LOVE OF THIS WORLD: Don't Sell Your Hereafter For Petty Gains!

Don’t Sell Your Hereafter

For Material Gains!

The Only Hurdle Between

You And Paradise

Is the Love of This World

(M. Javed Naseem)

أُولَـٰئِكَ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱشْتَرَوُاْ ٱلْحَيَاةَ ٱلدُّنْيَا بِٱلآخِرَةِ

فَلاَ يُخَفَّفُ عَنْهُمُ ٱلْعَذَابُ وَلاَ هُمْ يُنصَرُونَ

“These are the people who buy the life

of this world at the price of the Hereafter.

Their penalty shall not be lightened,

nor shall they be helped.”

(al-Quran 2:86)

The race is on – a very vicious race for the worldly possessions. We are trying to accumulate as much of material things (including money) as possible – and as quickly as possible too – by all means (Halal or Haraam). In the process we don’t care about how much misery, pain, trouble and discomfort we bring to others – as long as it is not happening to us. And on top of it, every one of us is complaining about the corruption and injustice in the world, as if only others are responsible for that.

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We don’t practice caring and sharing any more!

We have embraced materialism and abandoned

humanity. We have replaced compassion with

selfishness. The main reason for corruption and

injustice in the world is our ‘love of this world’.

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There is a very beautiful small chapter (Surah) in the Quran and it is called at-Takathur (or al-Takassur). It has only 8 short verses. In the very first verse Allah wakes you up and shakes you up by saying:

“The mutual rivalry for piling up (the good things

of this world) diverts you (from the more serious

things), until you visit the graves…”

Allah-o-Akbar! How clear a warning! The race for the material world has diverted our attention, our focus and our efforts from the real goal – to achieve Paradise by pleasing the Lord Almighty. We are wasting our talents and energies on superficial things and then we complain that we have no peace of mind. We have only stress, tension and depression. We survive on drugs and medication. And most of us keep doing that till we hit the grave.

We should not forget that we are part of the Creation and there is the Supreme Creator above Who is running the show. If the creation is disconnected from its creator, it dies. Simple as that! You cannot separate the unit from the sum. We cannot survive if we are disconnected from our Creator, especially when the Creator has warned us: “Remember Me, I’ll remember you!”

It looks like that despite all the knowledge, guidance and information easily available to us, we still don’t understand our purpose of life. This world is a temporary phase of our short journey. We are in transit. Our destination is Paradise in the Hereafter. We are given an opportunity here to work on our objective. Time is short and art is long! But most of us don’t seem to realize it.

وَمَا ٱلْحَيَاةُ ٱلدُّنْيَآ إِلاَّ لَعِبٌ وَلَهْوٌ وَلَلدَّارُ

ٱلآخِرَةُ خَيْرٌ لِّلَّذِينَ يَتَّقُونَ أَفَلاَ تَعْقِلُونَ

“What is the life of this world but play and

amusement? But best is the home in the

Hereafter, for those who are righteous.

Will you not then understand?”

(al-Quran 6:32)

That’s a good reminder, but for those who understand! Most of us are slaves of our own desires and temptations. We are chasing the pleasures of this world and have forgotten  that one day we would be buried under tons of dust. That day can come any time! And what is worse than answering questions about this life on the Day of Resurrection?. Now, let’s get back to the main message of Surah At-Takathur.

Surah At-Takathur (Al-Takassur)

سورة التكاثر

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

أَلْهَاكُمُ ٱلتَّكَّاثُرُ حَتَّىٰ زُرْتُمُ ٱلْمَقَابِرَ كَلاَّ سَوْفَ تَعْلَمُونَ

ثُمَّ كَلاَّ سَوْفَ تَعْلَمُونَ كَلاَّ لَوْ تَعْلَمُونَ عِلْمَ ٱلْيَقِين

لَتَرَوُنَّ ٱلْجَحِيمَ ثُمَّ لَتَرَوُنَّهَا عَيْنَ ٱلْيَقِينِ

ثُمَّ لَتُسْأَلُنَّ يَوْمَئِذٍ عَنِ ٱلنَّعِيمِ
“The mutual rivalry for piling up (the good things

of this world) diverts you (from the more serious

things), until you visit the graves. But nay, you

soon shall know (the reality). Again, you soon

shall know! Nay, were you to know with certainty

of mind, (you would beware!) You shall certainly

see Hellfire! Again, you shall see it with certainty

of sight! Then, shall you be questioned

that Day about the joy (you indulged in!).”

(al-Quran 102:1-8)

Similar message was delivered to every nation belonging to every Prophet of God in the old. But only a few paid heed. Most of them went astray.

Jesus (pbuh) Says:

James 4:4

“You adulterous people! Don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.”

1 John 2:17)

“The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.”

Titus 2:11-12

“For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age.”

1 John 3:1

“See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called ‘children of God’! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know Him.”

Mark 8:36

“What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?”

John 16:33

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

1 Timothy 6:7-8

“For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.”

Romans 12:2

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

1 John 2:15

“Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them.”

1 Corinthians 3:18

“Do not deceive yourselves. If any of you think you are wise by the standards of this age, you should become “fools” so that you may become wise.”

James 1:27

“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: To look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”

1 John 2:16

“For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life -- comes not from the Father but from the world.”

Muhammad (s.a.w.) Says:

Hadith No.1 (Simple Living)

(Note: This is an excerpt from a long narration.)

Narrated Ibn Abbas: “For the whole year I had the desire to ask Umar bin Al-Khattab regarding the explanation of a verse (in Surah Al-Tahrim) but I could not ask him because … Allah's Apostle smiled while he was lying on a mat made of palm-tree leaves with nothing between him and the mat. Underneath his head there was a leather pillow stuffed with palm fibers, and leaves of a saut tree were piled at his feet, and above his head hung a few water skins. On seeing the marks of the mat imprinted on his side, I wept. He said.' 'Why are you weeping?' I replied, "O Allah's Apostle! Caesar and Khosrau are leading the life (i.e. luxurious life) while you, being Allah's Apostle, are living as a destitute". The Prophet (s.a.w.) replied. 'Won't you be satisfied that they enjoy this world and we the Hereafter?'” -- (Bukhari, Book 60, No. 435).

Hadith No.2 (Desires & Temptation)

Narrated Abu Huraira: “I heard Allah's Apostle saying, “the heart of an old man remains young in two respects, i.e., his love for the world (its wealth, desires, amusements and luxuries) and his incessant hope." -- (Bukhari, Book 76, No. 429).

Hadith No.3 (Greed & Race For Materialism)

Narrated Sahl bin Saad: “I heard Ibn Zubair who was on the pulpit at Mecca, delivering a sermon, saying: O men! The Prophet used to say, ‘If the son of Adam were given a valley full of gold, he would love to have a second one; and if he were given the second one, he would love to have a third, for nothing fills the belly of Adam's son except dust. And Allah forgives he who repents to Him." Ubai said, "We considered this as a saying from the Quran till the Sura (beginning with) ' the mutual rivalry for piling up of worldly things diverts you..' (al-Takassur or Takathur) was revealed." -- (Bukhari, Book 76, No. 446).

And Allah Says:

فَإِذَا قَضَيْتُمْ مَّنَاسِكَكُمْ فَٱذْكُرُواْ ٱللَّهَ كَذِكْرِكُمْ آبَآءَكُمْ أَوْ أَشَدَّ ذِكْراً

فَمِنَ ٱلنَّاسِ مَن يَقُولُ رَبَّنَآ آتِنَا فِى ٱلدُّنْيَا وَمَا لَهُ فِى ٱلآخِرَةِ مِنْ خَلاَقٍ

وِمِنْهُمْ مَّن يَقُولُ رَبَّنَآ آتِنَا فِى ٱلدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً

وَفِى ٱلآخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَقِنَا عَذَابَ ٱلنَّارِ

“So when you have accomplished your holy

rites, celebrate the praises of Allah, as you

used to celebrate the praises of your fathers,

with far more heart and soul. There are men

who say: "Our Lord! Give us (your bounties)

in this world!" but they will have no portion

in the Hereafter. And there are men who say:

"Our Lord! Give us good in this world and

good in the Hereafter, and protect us from

the torment of the Hellfire!"

(al-Quran 2:200-201)

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