Accra: Imam Yusuf Okine of the Ghana Muslim Mission has cautioned Muslims against arrogance, self-conceitedness, and overreliance on material wealth, reminding them that true power and support come only from Allah.
According to Ghana News Agency, during the second session of the Mission's annual Ramadan Tafsir series, Imam Okine reflected on the parable of the companion with two gardens as captured in Surah Al-Kahf. He urged the faithful to remain steadfast in tawheed and humility. Ramadan, he emphasized, is the month of the Qur'an, serving as guidance leading mankind to tawheed, the oneness of Allah.
Imam Okine cited Surah Al-An'am (6:82), which states that those who believe and do not mix their faith with injustice (shirk) would have security and guidance. He elaborated on the parable where Allah bestowed two flourishing gardens on a man, illustrating that worldly wealth could be granted even to a disbeliever as a test. Hence, wealth is not necessarily indicative of divine blessing, he stressed.
The Imam recounted how the wealthy man boasted to his poorer companion about his superiority in wealth and manpower, arrogantly assuming his gardens would never perish. He doubted the coming of the Hour and believed that if he were returned to his Lord, he would receive something better. Imam Okine noted that possessions could delude a person into believing they truly owned what had merely been placed at their disposal.
Referencing Surah Al-Humazah, Imam Okine warned against those who gather and count wealth, thinking it would make them immortal. He described the wealthy man's attitude as self-conceitedness, believing himself superior to his believing companion due to his riches and imagining he would be better off in the hereafter despite his disbelief.
The believing companion, however, reminded the wealthy man of his humble beginnings, that Allah created him from dust and a drop of sperm before fashioning him into a man. "Sometimes it is good to reflect on your humble beginnings when in power to stay on track," the Imam advised.
Imam Okine stressed that self-glorification is tantamount to shirk, urging believers to always hope for Allah's mercy while fearing His wrath, especially when witnessing the prosperity of disbelievers. He noted that Allah may test a servant with hardship to bring them back to Him, while others may be left to increase in wrongdoing until a greater punishment overtakes them.
The sermon highlighted how the wealthy man's produce was ultimately destroyed, leaving him in regret and wishing he had not associated partners with Allah. At that moment, he realized that support comes only from Allah, the True Lord, who is best in reward and outcome. The main lesson from the story, Imam Okine emphasized, is that all ability, power, and support come solely from Allah, not from human effort or imagination.
He likened worldly life to vegetation flourishing after rain, only to become chaff scattered by the wind. Wealth and children are mere adornments of this life, but lasting righteous deeds are better in reward and hope with Allah. Imam Okine also urged the congregation to support the Mission's Reconstruction Project as a way to channel their resources into lasting good deeds.