The fourth Caliph of Islam, ꜤAlī b. Abī Ṭālib رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ said, “He who desires for his shoelaces to be better than someone else’s, also falls into the ruling of this verse.”^[1]

اللہُ اَکْبَر We compete and compare to other people in every matter, never mind shoelaces. “My shoes should be unique, so people praise me when they see them. My clothes must be extravagant, my house must be supreme, and my car must be expensive”, and so on. What is the purpose of this competition? The desire for status, fame and respect.

O those who love Allah’s Messenger! The honourable Companions     عَـلَيْهِمُ الرِّضْوَانْ are our role models. They competed with each other too and looked to be first, but only in matters of worship, such as optional fasts and spending in the way of Allah.

Before the Battle of Tabūk, the second Caliph of Islam, ꜤUmar b. al-Khaṭṭāb رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ gave half of his wealth in the way of Allah. Then, the first Caliph of Islam, Abū Bakr al-Ṣiddīq رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ gave everything he owned.^[2]

Amongst the Companions, fathers and sons would want to leave the home to fight for Islam and would even debate over who should stay. Even Companions with physical impairments sought opportunities to be martyred.^[3]

Companions who were not financially able to travel in the way of Allah shed tears over this. If one Companion performed worship for half a night, another would worship for the entire night. If one recited a quarter of the Quran, another recited half of it.^[4]

If only we worked for the Hereafter instead of spending all our time and strength for the wealth and respect of the world. Even if we attain these