A’uzubillahi mina shaitani rajim
Bismillahi rahmani rahim
Alhamdulillahi rabbil ‘alamin wassolatu wassalamu ala rasulillah

Nothing is free, but it’s all subsidized

Sounds like a propaganda line from the government? :) Actually I came to that conclusion in class today when we talked about socialism, and capitalism. Republicans and democrats. About the idea of whether or not tax cuts should be introduced for the rich people because maybe they aren’t using as much government money as the poor people are, who constitute less than 4% of the income tax revenue.

How did I get from that topic to ‘nothing is free, but it’s all subsidized’? Maybe it was the discussion on ‘reward drive’, how if the government takes too much from the rich, then they won’t have any more drive to work hard and earn thousands cold cash. Maybe it was the fact that the poor people can’t afford many things, necessities, food, clothes, shelter –only living off coupons and subsidies. But society can’t accept, or it is ingrained in humanity, that one cannot just get everything for free – hence the concept that even though the amount of tax money from ‘the poor’ is minimal, they still need to pay it, because nothing is for free.

Noticing this ‘rule’, as one may point it out in the physical world -- if it is that way in our physical world, is there any question that it would be much different from the spiritual world? “ inna fi khalqi ssamawati wal ardh, wakhtila fi allaili wa annahari la aayaatin liulil albaab1 :: behold! In the creation of the heavens and the earth, and in the alternation of night and day, there are indeed signs for men of understanding”

Nothing is free. We won’t get iman, faith, or taste the delight of it, just by licking ice-cream under a maple tree… we won’t understand what it means to stand until our feet are swollen, just for prayer (just for prayer?), without ever leaving our quilts and colorful comforters to feel the rush of cold water on our face, hands, and feet… we won’t live the concept of ikhlas, sincerity, without ever putting an iota of work, into cleansing and changing the state of our hearts…

But,

It’s all subsidized. Whenever we walk to Allah, He runs to us, whenever we draw near to Him a hand’s span, He comes near to us an arm’s length2, as we turn around in our beds, too lazy and too ignorant to wake up for fajr ‘just 5 more minutes…’ and later missing it altogether, as we toil around in the middle of the day, rushing through our zuhr prayers, and as we delay our asar prayers for soccer or basketball games, do we ever wonder why things still work so well in our day? He still gives us air to breath, we didn’t get any storm or get hit by a tree, He still gives us the food we need so that we can keep on working, playing, studying, or enjoying ourselves throughout the day.

It’s all subsidized, so much that Allah gives us, for so little effort that we put in. The rule of nothing is free still holds, but there is so much that He has subsidized for us in our lives, will we not at least try to put a bit more, to be thankful to Him? To show that, yes Allah, thank You for all Your blessings upon me, and forgive me in my handicap to be able to thank You, as is rightfully Your due.

Nothing is free, but it’s all subsidized… something to reflect, and act on inshaAllah.

“wa inna rabbaka lazhu fadhlin ‘ala annasi walaakinna aktharahum laa yashkuruun3 :: but verily thy Lord is full of grace to mankind; yet most of them are ungrateful…”

-------

comments, suggestions, corrections, all welcome :)

Written by: Anonymous, anonymouse, :) ?

1surah al Imran, ayah 190

2hadith Qudsi related by Bukhari, Muslim, at Tirmidhi and ibn Majah

3surah an Naml (the Ants), ayah 73