ARE OUR PROPERTIES AND INCOME A BLESSING?

                                 ARE OUR PROPERTIES AND INCOME A BLESSING?

        We often hear and express the word "barokah" when someone receives a blessing in the form of success based on good deeds. The meaning of the word "barokah" itself is a blessing that comes from God, which can take the form of increased wealth and longevity, as well as material and spiritual benefits such as peace and health. Therefore, to achieve a blessed life, a sincere and wholehearted heart and honest actions are always required, especially when carrying out a mandate in the form of a position or position, so that the income earned can provide blessings in the form of health, peace and happiness for oneself and one's family. On the other hand, all deviant actions and actions that violate norms and regulations, with the intention of obtaining abundant wealth and wealth that result in the loss of the rights of others, then the income obtained from these actions does not bring blessings, and instead will have an impact on the emergence of anxiety and unease, as well as the shadow of fear of legal cases that ensnare them.

It is a basic human characteristic to desire a prosperous life with abundant income and to occupy lucrative positions with the opportunity to receive incentives greater than the salary received. Furthermore, with their duties and authority in providing services and assistance, they will open up opportunities and chances to obtain material goods, by taking more value from transactions carried out, and asking for compensation for services or assistance provided, so that   the income obtained from these activities can be categorized as illegal income and harm the institution. Corrupt acts   have the potential to hinder the progress of the nation and create injustice in society due to the social gap between the rich and the poor . All income obtained from dishonest acts and harming others is certainly not a blessing, on the contrary, it will have an impact on heart anxiety, besides it can also lead to stinginess due to fear of decreasing wealth, loss of compassion and concern for others, and suffering in life such as the onset of disease.

Dalam kondisi ekonomi yang serba sulit, cenderung mendorong orang berupaya mendapatkan materi dengan menempuh berbagai cara, baik dengan cara legal maupun ilegal, semua itu dilakukan demi memenuhi kebutuhan keluarga serta mempertahankan kelangsungan hidup ditengah masyarakat. Namun disisi lain ada sebagian orang yang memegang prinsip hidup sederhana dengan kondisi ekonomi apa adanya, serta panghasilan yang diperoleh hanya cukup untuk makan diri dan keluarga, namun hidup mereka diliputi ketenangan serta hati damai dan  nyaman. Kondisi kehidupan tersebut dimiliki oleh orang yang mengutamakan kejujuran dalam mencari nafkah, serta selalu menghindari perbuatan yang dapat merugikan orang lain, sehingga harta yang diperoleh tergolong halal dan berokah.

“Tinggi rendahnya nilai barokah dari hasil pendapatan, tidak selalu identik dengan banyak sedikitnya materi yang diperoleh”, hal tersebut bergantung kepada cara bagaimana orang mendapatkannya, karena ada orang  yang memanfaatkan kedudukan dan jabatannya hanya untuk mendapatkan keuntungan pribadi sebagai contoh, jabatan yang  berkaitan dengan palayanan masyarakat,   kebijakan dibidang perijinan, izin pengelolaan lahan untuk industri dll. yang  dalam pelaksanaannya banyak celah dan peluang untuk mendapatkan keuntungan berupa imbalan yang masuk kategori gratifikasi. Namun sebaliknya ada orang manduduki jabatan pada level yang  sama, namun dalam menjalankan tugasnya senantiasa berupaya untuk tidak mencari keruntungan pribadi, dan pendapatan yang diperoleh murni dari gaji dan imbalan sesuai dengan peruntukannya, maka pendapatannya masuk kategori halal untuk dikonsumsi diri dan keluarganya.              

Ada berbagai profesi di kalangan masyarakat dalam hal mencari nafkah keluarga, seperti profesi penarik becak, kuli angkut barang di pasar, kuli cangkul di sawah, dll. yang bekerja dari pagi sampai siang hari bahkan lembur sampai larut malam, dengan cucuran keringat dan tenaga yang maksimal serta hasil yang diperoleh pun ternyata tidak seberapa dan hanya cukup untuk memenuhi kebutuhan makan keluarga, namun dengan pendapatan tidak seberapa yang dilakukan dengan penuh perjuangan, boleh jadi memiliki nilai barokah yang tinggi, karana diperolah dengan hati yang tulus dan jujur serta tidak merugikan orang lain.

On the other hand, there are officials who have abundant assets and wealth, but  obtained through dishonest actions, and are detrimental to the state and society,   then the wealth does not bring peace, and will only cause anxiety, fear, and worse, will encourage the owner to deviate from the norms of life, such as seeking momentary pleasure with revelry and extravagance, besides that it will also trigger the emergence of mental and physical illnesses. For those who are aware and want to repent on the right path, it tends to be difficult, because to be able to receive  forgiveness from Allah SWT, they must clean up the wealth obtained from corruption by returning it to the state and society that has been harmed, but this is certainly difficult to do considering the legal risks, as well as the decline in self-respect and honor.

To assess the wealth obtained as blessed is not easy, because only we can do it, not other people, especially for those who work as employees with a salary income earned every month, but the fluctuation of work tasks is relatively unequal, where there are busy days with full work in one day, but on the other hand there are times when   there is no work at all, thus our income on days   when there is no work may be less blessed, and all of that is only we who feel, so in the end, assessing whether wealth and income are blessed or not   is only we who can do.

Our life journey certainly isn't always smooth sailing, without  the pitfalls of mistakes   , especially when earning a living. Sometimes, we unknowingly deviate from established rules and regulations. These actions inevitably result in losses   for institutions and individuals, resulting in the wealth and income we earn being categorized as less blessed. This is especially true if the wealth we earn has been acquired through legitimate means and those we don't. Therefore, the only solution to this situation is to repent and ask for forgiveness from the Almighty, so that at the end of our service, we can live in peace and tranquility.