The celebration of debt.

Interesting thing I heard about debt today from an Islamic scholar.

Debt used to be something people were ashamed of in the past. It meant you were incapable, and not adequate enough to take care of your needs.

Your needs.

Today, debt is celebrated. Celebrated for our wants.

Our wants.

“I qualified for my 30-year mortgage loan!” (soon to be 50?)

“I got a good rate on my $60,000 car loan!”

I remember getting a hand-me-down car as my first car. Alhamdulilah it was paid off. Now I see way too many Muslim teenagers with cars they can’t afford. These are from practicing families too, not the completely secularized ones.

The desire to want to look cool and rich is strong, and no one is immune to those desires, especially when you’re put in a public school system where peers rank you by your ability to look rich. It was the same when I was in school, and it is still there now, amplified by social media and illusory posts of “rich” individuals.

I don’t expect the school systems to teach children about finances and the dangers of debt, and they definitely won’t teach your kids from the Islamic perspective, but where are the parents??

Why are you letting your kids make stupid decisions?