LIFE OF THIS WORLD IS AN ILLUSION

‘Life Of This World Is But

Comfort of Illusion’: al-Quran

Don’t Chase The Illusion!

(M. Javed Naseem)

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Give away whatever you want for

yourself! Give love, compassion,

mercy and respect so that in return

you are treated with love, compassion

mercy and respect! It’s tit for tat!

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Our life is simply a reflection of our actions. If you want more love in the world, create more love in your heart and give more love. If you want more competence in your team, improve your own competence first. If you want respect, first learn to respect others. This equation applies to everything, in all aspects of life. The Almighty says in the Holy Quran:

هَلْ جَزَآءُ ٱلإِحْسَانِ إِلاَّ ٱلإِحْسَانُ

“Is there any reward for good,

other than good?”

(al-Quran 55:60)

Life will give you back everything you give to it. Make sure you give it your best so that you may receive the best. It all comes back to you, sooner or later. Have no doubt about it in your mind!

The Bible says:

Matthew 25:46

“These people will go away into eternal punishment,

but the righteous will go into eternal life.”

Concentrate your efforts on good deeds, sharing love and compassion, helping others, etc. This would not only please other human beings but would also be more pleasing to Allah. Then you’ll enjoy the benefits or rewards of your good actions.

وَأَن لَّيْسَ لِلإِنسَانِ إِلاَّ مَا سَعَىٰ

“That man can have nothing

but what he strives for.”

(al-Quran 53:39)

وَٱلَّذِينَ جَاهَدُواْ فِينَا لَنَهْدِيَنَّهُمْ سُبُلَنَا

وَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَمَعَ ٱلْمُحْسِنِينَ

“And those who strive in Our (cause), We

will certainly guide them to our paths; for

verily, Allah is with those who do right.”

(al-Quran 29:69)

Your life is not a coincidence. It’s a reflection of you. So, be a good role-model; be a light to others; be a God-fearing Muslim so that others can learn from you.

The Bible says:

1-Timothy 4:8

“For physical training is of some value, but

godliness has value for all things, holding promise

for both the present life and the life to come.”

Our life in this world is temporary. The world looks very beautiful and full of temptation. But Allah tells the believers that this is just a comfort of illusion. The real life is in the Hereafter. That life is for ever and that is the one we should be chasing and striving for. All the wise people, and those who are closer to God, they reject this world’s temptations. They ignore its charms because they know that it is not lasting, and it’s also a trap.

Actually, this is the real test for a man – a believer. If you fall in love with the world, you move away from God. And if you fall in love with God, you stay away from worldly pleasures. But at the same time Allah takes care of your worldly needs and bestows His bounties on you.

Prophet Jesus Christ (Isa ibn Mariam, a.s.) said that the love for the Hereafter and the love of this world cannot live together in the same heart. They are like fire and water. If you chase your worldly desires, you will become a slave to the world.

Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) said that a person whose sole purpose of life is running after the world (material gains), he has nothing to do with Allah. Allah gives the seeker of the world, four things and he is always occupied with them till death comes to him. These four things are:

1. The worry that never ends – he is always worried about his   wealth, seeking ways and means to accumulate it; and multiply it.

2. An occupation from which he will never get free. In other words, he is so busy in amassing wealth that he has no time for any good deed of charity, helping others, or even thanking God for all the bounties he is enjoying.

3. A poverty that will never make him content/satisfied (the more he has, the more he wants; money is never enough. He remains poor at heart and does not want to share his wealth even with the needy because he thinks that by giving away money, he would become poor).

4. Long list of desires and high hopes that can never be fulfilled. (Again this refers to his struggle for the worldly, material gains and never-ending ambitions.)

It is narrated that once Prophet Mohammad (s.a.w.), was talking to his companions and said:

“On the Day of Judgment, some people will bring large amount of good deeds like the mountains of Arabia but they will be thrown into Hell.”

Somebody asked whether these people used to pray (Salaat). The Prophet (s.a.w.), replied: “Yes, they used to pray; used to fast, even wake up at night for Tahajjud prayer. But they would be those who jumped at the temptation of the world (wealth, fame, status, show-off, honor, material things, etc.) and never even cared what was Halal and Haram.”

That is what the charm of the world, the temptation, the greed, the wealth and the lust can do to you. That is the recipe for Hellfire.

Give the world your good deeds, your compassion, your piety (Taqwah) and try not to take anything (more than your basic needs) from it! Stay away from greed – greed for anything! Always remember death and the grave; and fear Allah! Spend the day, as if it was your last day, glorifying God and pleasing Him with your kind actions. One day you’ll be standing in front of Him, answering questions.

وَلَـأَجْرُ ٱلآخِرَةِ خَيْرٌ لِّلَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ وَكَانُواْ يَتَّقُونَ

“But verily the reward of the Hereafter

is the best, for those who believe, and

are constant in righteousness.”

(al-Quran 12:57)

ٱلَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ وَكَانُواْ يَتَّقُونَ

لَهُمُ ٱلْبُشْرَىٰ فِى ٱلْحَياةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا وَفِى ٱلآخِرَةِ

لاَ تَبْدِيلَ لِكَلِمَاتِ ٱللَّهِ ذٰلِكَ هُوَ ٱلْفَوْزُ ٱلْعَظِيمُ

“Those who believe and (constantly)

guard against evil, for them are glad

tidings, in the life of the present and

in the Hereafter; no change can there

be in the words of Allah. This is

indeed the supreme triumph.”

(al-Quran 10:63-64)

The life of this world is nothing but a puppet show. We should enjoy its temporary glitter and pomp but must not lose sight of our real goal – the Hereafter.  We, as believers of the Hereafter; should think differently from the non-believers.  The non-believer do not, and cannot, see beyond this world and its pleasures. Allah has a stern warning for them:

مَتَاعٌ فِى ٱلدُّنْيَا ثُمَّ إِلَيْنَا مَرْجِعُهُمْ ثُمَّ نُذِيقُهُمُ

ٱلْعَذَابَ ٱلشَّدِيدَ بِمَا كَانُواْ يَكْفُرُونَ

“The world’s portion will be theirs,

then unto Us is their return. Then We

make them taste a dreadful doom

because they used to disbelieve.”

(al-Quran 10:70)

We have to make the choice here – this world or the Hereafter. If we strive for the Hereafter, we’ll be rewarded by the Almighty.  Treat your fellow humans with compassion and mercy so that, in return, Allah will have His mercy and compassion on you! Thus you’ll get the best of the both worlds.

But there is no gain without pain.  We’ll have to go through the trials, hardships and all kinds of adversaries. There is definitely no escape from it. That’s the promised test for the true believers. The Almighty says:

أَحَسِبَ ٱلنَّاسُ أَن يُتْرَكُوۤاْ أَن يَقُولُوۤاْ آمَنَّا وَهُمْ لاَ يُفْتَنُونَ

وَلَقَدْ فَتَنَّا ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ فَلَيَعْلَمَنَّ ٱللَّهُ

ٱلَّذِينَ صَدَقُواْ وَلَيَعْلَمَنَّ ٱلْكَاذِبِينَ

“Do men imagine that they will be left

(at ease) because they say ‘we believe’,

and will not be tested with affliction?

Lo, We tested those who were before them.

Thus Allah knows those who are sincere,

and knows those who feign.”

(al-Quran 29:2-3)

Your simple declaration of “yes, I believe” is not enough unless supported by actions. You’ll have to prove your faith through tests and trials. Are you ready to take the test?

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