Poverty is undoubtedly a curse. Poor people often lack the means to stand tall with dignity. As a result, their sense of honor is also diminished.
Thus, the desire for wealth is not a fault. When the Rebel Poet Kazi Nazrul Islam glorifies "poverty" in his poetry and declares, "O Poverty, you have made me great. You have given me the honor of Christ," we think about the great enthusiasm with which our revered poet embraced his poverty.
Nazrul himself grew up in extreme poverty. During his childhood, he was known as Dukhu Mia (the sorrowful boy).
Perhaps this is why poverty was, to him, equivalent to the honor of Jesus Christ. Not only that, poverty gave him the "bold courage of unreserved expression." Up to this point, it sounds inspiring; but what happened after?
What did the Rebel Poet say next? In the lines that follow, he illustrates how the sting of poverty destroys life and shatters dreams. Describing the harshness of poverty, Nazrul wrote:
"Like the trembling earth, full of compassion! You are the sun; in your heat, The dew of compassion dries up! Fading away in the shadows of the earth, Dreams are choked to death."
Indeed, in the state of poverty, all dreams are shattered. So, poverty is truly a curse. We must strive with all our might to be free from poverty.
However, if someone, in the pursuit of wealth, sacrifices all morals and devours wealth like a gluttonous beast, then that is an illness—a form of mental disorder.
Unfortunately, in many Third World countries, one finds countless people with such mental distortions. These individuals are so desperate for wealth that there is almost nothing they wouldn't do for it.
If given the chance, they show the worst sides of themselves, exploiting every bit of their entrusted power to accumulate riches.
It's as if they believe in the words of Confucius: "There is nothing wrong in committing a wrong, as long as you don’t remember it all the time."
They believe that with enough wealth, there will be no lack of food, clothing, shelter, education, healthcare, entertainment, or the ability to exercise power.
Many think that those who have seen the most hardship are the ones who crave wealth the most. There’s a saying: "The aguru tree (a fragrant wood) longs for the seora tree (a common wood); the cuckoo's call is overshadowed by the monkey's chatter."—meaning, people tend to be attracted to what is worse, forsaking what is good.
Witnessing the immense power of wealth, most people become desperate to be empowered by it. They believe that money is so powerful that it can even buy the devil himself. Whoever has money holds power.
Money seems to dominate everywhere. But money, especially black money, eventually becomes the cause of great misfortune.
It must be remembered: "Arthaturanam na guruh na bandhu"—the money-hungry person has neither a mentor nor a friend. Like a sudden dark cloud, black money appears unexpectedly and disappears just as quickly.
The owners of black money forget that "Fate brings misfortunes"—the Creator is the architect of all good and bad events. The scriptures say: "Atyuchchayah patanayante"—when something grows too much, its downfall is inevitable. One must remember, when a downfall comes, it is never sudden.
Nothing happens without reason. When people fail to explain it, they attribute it to fate. In ignorance, they justify sudden and fateful events; but they forget—peace, prosperity, success, and worldly wealth are special blessings from Allah.
Charcoal gives birth to dirt. If you plant the seeds of a mandrake tree, how can you expect a sandalwood tree to grow there?
