Material Slavery and Materialism
In a time when materialism has dominated values, and humanity has become immersed in a cycle of consumption and possession, life is transformed into a series of objects devoid of their human spirit. Humans are no longer slaves to stones and nature, as they once were, but rather to a hidden system that weaves the threads of its dominance out of sight, transforming them into mere numbers in the equation of production and consumption. Under savage capitalism, the individual's dreams and aspirations are reduced to measurable and tradable commodities, while the true meaning of existence recedes in favor of the idols of the modern age: money, power, and false luxury. This is objectification in all its manifestations, where humans are transformed from a thinking self into a thing among things, their fate controlled by invisible hands that impose upon them the illusion of freedom as they are driven, little by little, toward perdition.
According to Marx and Nietzsche, man becomes a slave to capitalism when he turns into a mere "consumer" or "tool of production." In "You Only We Worship and in You only we seek help," (Surah Al-Fatihah – the opening chapter of Holy Quran) focusing on God (Allah) frees man from the slavery of "reification," where man becomes a slave to things rather than their master. Man must work, but if his work enslaves him, it becomes an act of worship. Contemporary capitalism, despite its claim to promote individual freedoms, transforms man into an absolute slave to its system, without him even realizing it. This is done through hidden mechanisms imposed on him in the name of "progress" and "efficiency." He is torn between work that steals his soul and slavery that steals his becoming, violates his being, and throws him into an unforgiving world. This slavery takes many forms, some obvious and some hidden. For example, debt slavery (the worship of money). Credit cards and loans force many people into a spiral of debt (student loans, car loans, home loans, etc.), making people slaves to banks, toiling to pay interest instead of living freely. In many capitalist countries, an individual works for 30 years or more to pay off their home, and their entire life becomes a slave to the bank. They spend many years initially paying the interest rates imposed by the bank, until they reach old age, still paying interest on their loans.
Here, money becomes an idol, and the debtor becomes its slave.
There is also job slavery (capitalist alienation), which is the "hustle culture," which promotes the idea that "your work is your identity." People live to work, rather than work to live.
Not to mention the long working hours, for example in Japan (the phenomenon of "karoshi" - death from exhaustion), where people become machines and slaves to time. In tech companies, employees are required to work 60-80 hours a week, much like doctors, especially new trainees. This is where the fear of being fired arises, leaving employees in miserable jobs for fear of losing health insurance or housing (especially in America and Europe, including Britain).
With corporate control, increased competition for jobs, and rising unemployment rates, these companies set specifications and conditions that turn people into pawns, manipulated as they please, while they navigate a cycle of work that often extends beyond working hours. This is slavery. This slavery will take dangerous turns in the coming years due to the intense competition for jobs and the introduction of the concept of slavery without fear of human rights laws or working hours, thanks to the use of artificial intelligence and robots, which have begun to appear in many fields of work. Unemployment rates will rise, poverty will increase, and more professional and academic requirements will be imposed in job competition. As Karl Marx said, "The worker in a capitalist system sells not only his labor, but his time and his life." We add to this the exploitation of systems that claim to be socialist, which dwarf the individual and tie resources to the hands of the elite, leading people to sell not only their labor and time, but their entire lives, whether they like it or not, under the guise of nation, religion, party, or revolution.
The slavery of consumerism (the manufacture of "needs") also becomes apparent. Advertising and psychological manipulation create "fake needs" through marketing, such as buying the latest iPhone every year, or fast fashion, which makes you buy what you don't need. Monthly subscriptions: Netflix, Spotify, Amazon Prime... and bills paid for the internet, websites, and many other things turn into permanent financial obligations, like taxes on the poor!
Taxes have taken on various forms and amounts, reaching burdensome rates for people.
In a quote attributed to the American financial expert David Ramsey, who advocates for liberation from the slavery of capitalist money, he said: "Consumer society makes people buy what they don't need, with money they don't have, to please people they don't like."
There's digital platform slavery (modern slavery) and the "gig economy": such as Uber and Deliveroo, where workers are unsecured, working crazy hours for meager wages. There's also the slavery of ratings and reputation, imposed by employers on their employees, which has spread to a wide range of sectors, including medicine, where, for example, delivery drivers or Fiverr employees are forced to submit to customer ratings, turning them into "services" rather than human beings.
Competition for jobs has become a psychological and physical burden on people. It has even led people to slander opponents or colleagues, and companies exploit people by hiring low-wage workers who work longer hours. Most of those who accept long hours for less pay are those with limited experience. This includes even doctors, a humanitarian service. Unfortunately, in capitalism and similar systems, healthcare institutions have become businesses whose primary concern is how to generate profits at the lowest cost. Human values are dwarfed by the encroachment of money and merciless healthcare management. The patient has become a mere number, and the doctor is merely a hired hand. They take the cheapest option, making them more flexible but less efficient, and they are simply a number by their managers.
Technology and addiction to social media sites such as Facebook, TikTok, and the X platform, etc., create an intentional addiction that turns the user into a "product" (data sold to advertisers).
"If you don't pay for the service, you are the product!" (A quote from the world of technology)
There is also the slavery of false "success" (material standards). The race to wealth, the "make a million before the age of 30" culture, forces young people to sacrifice their health and happiness for unrealistic societal standards. This is compounded by the slavery of social media, which has transformed people into isolated islands whose boundaries, even within a single home, are limited to a mobile phone. How cheap and ugly are some of the content broadcasts by these sites.
And the slavery of social comparison: Instagram displays a false, ideal life, creating a constant sense of inadequacy and "psychological enslavement" to the pursuit of image rather than reality. "True freedom is not to measure your value by your bank balance."
The question is, how do we free ourselves from capitalist slavery?
The answer: Capitalism does not disappear, but awareness liberates. Hence, Surat Al-Fatihah (You alone we worship) came to liberate humanity from countless forms of slavery that increase with time. Hence, the Fatiha, which is repeated by the person who believes in Allah, to free himself from the slavery that surrounds him, prompting him to strive for worldly things, but not as a slave. Examples include:
Financial independence: reducing debt, living simply (minimalism)
Redefining success: Success is not "ownership of things," but rather "freedom of time and peace of mind."
Cultural resistance: rejecting "Hastle" and choosing purposeful humanitarian work.
True worship (You alone we worship, and You alone we ask for help) begins when you don't let the system turn you into a cog in a machine, but rather maintain your humanity and value beyond material standards.
In existentialist philosophy, Western capitalism, and Marxism, humans suffer from alienation from themselves, from nature, and from others. In capitalism, the worker becomes a machine in production, no longer owning his work or his identity (a pawn) to be manipulated. Capitalist competition has transformed relationships into utilitarian contracts, and true human bonds have died.
In existentialism, humans lose their true nature under the pressure of false social laws.
In most materialistic philosophies, man finds himself alone, thrown into the void between unmerciful hands and others equally helpless. However, in true, not stereotypical, Islam, man finds his lost treasure in the absolute truth, which is God (Allah). He alone is sought for help. Therefore, He said, "You," placing the direct object pronoun before the verb. He is the firm, absolute, and only constant pillar, for whom nothing is beyond His power, and nothing is hidden from Him. He is faithful to His servant's expectation when he calls upon Him sincerely. The servant knows that God will respond. If the answer is delayed, it is for a broader wisdom and greater bounty. In other words, man is with God, surrounded by support from every side, not thrown into the void to do his own thing. The modern capitalist system turns man into a consumer machine and drowns him in an illusory search for happiness through shopping or entertainment, (Beautified for people is the love of desires – (alnasaa النسيء النساء) means )modern things) and (بنين) buildings and heaped-up sums of gold and silver and branded horses and livestock and tillage. That is the enjoyment of worldly life, and Allah has with Him the best return.) (Holy Quran - 14 Al Imran). )Al-nasaa( here means the postponement of new things or modern models, not as they interpreted it (females), and (banien) (بنين) are construction, whether material or technological, and horses are from vanity and authority represented by force, and livestock are all worldly blessings, and tillage is trade and profits. And what overlaps with it.
We live in delusion (the modern delusional), immersed in a "complex ignorance" (we don't know, nor do we know that we don't know). The delusional ones today are us, enslaved to desires we have created with our own hands.
The important question is: How do we admit our delusion?
The answer: The philosophical beginning is to admit that we are delusional, as Socrates did ("All I know is that I know nothing)
A partial escape from delusion requires:
- Dismantling ready-made certainties.
- Criticizing the sources of our "knowledge" (who owns it? And why)
- Stopping the search for "salvation" in consumerism or ideology.
As Nietzsche wrote: “Sometimes people are misled by the truth not because they are ignorant of it, but because they think they know it.” This is exactly where Satan enters, portraying illusion as reality. This is delusion. In order to penetrate the human consciousness without realizing it, he exploits the weak points that the Wise Remembrance (Allah) referred to as the weak parts in His saying: “Tell the believing men or women to lower their gaze and guard their weak parts. That is purer for them. Indeed, Allah is Acquainted with what they do.” (An-Nur 30)
The weak parts (forooj) or (weak passes) here refers to the weak points through which Satan enters, not as some interpret it as (private parts). The greatest delusion is the illusion that we have attained certainty in an age that confirms that we are more in need of doubt than those who came before us. Seeking "guidance" in the Fatiha is a daily existential exercise to confront the lostness of this age. "The path to truth begins with admitting that you are lost. The path to misguidance is to insist that you know the way." However, if you know that you know the truth but are too proud to sin and act against it, then you have become one of those who have incurred wrath. Incurring wrath is an existential description, not a reactive wrath, because it is a retributive right sealed in the very being of things as an existential law, like gravity and the alternation of night and day. Those who have incurred wrath are those who knew the truth, but not content with merely fighting it, but also acting against it, persisting in doing so, generation after generation. These are the seal of the universe's wrath upon them in this world and the hereafter, and the torment of the hereafter is more severe.
Iran will forever destroy the Zionist New Middle East project and inflict a crushing defeat on the occupying entity
Under Netanyahu's rule, the Zionist entity has mobilized all its terror and hatred, unleashing itself like a wild bull, slaughtering children, women, and the elderly, destroying hospitals, reducing cities to rubble, and using starvation and destruction as brutal weapons in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, and Yemen. Meanwhile, America, led by the narcissistic Trump, stands behind it, covering up its crimes and fueling the killing machine with money and weapons.
But after all this deliberate destruction and blatant injustice that has transcended all limits of humanity, the blind Netanyahu believed he could repeat the scenario of defeat with Iran, deluding himself that he could bring down the Iranian regime with the same malicious strategy and the wretched pretexts he concocted, or under the slogan of "eliminating the Iranian nuclear program." These are exactly the same pretexts they invented for Iraq regarding the lie of weapons of mass destruction in 2003.
Netanyahu and the extremist government plunged headlong into their insane war against Iran, imagining that the regime would collapse with the first strike, or that Tehran would surrender under the weight of threats. Indeed, Trump, with his psychological arrogance, insisted on believing these fantasies and demanded that Iran surrender unconditionally!
But the surprise was devastating!
Iran, with legendary resilience, regained the initiative, ignoring all threats, and responded to the aggression with precise and powerful missile strikes. This proved to the world that Iran's deterrent is not only effective, but may even be more effective than nuclear weapons, because they are acceptable in the balance of power, not weapons of mass destruction.
And the Zionist catastrophe was even greater!
In just a few hours, the occupying entity's impotence and humiliating weakness were exposed, while Iran emerged as a cohesive, courageous, and unified force, capable of challenging the most powerful powers. Had Tehran developed its air defenses to shoot down enemy aircraft and capture their pilots, the Zionist defeat would have been more painful, and the Iranian victory would have become a historic achievement taught in military academies!
The Iron Dome has fallen and become completely powerless!
All Zionist interception systems failed to confront the barrage of Iranian missiles, which caused unprecedented destruction to the entity in its history. Signs of collapse have begun to appear, despite all attempts at media blackout and systematic lies.
And Israel failed to destroy the Iranian nuclear program!
Even the American B-2 bombers, which are touted as a myth of invincibility, with their lethal bombs, failed to achieve any victory. Indeed, their own reports revealed their abject failure, allowing Trump's contradictory statements to expose his lies one after another!
Iran emerged from the battle stronger!
Iran didn't empty its entire missile arsenal. Instead, it announced its readiness for a long-term war, potentially lasting for years, while the occupying entity was on the verge of collapse in just days! Had the confrontation continued for another week, the entity would have collapsed completely and ceased to exist.
But most importantly...
Iran has destroyed the "Zionist project for the new Middle East" once and for all! The entity's dream was to overthrow the Iranian regime and transform the region into an arena for its control, with Israel becoming the dominant power imposing its terms on everyone:
Ordering some countries to rebuild what its wars had destroyed.
Disarming others according to its whims.
Changing regimes using its malicious methods.
But Iran has uprooted this malicious ambition!
And not content with that, it has taught the world a harsh lesson: The era of "invincible Israel" is over! Iranian deterrence has proven that the entity is a fig leaf behind it, and that it cannot withstand a single blow without collapsing.
The victory wasn't just over Israel... but over America as well!
Iran struck the strongest American bases in the region, something no other country had dared to do, despite all of Trump's empty threats. Trump reneged on his threat after the Iranian strike, inventing flimsy excuses to cover up his shame!
And the greatest victory...
Iran will now impose its conditions in any future negotiations! Finally...
This war (the 12-Day War) proved that the strong are respected and the weak are humiliated. Therefore, God commanded Muslims to have a deterrent force, as He says in the Holy Quran: Make ready for them all thou canst of (armed) force and of horses tethered, that thereby ye may dismay the enemy of Allah and your enemy, and others beside them whom ye know not. Allah knoweth them. Whatsoever ye spend in the way of Allah it will be repaid to you in full, and ye will not be wronged. (Al-Anfal 60)
This great verse carries an eternal divine directive for Muslims in every era, commanding them to prepare and be ready to confront their enemies. This does not refer only to traditional military force, but rather to all forms of force that intimidate the enemy and make them think a thousand times before daring to attack. In the past, "horse tethering" meant war preparation with horses, which were fast and superior weapons on the battlefield. Just as tethering and preparing horses was an essential part of military planning, today, possessing the latest weapons and military technologies has become the "horse tethering" of our time. Long-range missiles, drones, advanced electronic systems, and smart weapons all represent the "horses" of our time, which we must prepare and maintain.
The goal of this preparation is not permanent war, but rather deterrence, because the power that intimidates an enemy prevents them from attacking in the first place. As we have seen in wartime experiences, when a nation possesses deterrent power, the enemy hesitates before attacking, even if they possess numerical or technological superiority. This is what happened when Iran terrorized the Zionist entity with precise missile strikes, forcing it to reconsider its escalation.
Preparedness is not limited to weapons alone; it also includes the ongoing training of soldiers and the development of local military industries so that we are not at the mercy of others in supplying weapons. A nation that relies on others for its weapons is weak, because the enemy may besiege it by cutting off its supplies, as happens to the Zionist entity when America withholds military support at critical moments.
Who are "and others besides them"?
The verse also speaks of enemies we may not see directly, as in the Almighty's statement: {And others besides them whom you do not know}. This includes today's unconventional wars, such as economic, media, and cyber warfare, where the enemy may be hidden, operating behind the scenes, or through financial and political pressure. Therefore, we must be prepared for all these aspects. It is not enough to possess missiles if we are weak economically or in the media.
The lesson we can learn from this verse is that Muslims are required to possess all forms of power, whether military, technological, or economic, because power is what preserves the dignity of the nation and protects it from aggression. This is what God has commanded.
We must take this divine guidance seriously and work to build a deterrent force in all areas, because a strong nation cannot be defeated, and a prepared nation cannot be vanquished. As the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "A strong believer is better and more beloved to God than a weak believer." Ali (peace be upon him) said, "He whom the enemy weakens and does not prepare for him strength has betrayed himself and his nation."
We must prepare and be fully prepared to terrify the enemies of God and our enemies, and to protect our lands and holy sites from any attack. Strength is not an option, but a religious duty, and weakness is not a consequence of religion, but rather a consequence of negligence.
Let our motto always be: Strong preparation is the path to victory, and deterrence is the most powerful means of achieving peace.
The Imminent Collapse of Israel: A Biblical and Quranic Prophecy
The destruction of Israel, as foretold in both the Torah and the Quran, is a divine certainty for its oppression, corruption, and betrayal of sacred trusts. Ancient scriptures converge in predicting the downfall of the Zionist entity, marking it as an illegitimate state built on tyranny and destined for annihilation.
1. Divine Punishment for Transgression (Torah)
The Torah warns that disobedience and injustice will lead to Israel’s ruin. Deuteronomy 28:15-68 declares:
"If you do not obey the Lord… you shall be torn from the land… The Lord will bring a nation against you from afar, until you are destroyed”.
Obeying the Lord is by fulfilling His covenant about Prophet Mohammad message.
Israel’s apartheid, ethnic cleansing, and massacres fulfill these conditions, invoking divine retribution.
2. The Quran’s Prophecy: The Final Destruction of Israel2
The Quran confirms that oppressive regimes face inevitable collapse. Surah Al-Isra (17:4-8) states:
"We decreed for the Children of Israel: ‘You will corrupt the earth twice and rise to great arrogance.’ But when the time of the second promise comes, We will send against you mighty forces to devastate your strongholds and enter your places of worship—as they did the first time”.
This prophecy signals that Israel’s second corruption (modern Zionism) will meet the same fate as ancient tyranny—utter destruction.
3. The Betrayal of the Jews: Witnesses Who Rejected Truth.
Allah chose the Jews to bear witness to prophethood, including that of Muhammad (ﷺ) Yet, despite knowing the truth, they rejected it and conspired against Islam. Surah Al-Baqarah (2:89-90) reveals:
"When there came to them a Book from Allah confirming what was with them… they disbelieved in it. So the curse of Allah is upon the disbelievers".
Their refusal to acknowledge Muhammad (ﷺ) while knowing his prophethood from their own scriptures exposed their treachery. Worse, they actively worked against Islam, financing wars, distorting scriptures, and supporting oppression.
The Divine Covenant: Israel’s Betrayal and the Wrath of Allah
Allah chose the Children of Israel for a single, sacred purpose: to uphold His final covenant by bearing witness to the truth of Prophet Muhammad(ﷺ) and supporting his message. Yet, when the time came, they rejected him knowingly, deliberately, and with malice. This was not mere disobedience; it was a betrayal of their very reason for existence, invoking upon them an existential wrath not as a reaction, but as divine justice for their treachery.
The Covenant of Allah: To Believe in Muhammad (ﷺ)
Allah says in the Quran (Surah Ali 'Imran 3:81):
"And [remember] when Allah took the covenant of the prophets, [saying], 'After I have given you the Scripture and wisdom, if there comes to you a messenger confirming what is with you, you must believe in him and support him.' He said, 'Do you affirm this and accept My covenant?' They said, 'We affirm it.' He said, 'Then bear witness, and I am with you among the witnesses”.
This was their solemn oath to recognize and stand with the Final Prophet(ﷺ) Yet when Muhammad (ﷺ) came with the same truth foretold in their own scriptures, they lied, fought him, and conspired against Islam despite knowing he was the one they were commanded to follow.
Their Knowledge of the Truth Yet They Chose Arrogance
Allah exposes their deception in Surah Al-Baqarah (2:89-90(
"And when there came to them a Book from Allah confirming what was with them… they disbelieved in it. So the curse of Allah is upon the disbelievers. How wretched is that for which they sold themselves
that they would disbelieve in what Allah has revealed, out of resentment that Allah should send down His favor upon whom He wills of His servants! So they have drawn upon themselves wrath upon wrath".
They knew Muhammad (ﷺ) was the Prophet foretold in the Torah (Deuteronomy 18:18, John 14:16), yet they rejected him out of envy, pride, and greed.
The Ultimate Punishment: An Existential Curse
This was not a momentary anger from Allah it was a decree of annihilation for those who broke the covenant.
Allah warns in Surah Al-Jumu'ah (62:5-6(
"The example of those who were entrusted with the Torah and then failed to uphold it is like that of a donkey carrying books. Wretched is the example of the people who deny the signs of Allah. And Allah does not guide the wrongdoing people".
Their punishment is not a reaction—it is a Divine justice. They were chosen only to affirm the truth of Islam, yet they became its greatest enemies. Thus, their fate is sealed in this world and the next as it mentioned in Surah Al-Fatiha (those on whom fall the wrath of Allah (cursed).
The Wrath of Allah is Upon Them
They had one purpose—to testify to Muhammad (ﷺ) They failed. Now, their existence is marked by divine rejection, their state by inescapable destruction, and their legacy by eternal disgrace.
Allah’s promise is true. Their end is certain.
Both the Torah and Quran promise that oppressors will perish.
Psalm 37:9 says:
"The wicked shall be cut off, but the righteous shall inherit the land".
Likewise, Surah Al-Anbiya (21:105) declares:
"We have written in the Psalms after the reminder: ‘My righteous servants shall inherit the earth". - see both verses how they close to each other!
This is the destiny of Palestine—liberation and triumph, while Zionism faces obliteration. Some jewish who knew the Torah well, agree!
The Torah and Quran agree: Israel’s crimes have sealed its fate. Its betrayal of divine trust, oppression of Palestinians, Arabs, Muslims and above all arrogance before Allah’s signs ensure its destruction.
The promise of Allah is true and will be seen.
