• Hollywood superstar speaks out about how money and fame were not enough to make him happy.
• Tucker found serenity in taking a hiatus and pledging his time towards philanthropy and helping others.
Chris Tucker shot to fame after his movie trilogy ‘Rush Hour’ in which he co-starred with Jackie Chan. Rush Hour, Tucker’s comedy-cop movie, firmly positioned him in being a Global success and spectacularly injected $48.M into his bank account. Other notable Hollywood movies he starred in were ‘Money Talks’ and ‘Friday’ but whatever happened to him? He sort of went missing.
“It wasn’t enough, I wanted more” he said in a recent interview with Atlanta radio station, Classix AT.
“The way I kind of stepped back from Hollywood at one point, you know, being the highest paid actor in Hollywood,” before adding, “But I felt like, . . ., it was a ceiling right there and I wanted more…it wasn’t enough so I stepped back and lived a little bit, travelled the world, and did a lot of humanitarian stuff that really broadened my perspective on the world.” “That, you know, it ain’t just about me being the biggest comic actor in the world, it’s about becoming somebody to give to the world – inspire in some kind of way, hopefully. I like that I did that,”.
This is highly commendable given the trajectory Tucker was on at this pinnacle juncture of his life. We see how giving back to society made him happier.
Interestingly, a study conducted by University of Oregon showed how voluntary giving lead to greater pleasure. This was due to the fact that the brain’s pleasure-related centres were ignited. The antithesis of this being Individualism. 14 studies on Individualism, conducted by Federation University, showed how individualism was associated with a reduced satisfaction with life, along with an increased likelihood of depressive symptomatology and suicide ideation in young people.
Ayaan Institute recently conducted a report that found muslims to be highly charitable/the most charitable compared to other faith groups. It found that British muslims donate at least £1bn a year to charity. This is projected to reach £4bn by 2051.
Giving zakat is a mandatory component in a muslim’s life (giving 2.5% of their welath). Voluntary giving (sadaqa) is known to be a sin-extinguisher by muslims- due to the narrations of the Prophet Mohammed (saw):“Charity extinguishes sins just as water extinguishes fire”. (Ibn Majah)
The Prophet Mohammed (saw) also said, ‘Charity does not decrease wealth’. (Muslim)
Thus contributing to the well being of the muslim (as suggested by the studies above). The commandments of Allah are certainly for our own benefit and the prosperity of society.
Evidently, we see how Islam provides solutions for all facets of life, including poverty. Capitalism, for instance, would be obliterated if every human on Earth abided by the stipulation of zakat. Consequently, there would be no children starving in Africa and an end to world poverty.
The actions of Chris Tucker can only be saluted in a growing world of materialism. Tucker is one of many celebrities who showcase how money and fame only can never satiate the human being.
The Prophet Mohammed (saw) said, ‘Whoever focuses on only one concern, the afterlife, Allah will be enough for his concerns in the world. Whoever scatters his concerns among matters of the world, it does not matter to Allah in which valley he meets his demise’. (Sunan Ibn Majah)
May Allah guide Chris Tucker towards the truth of Islam.
