a lazy ass. And if that's the case, I'd be willing to bet that you're spiritual life probably sucks too.

3) "Finding happiness in worldly possessions is dangerous".

Yet another gem I hear on a consistent basis from the average (albeit good-intentioned) Muslim speaker. And yet, it's not true. Finding happiness from the blessings of your lord is not dangerous, and sometimes it's actually quite necessary if you don't want life to get boring.

Overall, it's just flat out confusing, especially to the youth who are so eager to live a life of spirituality. On one hand, their religion "apparently" tells them that pleasures of this world are to be avoided but their Desi parents somehow want them to get successful careers that are PREDICATED on at least some worldly enjoyment. Eurgh. Some find a way to get through life while holding these two contradictory thoughts, while others just give-up and live a life of inaction (I mean, might as well, it's like your screwed either way, might as well not try either and not risk making a mistake).

The truth is that gaining wealth is not dangerous, nor is enjoying it "haraam". It's also not "haraam" to aspire for professional high-paying jobs or to work to get a bigger house. But yet Muslims who take this path are perhaps one of the most ridiculed in the community. And the ironic part is that without these very successful Muslims, there probably wouldn't have been a community in the first place (seeing how it takes large amounts of money to sustain a Masjid, etc).