By Maheen Ali
We are living in an age of hustle, competition, and chaos. Adults stuck in a cycle of 9 to 5 jobs, youngsters struggling to balance sleep and study while trying to build a perfect future, and housewives running to complete their household chores. Everyone seems to be a part of a race that no one knows will reach its end or not. There is constant anxiety and fear of not completing our tasks on time. We are trying to fulfill our temporal dreams and goals while forgetting about our spiritual and religious goals. While rushing to perform our tasks, we fail to lend a helping hand to someone desperate or forget about the little good deeds that could save us in the end. This materialistic struggle and obsession over worldly affairs are destroying the better part of humanity’s religion.
Surely, our youth, health, wealth, and free time are blessings from Allah Almighty but we will be asked to account for how we spent them in life. Human life is a gift from Allah and soon He will take it back, hence, it ought to be used according to His desire and requirement. Forgetting about our ultimate end is the basic and biggest mistake of our generation. As Muslims, we believe in the Day of Judgment along with the destination of heaven and hell, but we fail to remember it in our daily lives. Lost in worldly pleasures, striving to achieve our sublunary dreams, we forget that we have to ultimately leave this world and everything in it behind. Seeing a funeral or passing by a graveyard may get us back on track but that is also lost after some days. Today, we are above the soil, surviving and thriving; soon another day, below it. Allah Almighty mentions this reality of human life in the Holy Quran as follows,
“Know that this worldly life is no more than play, amusement, luxury, mutual boasting, and competition in wealth and children. This is like rain that causes plants to grow, to the delight of the planters. But later the plants dry up and you see them wither, then they are reduced to chaff. And in the Hereafter there will be either severe punishment or forgiveness and pleasure of Allah, whereas the life of this world is no more than the delusion of enjoyment.”
(Surah Al-Hadid, 57:20).
Worldly life is a test and trial for us. It is a temporary transitioning phase between birth and death.
On the authority of Ibn Umar (R.A.), who said: The Messenger of Allah (S.A.W.) took me by the shoulder and said:
“Be in this world as if you were a stranger or a traveler.”
Ibn Umar used to say: “If you survive till the evening, do not expect to be alive in the morning, and if you survive till the morning, do not expect to be alive in the evening, and take from your health for your sickness, and (take) from your life for your death.” (Bukhari: 6416)
Globalization and interaction with other cultures seem to influence the minds of young Muslims negatively. Modernity, liberalism, ideologies of atheists, polytheists, and beliefs of followers of Satanism seem to be transferred through the influence of western celebrities, industries, and social media influencers. Subjectively, our faiths and ideologies may not be as strong as our ancestors. Today, when the distractions and fancies of this world are much more effective,our daily prayers, recitation of the Quran, the Sunnah of the Prophet PBUH, and good company are constant reminders for us to live this life but to keep our heart devoted to Allah and the Hereafter.
“The enjoyment of ‘worldly’ desires; women, children, treasures of gold and silver, fine horses, cattle, and fertile land- has been made appealing to people. These are the pleasures of this worldly life, but with Allah is the finest destination.”
(Surah Ali’ Imran, 3: 14)
Islam is a religion of moderation, stability, and temperance. Moderate in matters regarding happiness and sadness, courage and frailty, anger and patience, worldly and religious dealings. Its teachings are what is best for human beings in this life and the next. Conclusively, no one can hold our hand and force us into good or bad deeds, it is up to us to save ourselves from the worst outcome.
References:
- 40th Hadith (Bukhari: 6416)
https://sunnah.com/bukhari:6416
- Surah Al-Hadid (57:20)
https://quran.com/57/1-29
- (Surah Ali’ Imran (3: 14)
https://www.quran.com/3
