Shopping Wisely

 *Shopping Wisely*

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بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

We live as if this world, with its few moments 70-130years, is our permanent address. But Allah (SWT) reminds us in the Quran:

"And this worldly life is not but diversion and amusement. And indeed, the home of the Hereafter is the true life, if only they knew." (Quran 29:64)

What if we truly knew? What if we could grasp the sheer scale of what awaits us?

My People,

We plan for retirement, perhaps 20 or 30 years. We think about our children's future, maybe 70 years ahead. But have we ever planned for a residence that will last thousands of decades?

Consider this: The period between our death and the Day of Judgment is not a brief nap. It is a long, long life in a realm called the Barzakh (the Barrier). Scholars have indicated based on hadith that this period is immensely long. Think of it not in years, but in millennia.

*This is the core of the matter:*

Every single action we perform is not just a line in a ledger; it is a seed we are planting. And on the Day of Judgment, it will be a fully grown tree that we must face.

But what about in the grave?

That haram music, that forbidden programmes on TVs and phones, that gossip, that backbiting, that illicit glance, kisses, romance etc—these are not just "minor sins." Yes. You are not just killing time. You are painting the walls of your grave with images of terror and regret.

Furthermore,

With every good deed— especially every temptation resisted for the sake of Allah—you are planting a flower, spreading a fragrance of musk, and building a palace of light and beautiful companions.

This reminds me,

"A graveyard caretaker was once asked: *"Have you ever, during your so many days in a graveyard, observed any astonishing thing?"* He said: *"Yes"*. Only the other day people brought here a body, buried it and went away. After a while, a very foul smell spread the like of which I had never known. Then all of a sudden I saw a terribly horrifying form of a black dog-like animal. The foul smell was emanating from its body. That fearsome form then came nearer and disappeared inside the aforesaid new grave and came out of the said grave after a long time. Then, after a little while, a very sweet and pleasing fragrance began to spread around the like of which also I had never felt in my life. In the mean time, I observed a very handsome form which also approached the aforesaid grave and disappeared inside the aforesaid grave. Anyway, after a few moments, that beautiful shape (form) emerged out of that grave but in a wounded and blood stained condition. I exclaimed: My Lord! Explain to me what is this all that I am observing? Who are these two kinds of forms? Then, that faithful day, (In the state of dreaming) I was informed that the good looking form was that of the good deeds done by the dead person. So also, the ugly form also was of his evil deeds. As the number of bad deeds done by the buried person was bigger than that of his good deeds, the latter (that's - bad deeds) remained with him as his companion in the grave".

My People,

The door to this workshop—Dunya—is closing. The time to invest is now. The currency is your deeds. So act wisely by shopping wisely.

When you are lying in your grave, alone with your actions, you will not care about your car or expensive dresses, the money and assets you left for your family. You will only care about the companion standing before you.