Luck and lucky people are reexamined through the 1971 movie Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, drawing lessons on depending on God alone, heeding the Quran, envisioning Paradise, and recognizing that a submitter already holds the ticket to the Hereafter. A second article explains how worshiping God alone dissolves the ego, tracing it to the great feud and listing signs of its dissolving.
The movie is about a chocolate maker, Willy Wonka, and a poor boy, Charlie Bucket.
Children all over the world loved Willy Wonka's chocolates. Many wondered how he made them, but he kept that a well-guarded secret. No one even knew who worked in his factory.
Then one day, he announced that he had placed five Golden Tickets inside five chocolate bars. Five lucky children who found these tickets would get a lifetime supply of Wonka chocolates. They would also get a tour of the Wonka factory by Willy Wonka himself.
Millions of children hoped to be one of the lucky ones to find a ticket. Some rich parents even bought tons of bars
to increase the chance of finding a ticket for their children.
Charlie's family could not really afford to buy any bars. Yet, the one they bought had no ticket, and soon five other children found the tickets. Charlie was sad, and his mother tried to comfort him. She said, "Charlie, you'll get your chance. One day things will change." When he asked her when they would change, she said, "Probably when you least expect it." Then she sang to him: "Till that day you got to stay strong. Charlie, up on top is right where you belong."
The next day, Charlie found a coin in the street. Though five other children had already found the tickets, he used that coin to buy a Wonka bar anyway. He devoured it on the spot, then bought another bar for his grandfather. When he came out of the store, news broke that the claim to the fifth ticket was a fraud. Someone had made a fake ticket, which meant that someone could still find the fifth ticket.
With a deep breath, Charlie opened the bar in his hand, really slowly. You can imagine the look on his face when he saw it contained the fifth Golden Ticket!
He ran home to tell his family, but on the way, a Wonka competitor stopped him and made him an offer that would make him rich. All Charlie had to do was get him a sample of the 'Everlasting Gobstopper' that Wonka was developing. The Gobstopper was a special chocolate as it could last forever. It would be a great treat for children with little pocket money.
When he got home, his family rejoiced at the news he shared with them. The ticket also allowed him to bring one family member on the tour, so he chose his grandfather. His grandfather, who had not walked in years, sprang to his feet and sang: "I never thought my life could be anything but catastrophe. But suddenly I see a bit of good luck for me. 'Cause I've got a golden ticket. And with a golden ticket, it's a golden day."
On the great day of the tour, Willy Wonka welcomed the children and their families into his factory. What he showed them was beautiful beyond anything they had imagined. As he did so, he sang, "Come with me, and you'll be, in a world of pure imagination. What we'll see will defy explanation. If you want to view Paradise, simply look around and view it."
He also gave the families some rules to follow, but four of them disobeyed those rules. Greed and impatience had overcome them. They paid the price for this as their actions caused their eviction from the factory with no chance to return. Charlie and his grandfather also disobeyed some rules, but Wonka did not evict them. He had a reason for that and chose not to share it then.
When the tour ended, Wonka asked Charlie and his grandfather to leave the factory. His manner was abrupt, which made them wonder if they had done something wrong. They also wanted to know why
Wonka had not given them the lifetime supply of chocolate he had promised. Wonka then pointed out the rules they had broken, and that is why he would not give them the chocolates.
Charlie felt disappointed but remembered a promise he had made to Wonka during the tour. The promise was that he would not share the Gobstopper sample Wonka had given him with anyone. If Charlie shared it with the man who promised to make him rich, then he would break his promise. Charlie did not want to become rich that way. So before leaving the factory, he returned the Gobstopper sample to Wonka.
When he did that, Wonka said, "So shines a good deed in a weary world. Charlie, my boy, you won. You did it. I knew you would. I had to test you Charlie, and you passed the test. You won the grand and glorious jackpot." He also told Charlie that the man who had offered to make him rich was not Wonka's competitor. He was Wonka's employee, and what he had asked Charlie to do was a test. Charlie was the only one who passed the test.
The jackpot for passing the test was not only a lifetime of Wonka chocolates. It was the factory itself. Wonka said he couldn't run it forever, nor did he want to. So he wanted to give it to an honest, loving child to whom he could pass on all his precious secrets.
What the movie reminded me of.
Depend on God alone
Those who depend on luck feel sad when they do not get what they expected. They also feel lost as they don't know what to do next. Blaming everything on bad luck will still not give them what they want.
God wants us to depend on Him alone, as He is the source of everything, including what we may think is luck. We must implore Him for what we want. If He gives it to us, we must use it to please Him and seek the Hereafter. If He does not give it to us, He is doing it in our interest. He will soon make us understand, and everything will turn out all right. When you
depend on God alone, you become free, unlike those who depend on luck instead of God.
3:159 …. Once you make a decision, carry out your plan, and trust in GOD. GOD loves those who trust in Him.
Earn your Moses moment
Charlie's mother told him his luck would change "when he least expected it." God does this for us too, but instead of waiting for things to change, we must earn the change we want. We have the example of the moment when God parted the sea for prophet Moses. No one expected that to happen. But Moses did not escape from Pharaoh's pursuit without first earning God's support. He earned it through years of steadfast submission to God. That is how we must also earn the change we want. God will then make it happen when we deserve it and least expect it. We learn this from many verses in the Quran, like:
65:2 … Anyone who reverences GOD, He will create an exit for him. 65:3 And will provide for him whence he never expected. Anyone who trusts in GOD, He suffices him. … 65:4 Anyone who reverences GOD, He makes everything easy for him.
Take heed of every word in the Quran
The Quran has all we need to know and the rules we must follow. But I often did not pay full attention to what I was reading in it. That was a sign of me being unappreciative of a gift from God which I never expected to come my way. As Charlie's grandfather said, "I never thought my life could be anything but catastrophe." For sure, if God did not send the Quran my way, my life would be a catastrophe.
I was already improving my approach to reading the Quran, and this reminder through the movie helped. I now remind myself to read the Quran as if I were preparing for a Quran study. This helps me focus and learn from it better.
7:204 When the Quran is recited, you shall listen to it and take heed, that you may attain mercy.
28:86 You never expected this scripture to come your way; but this is a mercy from your Lord. …
Have a vision of the Hereafter
Wonka said, "What we'll see will defy explanation. If you want to view Paradise, simply look around and view it."
God has described Paradise to us many times in the Quran. Though it is beyond imagination, we can try to have a vision of it. Think of the beauty and perfect happiness that awaits you for your efforts. This will help you get back up stronger when Satan makes you slip up and fall down.
Heaven: Indescribably Beautiful
32:17 You have no idea how much joy and happiness are waiting for you as a reward for your (righteous) works. 76:22 This is the reward that awaits you, for your efforts have been appreciated.
Don't take God's plans for granted
Wonka did not evict Charlie and his grandfather for disobeying some of his rules. Now think about how often God spares us for all the sins we commit, big and small. He does not always punish us or end our chance to redeem ourselves back to Heaven. He overlooks many of our sins and guides us to do better. So we must always work hard to please God and never take His plans for granted.
35:45 If GOD punished the people for their sins, He would not leave a single creature on earth. But He respites them for a predetermined interim. …
When will I have Golden Luck?
This is not a logical question for a submitter. How can you ask about when you will have something when you already have it?
Your life on earth is your only chance to work your way back to Heaven. God did not need to give you this chance, nor did you expect it. Yet He gave you this chance and put the world in your service to make you succeed. He gave you the scripture, the experiences you need, and most of all, His guidance. If you obey Him, He will give you the reward of the Hereafter and many rewards of this life when you need them most.
The people you think are lucky are only lucky with things in this world that will not last. Those things are not golden tickets by any measure. They will not buy their holders entry into Heaven. They may even turn out bad for them on Earth. What happened to Qãroon (Pharaoh's slave driver) is a direct example of this in the Quran (28:79-82).
So stop wondering when you will have golden luck. You already have it, way more than most people you have met or will ever meet. You came out of your mother's womb holding the most powerful ticket to pass the test God created you for. The question is what you will do with this ticket. Will you use it to pass the test to get the grand prize God has reserved for you? How easy or hard it is to do that will depend on your approach to life. Focus on winning the grand prize of the Hereafter, and the smaller prizes of this world will follow.
76:20 Wherever you look, you will see bliss, and a wonderful dominion. 76:21 On them will be clothes of green velvet, satin, and silver ornaments. Their Lord will provide them with pure drinks. 76:22 This is the reward that awaits you, for your efforts have been appreciated.
[Luke 12:29-31] It is not for you to be in search of what you are to eat or drink. Stop worrying. The unbelievers of this world are always running after these things. Your Father knows that you need such things. Seek out instead His kingship over you, and the rest will follow in turn.
Kais
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory © 1971 Wolper Pictures / Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. Brief dialogue and song lyrics used under the Fair Use doctrine for non-commercial, illustrative purposes.
[Ed. note: in June's issue Rizwan talked about letting go of the ego. Now he goes into how it can totally be dissolved]
Worshiping God alone is what allows us to have our egos dissolved. During worship, the soul dwells in tranquility and fulfills the purpose it was designed for.
God says in 51:56: "I did not create the jinns and the humans except to worship Me alone."
One of the key words in this verse is alone — meaning that you make Him the most important factor in your life, and you judge yourself and everything around you according to the criterion He has revealed.
Whenever we deviate from that purpose, our hearts begin to feel lost, confused, and weighed down by pain or sin. One author gives a helpful example: a pen is designed to write. No matter how pretty or expensive it is, if it stops writing, it no longer fulfills its purpose. Humans would simply put it aside or throw it away. But God's patience and mercy are far greater — He gives us our entire lifetime to return, fulfill our purpose, and earn entry into Paradise.
In the great feud, the angels suggested that the rebels be exiled from God's kingdom, but the Most Merciful willed to give them a chance to repent and submit to His absolute authority. The vast majority of the rebels accepted God's gracious offer. They agreed to kill their egos and come to this world in a submissive role. In return, they are redeemed back to God's eternal kingdom.
22:18 Do you not realize that to God prostrates everything in the heavens and the earth — the sun, the moon, the stars, the mountains, the trees, the animals, as well as many people?
This is why we feel such a natural draw toward creatures with no ego. Even from a secular perspective, people recognize the value of diminishing the ego. They see that attachment to desires leads to unhappiness, and that peace comes when the ego is quiet.
"The horse has no ego. Its owner may be rich or poor, tall or short, young or old — the horse serves them all. The dog has no ego; it wags its tail regardless of its owner's status. The sun rises and sets precisely as God commands. The moon follows its orbit without deviation. Even the human body — a temporary garment — submits to God. Our hearts, lungs, kidneys, and organs perform their functions without our control." [Introduction to Quran The Final Testament]
The ego, however, is arrogance augmented by ignorance. Arrogance is an exaggerated sense of one's own importance — the same way humans once believed everything revolved around the earth, we sometimes believe everything revolves around us. Ignorance is simply a lack of accurate knowledge. God created this test so we could gain knowledge and correct our past decision.
We want to reach the state described in 6:162: "Say: My contact prayers, my worship practices, my life and my death are all devoted absolutely to God alone, the Lord of the universe."
Satan duped Adam and Eve and caused their eviction (2:36). We see in 7:22, he duped them with lies. To be "duped" means to be deceived into harming yourself. Satan told them God only forbade the tree to prevent them from becoming angels. Yet God sent them down with guidance and a promise: whoever follows His guidance will not go astray nor suffer misery (20:123).
God always provides a path back. We want to be present, conscious, aware. We don't want to be "duped" by our egos.
One writer compares the ego to darkness. You cannot push darkness out of a room. You simply bring in light. Likewise, you cannot "fight" the ego — you bring awareness of God, and the ego dissolves.
Signs that God is dissolving our ego include:
· We stop seeking validation from people.
· Criticism no longer wounds us.
· We feel gratitude even in hardship.
· Worship feels intimate, not mechanical.
· We prefer anonymity in good deeds.
God is always near and responsive (11:61).
34:50 Say, "If I go astray, I go astray because of my own shortcomings. And if I am guided, it is because of my Lord's inspiration. He is Hearer, Near."
In 6:59, He reminds us that not a leaf falls without His knowledge. When we try to control what belongs to God, we fall into arrogance. The planet is spinning, galaxies are functioning, the cosmos is stable — yet one negative thought can ruin our day. We live in a psychological space disconnected from reality.
God says in 6:43 that when tests afflict people, they should implore Him. In 30:30, He reminds us of the natural instinct of monotheism placed within us. When we seek love or validation from others, it never fills us. Some needs can only be fulfilled by God.
2:165...Those who believe love GOD the most…
There is no god but God. Worshiping God alone allows us to have our egos dissolved.
2:54 Recall that Moses said to his people, "O my people, you have wronged your souls by worshiping the calf. You must repent to your Creator. You shall kill your egos. This is better for you in the sight of your Creator." He did redeem you. He is the Redeemer, Most Merciful.
Rizwan
About this work
| Kind | Newsletter |
|---|---|
| Author | International Community of Submitters |
| Publisher | International Community of Submitters / Masjid Tucson |
| Published | August 2026 |
| Collection | Newsletters |
Identifiers
| Address | https://wikisubmission.org/library/work/submitters-perspective-august-2026-2fbd37bcef0c8f42 |
|---|---|
| ID | 01a1bd7f-7cb8-7230-b67d-3c03b57a25ec |