Beautified in the eyes of the people is the love of desires they covet: Women and sons; hoarded treasures of gold and silver; horses well-bred (for blood and excellence); and (wealth of) cattle and well-tilled land. Such are the possessions of this world’s life; but in nearness to Allah (God) is the best of the (life’s) goals. [Qur'an 3:14]

Ironically, a response to the fear of losing material possessions is to accumulate even more wealth. We reason that the more wealth we accumulate, the less likely it is that we will become impoverished.

As we gather fortunes, we seek greater fortunes. Accumulation of wealth, possessions and material objects eventually becomes an end in itself.

Our primary objective becomes possessing material objects. We redefine our goals and reinforce our dependence on material security. Ultimately, acquiring wealth replaces other sources of satisfaction.