and unique in being THE wealthiest nation in the world.
It would not be scientific, to say the least, to take observations of Qatar, and use that as a measuring stick to judge all of Arabs and Muslims, much less Islam.
First, as a Muslim you know yourself that there is a wide gap between the ideal of Islam, and the current state of Muslims. And to spend too much breath defending ourselves as we actually are would be a waste except when it is in defense of truth and fairness. I have enough real faults as it is to put up with kafrs making things up.
Secondly, yes. If perhaps I think about the small town I grew up in Missouri to the wealth of Doha, then there is certainly a lot more materialism and greed here. But if I were to compare Doha to an equally wealthy place in the U.S. then it would be hard to believe that there is that much more greed here.
What there is more of here, but less than in most of the Arab world, I think, is monopolization, the sort of nepotism which kills efficiency, an unfortunate emphasis on irrelevant forms of status (e.g. family and tribal membership) over quality work and capability, and extremem disparity.
None of these are healthy in Islamic standards. Remember the Prophet warned not to be destroyed by what destroyed those who came before - which was that they were strict in punishing the poor but leniant in letting the rich get away with things.
He warned but the Arabs after some time did not listen. So, it did certainly harm them, and is destroying them, at least socially.
Still, they are my brothers and I am with them in the same boat...whether they all acknowledge that or not.
and unique in being THE wealthiest nation in the world.
It would not be scientific, to say the least, to take observations of Qatar, and use that as a measuring stick to judge all of Arabs and Muslims, much less Islam.
First, as a Muslim you know yourself that there is a wide gap between the ideal of Islam, and the current state of Muslims. And to spend too much breath defending ourselves as we actually are would be a waste except when it is in defense of truth and fairness. I have enough real faults as it is to put up with kafrs making things up.
Secondly, yes. If perhaps I think about the small town I grew up in Missouri to the wealth of Doha, then there is certainly a lot more materialism and greed here. But if I were to compare Doha to an equally wealthy place in the U.S. then it would be hard to believe that there is that much more greed here.
What there is more of here, but less than in most of the Arab world, I think, is monopolization, the sort of nepotism which kills efficiency, an unfortunate emphasis on irrelevant forms of status (e.g. family and tribal membership) over quality work and capability, and extremem disparity.
None of these are healthy in Islamic standards. Remember the Prophet warned not to be destroyed by what destroyed those who came before - which was that they were strict in punishing the poor but leniant in letting the rich get away with things.
He warned but the Arabs after some time did not listen. So, it did certainly harm them, and is destroying them, at least socially.
Still, they are my brothers and I am with them in the same boat...whether they all acknowledge that or not.