The Dominance of Materialism and the Weakness of Faith and Spiritual Restraint

Question:
What is your opinion, Your Eminence, regarding the weakness of spiritual and emotional restraint in the face of the advance of materialism, and the weakness of the role of mosques?

Answer:
This matter requires awareness. Weakness must be treated through explanation, through a large number of guides, through their abundant fear of Allah, and through their desire to obey Him (Glorified and Exalted is He). Materialism may overwhelm a person. It should be made clear that wealth has no value if it is not spent in the obedience of Allah. Because he saw that he was self-sufficient [Al-'Alaq: 6-7]. Until you visit the graves [At-Takathur: 1, 2]. Soon he will visit the graves, look over his deeds, and regret to the utmost degree what he neglected. Therefore, a person of intellect should not be deceived by wealth, the handling of wealth, or by a job, or the like, for he will leave it, depart, and be questioned about his deeds and what he prepared for his Hereafter.
Likewise, guidance and direction for Muslims are necessary, reminding them of Allah, of standing before Him, and that they will be questioned about what they hastened to do and what they delayed. About what they used to do [Al-Hijr: 92, 93]. The abundance of wealth, the scarcity of knowledge, the prevalence of ignorance, and bad company are all factors of evil. They must be treated, and attention must be paid to them, so that good may increase and evil may decrease. So that people know that their wealth will not benefit them in any way if they do not use it in the obedience of Allah and in all that He is pleased with. So that they learn and gain understanding of their religion. So that they beware of bad company and bad advisors. And so that they strive to be with the people of good.
And there is—praise be to Allah—life and activity in this era, and in previous years at the end of the last century and the beginning of this century. There is—praise be to Allah—activity among the youth, among students of knowledge, and among many people, due to the sermons they hear on the radio and other media, in the press and other publications, and in what they find in books recently written by some people of good. So there is—praise be to Allah—much activity in many countries and in many regions. We ask Allah to increase them in good, to make things easy for people, to help them in good, and to encourage them in its means.