Oh, YOU, Up There!

Oh, You, Up There

You have it all?

You have the resources to make it happen

You have it all

You have clothes, you have wealth, you have plenty of food

You have it all

You have land, you have houses, you have cars

You think you have it all

You have shoes, you have bags – Gucci, Prada, Dior

You think you have it all – but you desire more of it all

You say you are up there – above them all

Born to a certain family of privilege and wealth – everybody else “nobodies”!

But look around you – open your eyes

See “your” (human) “brothers and sisters” and their children – bare, hungry - without it all

Do you care, do you see, do you even feel?

Instead of the “extra” designer clothes or bags buy them basic food or clothes

Oh men and women of wealth, have a heart, have a conscience,

Use the wealth that Rabbee gave you in a better way

The wealth you have does not make you special, what you do with it does

Collect that wealth to build a school, fund a hospital, fund a charity

You may have 30 pairs of clothes and plenty of shoes in your cupboard

but at the end of the day you only wear one pair a day – think!

Remember the simplicity of good women and men, saints and the Prophets (pbut)

If you utilize the resources you are given and see it as a responsibility

With plenty of return and as an investment in the hereafter, as God promises

You can re-focus your intentions and actions in relation to your wealth

If you spend to improve this world not just stock up for your lifeless cupboard

If you reach out to humanity sowing seeds of love and peace (as sadqa-e-jarya)

Then, only then, you can happily turn around and truly say,

“I have it all”!

Dr Amineh Hoti

Lahore

(Written: 1st March 2015. In response to the glamour and wealth of a few Lahoris and others who, I hope, will care more one day.)