The Life of This World - Temporary Vanities

The All-Mighty Allah has made the life of this world temporary and passing enjoyment, whereas He made the Hereafter an abode of recompense and reward. The life of this world was encircled with pleasures, the All-Mighty Allah says:

“Beautified for men is the love of things they covet; women, children, much of gold and silver [wealth], branded beautiful horses, cattle and well-tilled land. This is the pleasure of the present world's life; but Allah has the excellent return [Paradise with flowing rivers] with Him.” (Qur'an, Surah Al-‘Imran, 3:14)

In this Qur'anic Verse the All-Mighty Allah states that the beauties and pleasures of the life of this world are: women, the greatest of life's pleasures and the most important of its trials; the children who are the perfection of man's pride and honour; wealth and properties, horses, used by men in their travels and in their fights; and land which produces their food (i.e. vegetable, fruits ---etc.)

Then the All-Mighty Allah adds that all these pleasures are passing and that in the Hereafter there are better and more lasting pleasures, He says:

“Say: "Shall I inform you of things far better than those? For Al- Muttaqun [the pious] there are Gardens [Paradise] with their Rabb, underneath which rivers flow. Therein [is their] eternal [home] and Azwajun Mutahhratun [purified mates or wives]. And Allah will be pleased with them. And Allah is All-Seer of [His] slaves.” (Qur'an, Surah Al-‘Imran, 3:15)

Then Allah states that category of men for whom these eternal pleasures are reserved, He says:

“Those who say: "Our Rabb! We have indeed believed, so forgive us our sins and save us from the punishment of the Fire." [They are] those who are patient, those who are true [in Faith, words, and deeds], and obedient with sincere devotion in worship to Allah. Those who spend [give the Zakat and alms in the Way of Allah] and those who pray and beg Allah's Pardon in the last hours of the night.” (Qur'an, Surah Al-‘Imran, 3: 16, 17)

`Umar Ibn Al-Khattab (radiyallahu anhu) wrote to Abu Musa: "You will never obtain the reward in the Hereafter by a means that is better than abandoning the pleasures of the life of this world."

Abu Hazim said: "If a man enters Paradise only by abandoning all that he loves of this life, that would have been a low price, however, he can enter Paradise by abandoning only a thousandth of what he loves of the life of this world."

Al-Fudayl Ibn `Ayyad said: "Man's fear of Allah is equal to his knowledge of Him and his renunciation of worldly pleasures is equal to his desire in the Hereafter."

Al-Hasan said: "The people who will have the easiest reckoning on the Day of Resurrection are those who have done the reckoning of themselves in the life of this world, who have considered well their deeds and intentions, completed what is for Allah's sake and abstained from what is not. And the reckoning will be heavy for those who jeopardise their religious duties in the life of this world and make no reckoning of themselves, because they will discover that the All-Mighty Allah has recorded even the weight of an atom of their deeds, the All-Mighty Allah says:

“...They will say: "Woe to us! What sort of Book is this that leaves neither a small thing nor a big thing, but has recorded it with numbers!" And they will find all that they did, placed before them, and your Rabb treats no one with injustice.” (Qur'an, Surah Al-Kahf, 18:49)

Whoever contemplates the farm of the life of this world and the time of harvest, sees that it is a serious matter and not an amusement. What a man forwards today will find tomorrow, on a Day when every nursing mother will forget her suckling, and every pregnant one will drop her load.

Salman Ibn Dinar said: "What you love to have with you in the Hereafter you should advance today, and what you hate to have with you, you should abandon today."

Yahya Ibn Mu'adh said: "Night is so long therefore don't shorten it with sleep, and day is so pure therefore don't soil it with your sins."

Shumail Ibn `Ajlan said: "Whoever considers death before his eyes, does not bother whether he lives in luxury or in hardship."

A poet said: "O you unmindful man! Whereas time is a lesson for you, if you are asleep, remember that time is awake."

Muhammad Ibn Sugah said: "There are two deeds if we are tormented only for them then we will be deserving that torment: a man receives a worldly benefit and becomes so happy and Allah knows that the man has never expressed such happiness for performing an obedience or attaining a religious benefit; and a man loses a worldly benefit and becomes so sorry for that, however Allah knows that he has never expressed such sorrow for committing an evil deed or missing a religious duty."

Muhammad Ibn Wasi` said: "Is it not astonishing to see someone weeping in Paradise?" The people answered: "Yes" He added: "It is more astonishing to see someone laughing in the life of this world whereas he doesn't know his destiny."

A poet said: "Take your provisions from this life because you don't know when night comes whether you will live till dawn or not. How many young men that was laughing during the day whereas his shroud was being prepared and he knew nothing about it. How many young child whose parents hoped to see an old man but was already sent to the graves. And how many a brides that was beautified for their bride-grooms, but death took them both on the night of their wedding."

The life of this world is a home of wishes and pride, so you should beware of it. Its wishes are untrue, its hopes are false and its felicity is vexation, so you are in a danger. The life of this world is either a passing bounty, a coming affliction, a painful disaster or an inevitable death.

Abu Hurairah (radiyallahu anhu) said: "You are not true to yourselves: you hope for things that you don't attain, you collect wealth that you don't spend and you build houses where you will not live."

A poet said: "Don't seek anything other than contentment, because therein is the bliss and the comfort of your body. Then consider the case of a person who possesses the whole world, can he take with him in the grave more than cotton and a shroud?"

Abu Muhriz At-Tafawi said: While I was a young man I complained about distress to a slave-woman who said: "O my son! Seek help in the honour of satisfaction and not in the humiliation of pursuits. I see in many cases that few are safe." He added: "I still benefit from that advice as regards satisfaction."

Shu'aib Ibn Harb said: "Whoever seeks the life of this world should prepare himself for humiliation."

And whoever prepares for humiliation sets free his desires, legal and illegal becomes equal for him, he earns for material benefits and worldly pleasures."