| Daily Reflections - Ad Dunya Sijnul Mu'min |
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Narrated 'Uqba bin 'Amir: The Prophet went out and offered the funeral prayer for the martyrs of the (battle of) Uhud and then ascended the pulpit and said, "I am your predecessor and I am a witness against you. By Allah, I am now looking at my Tank-lake (Al-Kauthar) and I have been given the keys of the treasures of the earth (or the keys of the earth). By Allah! I am not afraid that after me you will worship others besides Allah, but I am afraid that you will start competing for (the pleasures of) this world." (Bukhari) Everyone knows that this life is only temporary. We all heard of the saying "Life is too short." As muslims, we know what awaits us on the other side once we part from this world, the terrible questioning in the grave, the horrors of the Day of Qiyamaah which is the equilavent to 50,000 years in this world, the crossing of As-Sirat etc. Yet many of us have busied themselves with this dunya and discarded their religion or have made it to be a secondary importance. We have followed our whims and desires for this dunya. We have forgotten that we will be brought to account by Allah Azza wa Jal. Allah (SWT) warns us about the deception of this life: "Know that the life of this world is only play and amusement, pomp and mutual boasting among you, and rivalry in respect of wealth and children, as the likeness of vegetation after rain, thereof the growth is pleasing to the tiller; afterwards it dries up and you see it turning yellow; then it becomes straw. But in the Hereafter (there is) a severe torment, and (there is) Forgiveness from God and (His) Good Pleasure, whereas the life of this world is only a deceiving enjoyment." (Hadid: Verse 20) Allah Azza wa Jal also says: "Fair in the eyes of men is the love of things they covet: Women and sons; Heaped-up hoards of gold and silver; horses branded (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 God is the best of the goals (to return to). [Imran: 14] Allah Azza wa Jal tells us that all of this will fade away. All that we desire will be an anguish for us save for those of us that spent or used their possesions in the sake of Allah (SWT). Day and night we strive for this dunya to perfection but in the matters of the religion we become careless. "Amazing, truly amazing! A person who believes in the Abode of Eternity yet rushes after the Abode of Deception!" [ibn Abî ad-Dunyâ as a mursal report.] "Do you think this sheep to be worthless in the sight of its owner?" They replied, 'It is because it is worthless that he discarded it.' He (SAW) said, "By the One in whose hand is my soul, this world is more worthless in the sight of Allâh than this sheep to its owner. If this world were worth even the wing of a mosquito with Allâh he would not have given the disbeliever a sip of water to drink." [Muslim, Tirmidhî, ibn Mâjah] People dream of having a long and fruitful life and consider living upto 60-70 years as being satisfactory. But once death approaches, the person even if they lived upto 100 years will see this life as being short. Allah (SWT) will ask on the Day of Judgement: "He will say: 'What number of years did you stay on earth?' They will reply: 'We stayed a day or part of a day: but ask those who keep account.' He will say: 'You stayed but a little - if you had only known! Did you think that We had created you in jest, and that you would never be brought back to Us?' " [23 - 112-115] The father of the world says: 'If you knew what I knew you would walk out to the open plains, you would supplicate fervently, you would cry over your selves, you would leave your property with none to guard it, and would return to it only to take that which you need. You would hate the world more than an animal that does not leave any harmful pest alive lest it harm it. However the remembrance of the Hereafter has vacated your hearts leaving behind it hope and desire in this world such that it takes control of your deeds and you become like those who have no knowledge. What is wrong with you: you do not love one another and advise one another yet you are brothers in the religion of Allâh? Your desires have become disparate and fractured because of the evil of what is inside you for were you to have united upon righteousness; you would have loved one another. What is wrong with you: you advise one another concerning matters of this world but do not advise one another concerning the Hereafter? The reason for this is lack of faith for were you to have certainty in the good and evil of the Hereafter as you do of this world; you would have given preference to the Hereafter. If you were to argue that the desire for a quick return naturally takes precedence we would reply: even in this world we see you leaving a quick profit for a profit that will come later on, enduring hardship and striving to ensure that you acquire it. What an evil people you are, little is it that you have actualised of faith! If you are in any doubt in what Muĥammad (SAW) has come with, come to us and we shall explain it to you and show you the light such that your hearts will find rest and satisfaction. You are not defective in intellect such that we could find an excuse for you: you are able to determine the best course to acquire this world and enact your decisions with judiciousness. What is wrong with you: you become overjoyed at acquiring a small amount of this world, you become dejected at losing a paltry portion of this world so much so that it shows on your faces and tongues: you call it a calamity and you hold it to be a great crime! However, most of you have abandoned much of their religion but this does not show on your faces and you do not try to change your conditions! I believe Allâh to have absolved Himself of you. I have desired that Allâh, Exalted is He, relieve me of you and join me with those I love to see; but were such a person alive, he would not be able to bear you… if there is any good in you, then I have informed you of the truth. If you seek what is with Allâh you will find it easy, it is to Allâh I turn for aid for myself and you.' And lastly our beloved Prophet (SAW) tells us: "The world is a prison for the believers and a paradise for the disbelievers." [Muslim] And our Lord the Most Merciful promises us in the Hereafter: Say: Shall I give you glad tidings of things Far better than those? For the righteous are Gardens in nearness to their Lord, with rivers flowing beneath; therein is their eternal home; with companions pure (and holy); and the good pleasure of Allah. For in Allah's sight are (all) His servants, (Imran: 15) Wassalatu wa salaamu 3ala nibiyuna Muhammad, Subhana Rabbika Rabbil 3izzati 3ama yasifuun, wassalamun 3alal mursaliin wal 7amduLilahi Rabbil 'Alamiin.
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