By Uzair Adam Imam
Materialism is not limited to friendship or brotherhood; marriages and relationships also suffer greatly.
Friendship and brotherhood are gradually losing their true meaning, if not buried at all, because of this sudden shift of behaviour to materialism, The Daily Reality gathered.
The menace led and is still leading to the breakdown of many relationships, including marriages, thereby manifesting itself into a serious problem in society – such as the increase in the number of widows and heartbreaking individuals.
The Daily Reality speaks with some people on this issue.
People like Aisha Mujitaba believe that guys pretend to be rich in life in order to woo girls.
“Nowadays, both loves and marriages are based on materialism; that is how equivocation and deception have chipped in in the process of getting married.
“Guys pretend to be wealthy in order to win girls’ hearts. Consequently, when they are joined in matrimony, the true nature of what the person is will be revealed. This leads to the breakdown of relationships,” Aisha said.
Parents were also accused of encouraging this lingering issue in society, according to Suwaiba Umar.
She said, “Today, parents encourage their children to marry rich people. Marriages nowadays are not for the sake of Allah, the almighty. That is why guys make-believe a big life.”
Frowning at this behavioural change, Juwairiyya Aminu compared marriages in the past and marriages today.
She said, “Marriage in those days was entirely different from the marriage in these days, including the process, lefe (trousseau), ceremonies and whatnot.”
Both girls and their parents find it very exciting to have rich as their husbands or sons-in-law, making it difficult for the poor to get married.
“A poor man finds it very difficult to be loved, much less being married. But when a rich person proposes, without hesitation or any proper investigation on his religion, habit or maturity, he will be accepted,” Sa’adatu Shu’aibu.
Buhari Ahmad posited that guys fear being rejected by the girls, let alone the parents. For this, he said, “Guys make a pretence of big life out of fear of being rejected by girls and their parents.
“That is why guys now rent clothes, hats, shoes, bikes or even cars when visiting their suitors.”
Materialism: What Brings About It?
Dr Muhammad Sulaiman Abdullahi is a lecturer at the Department of Nigerian Languages, Bayero University, Kano. He told this reporter in an interview that many reasons made our society materialistic.
“There are so many reasons which contribute to the moral decadence we are witnessing today in the Hausa society. I can summarily list them as follows:
“1. Deficiency in terms of Islamic education and pursuing more in terms of Western educational life and style.
2. Negative modernity
3. Access to the new media and multi-media stuff which led to increasing in absorbing haram items.
4. Lack of proper orientation, etc.”
The solution to materialistic life
“Having sound Islamic education and fear of Allah, pursuing what is halal in any form of education and social life; and abiding strictly to Islamic teachings are the solution,” Sulaiman added.
It looks like one-side narrative; to balance the the report, the reporter should have contacted as many guys as he had contacted ladies. It’s a kind of wake up call though.
Truly many are now regarded as materialistic because of many things. The ladies want handsome and rich guys while the guys do many things possible to look rich and even went ahead to rent attires, cars and shamelessly some hired fake parents. The ladies used to say ” da nayi kuka a Dorayi gara nayi a Maitama”, and the popular Hausa adage “Kwarya tabi Kwarya” help in escalating this issues.