The life of this World

 The life of this World 

What would you think of someone who goes for umra on a 1 week trip. He goes there, buys a car, clothes, house, grocery, …..  He even takes dollars with him and doesn’t exchange them into local currency!  We would think that something is wrong with that person. Right?

This is what most of us do: we get so busy in this life and lose focus on the reality of this life. We forget the ever lasting life of the hereafter. We prepare so much for this short life yet we forget to prepare for the everlasting hereafter which is unimaginably superior.

If someone had to offer you 1 million dollars if you read every Salah in the masjid for the next year, would you do it?. Yes most definitely. But Allah Ta'ala is offering us so much more in the hereafter yet we dont follow his commands. The space the size of a whip in Jannah is worth more than this world and whatever it contains. 

Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Verily, the small space of a whip in Paradise is better than the entire world and everything in it. Recite the verse if you wish: Whoever is delivered from Hellfire and admitted into Paradise has won. What is the life of this world but the enjoyment of delusion?” (3:185)

Source: Sunan al-Tirmidhī 3013

Prophet, sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam, one day was passing through the market and he passed by a dead goat, which had its ears cut. He held the goat by the ear and asked who would like to have it for one derham (which was a very low price of currency at that time). The people said they wouldn’t take it even if it was free. What could they do with it? He, sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam, asked if they liked it if it was theirs. They said even if it was alive they would still not buy it because of its cut ears. So how could they buy it now especially since it was dead. The Prophet, sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam, said: “ *This worldly life is so little in the sight of Allah as this dead animal or goat is so little in your sight* ” [Muslim]

A man came to the Prophet, sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam, and said: “O Messenger of Allah, direct me to an act which if I do it, [will cause] Allah to love me and people to love me.” He, sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam, answered: “ *Be indifferent to the world and Allah will love you; be indifferent to what people possess and they will love you.”* [Ibn Majah]

The Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam, said, “ *This world (i.e., its pleasures and duration) in comparison with the Hereafter is (similar to the amount of water) one gets when he puts his finger in the sea. Let him then see what it returns with”.* [Muslim].

Abdullah bin Masud (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah,sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam, slept on a straw mat and got up with the marks left by it on his body. Ibn Masud (May Allah be pleased with him) said, “O Messenger of Allah! Would that you make us spread out a soft bedding for you.” He replied, “ *What have I to do with the world? I am like a rider who had sat under a tree for its shade, then went away and left it* .” [Tirmidhi]

It is reported that Al-Hasan Al-Basri often used to say, “ _O youth! Seek the hereafter, for we often see people pursuing the hereafter and finding it as well as the dunya (worldly wellbeing), but we have never seen anyone pursue the dunya and gain the hereafter as well as the dunya.”_ Al-Bayhaqi, [Al-Zuhd Al-Kabîr, article 12]

Umar (RadiaAllahu Anhu) passed by a garbage dump and stopped there, and it was as if his companions were bothered by it (the smell). He said, ‘ *This is this world of yours which you are so eager for and you weep over. ”* [Umar Ibn Al-Khattab – His Life & Times]

Allah Subhanallah says in the Quran about the life of this World:

" *Brief is the enjoyment of this world whereas the life to come is best for all who are muttaqun or conscious of Allah."* [4:77]

 *"And they rejoice in the worldly life, while the worldly life is not, compared to the Hereafter, except [brief] enjoyment* ".[13:26]

" *But may you prefer the life of this world although the life to come is better and more enduring".* [87: 16-17]

" *And this life of the world is only amusement and play! Verily, the home of the Hereafter is the real life if they but knew"* [29:64]

This doesn’t mean that we go to the other extreme, denounce everything of this world, live miserly and in isolation. The point is that we shouldn’t lose focus and should spend most of our energy and time preparing for the hereafter.