by Raeesa Padia
Dear reader, I know the quiet ache that visits your heart when you see the luxuries others seem to have so effortlessly. You watch friends, colleagues, even family members driving new cars while you still rely on public transport. You hear of someone purchasing a new home while you continue renting. You notice elegant outfits, weekly shopping sprees, fine dining photos on your feed and then you look at your own life and wonder, Why not me?
Sometimes, in those fragile moments, the question even turns toward Allah. Why can’t I have these things too? And the thought creeps in: Maybe I should just take a loan. Maybe a little credit won’t hurt.
But what we see is not always what it seems.
Many of those comforts are purchased through riba(interest). And riba is not a small matter in Islam. Allah says in the Qur’an that He has permitted trade but forbidden riba, and He warns of a severe consequence for those who persist in it (Surah Al-Baqarah 2:275–279). Rasulullah ﷺ also said:
“The Messenger of Allah cursed the one who consumes riba, the one who pays it, the one who records it, and the two witnesses to it.” (Sahih Muslim)
Riba is not simply “extra money.” It is money gained through exploitation, charging more purely because of time, burdening people with debt that grows heavier and heavier. It feeds on desperation and fuels inequality.
Islam prohibits it not to restrict us, but to protect us, from financial chains, from anxiety, from a system that profits off our pressure to “keep up.”
There is wisdom in what Allah has forbidden. We may not see it in the moment because comparison clouds gratitude. We become so focused on what we lack that we overlook what we already hold. The ni’mats bestowed upon us.
It is okay if you do not have a car yet. It is okay if you are still renting. It is okay if your cupboard is simple and your fine dining happens once in a while. If you have a roof over your head, a way to reach your destination, clothes to wear, food on your table, and an income that sustains you, you are blessed beyond measure.
Look beyond the filtered images. There are people sleeping in shelters, begging for a single meal, praying for the safety you experience daily. Your “little” is someone else’s dua.
Do not rush into debt chasing an image. Loans and credit cards can quietly turn into burdens that weigh on your heart and your barakah. What looks like ease from afar can be sleepless nights behind closed doors.
Be grateful, my respected reader. Trust that Allah withholds and gives with perfect wisdom. What is written for you will never miss you. And what He protects you from may be a mercy you only understand years later.
Walk your path with contentment. In gratitude, there is richness. In sabr, there is dignity. And in trusting Allah, there is peace that no luxury can ever buy.
@fromdarknesstolightsa
