يَعْلَمُونَ ظَـٰهِرًۭا مِّنَ ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا وَهُمْ عَنِ ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ هُمْ غَـٰفِلُونَ
“They only know the worldly affairs of this life, but are oblivious to the Hereafter”.(Qur’an 30 : 7)
This worldly life is no more than play and amusement, but far better is the ˹eternal˺ Home of the Hereafter for those mindful ˹of Allah˺. Will you not then understand? [Qur’an 6: 32].
“…The life of this world is nothing but an illusion.” [al-Hadeed – 57:20]
Allah reminds us that this worldly life is nothing but a fleeting illusion, a mere play and amusement. The eternal Home of the Hereafter is far better for those who are mindful of Allah, and it is our ultimate goal.
Allah uses the metaphor of “mataaul gurur'” or illusion, play, and amusement, to describe life in the Quran. It is a short period, and Muslims are constantly reminded to prepare for the next life while we are in this world.
The word “Dunya” is usually understood to mean “worldly life,” but it means “closer./near/low” It is used to refer to this life because it is closer to us compared to the Hereafter. Sometimes, the worldly life is also referred to as “hayyatud Dunya” (life of the world).
The Prophet (pbuh) said, “Mali wali dunya” or “What do I have to do with this world? My relationship with this world is like that of a traveller who seeks shade under a tree, then moves on.” This means that the Dunya, like shade, is only temporary. (Bukhari)
It is common to see people excessively indulging in the delusion of enjoyment that this world holds, such as spending hours on social media or entertainment. Muslims should not be carried away from the remembrance of Allah by these temporal things and fear their Lord in the proper way He should be feared.
As Muslims, it is important to balance our worldly pursuits with our spiritual obligations. Excessive indulgence in worldly pleasures can distract us from our true purpose and lead us astray. Therefore, we should strive to stay mindful of Allah and His commands, make the most of our time and seek to do good in this life in preparation for the next.
The Prophet (pbuh) advised us to take advantage of five matters before five other matters: our youth before we become old, our health before we fall sick, our wealth before we become poor, our free time before we become preoccupied, and our life before our death. We should remember that our time on this earth is limited, and we should use it wisely. (Muslim)
This hadith explains that we can also strive to lead a meaningful and purposeful life by using our life, health, skills and resources to benefit ourselves for the Hereafter, achieving a bigger goal.
The Prophet (pbuh) advised us to take advantage of five matters before five other matters: our youth before we become old, our health before we fall sick, our wealth before we become poor, our free time before we become preoccupied, and our life before our death. We should remember that our time on this earth is limited, and we should use it wisely. (Muslim)
This hadith explains that we can also strive to lead a meaningful and purposeful life by taking advantage of our youth, health, wealth, free time, and life to do good deeds, help others, and improve ourselves.
By utilizing these blessings, we can strive to live a life that is pleasing to our Creator and beneficial to ourselves and others, both in this world and in the hereafter. This can give us a sense of purpose fulfilment, and satisfaction in knowing that we have used our time and resources wisely and made a positive impact on the world around us. The hadith reminds us to prioritize the things that truly matter and to not take our blessings for granted. We should be grateful for what we have and use it in a way that will benefit us in this life and the next.
We witness that no one lives forever in this world. We have to leave everything behind.” Abd it’s true that death is an inevitable part of life, and everyone eventually passes away. While it can be a difficult and emotional subject to think about, it’s important to remember that our time on earth is finite and to make the most of the time we have.
In conclusion, we must focus on building our relationship with Allah. Balancing our worldly pursuits with our spiritual obligations is necessary to lead a fulfilling and purposeful life. It is important to remember that this life is temporary, and our ultimate goal should be to please Allah and work towards a better Hereafter.
May we all strive to make the most of our time in this life and use it to gain the pleasure of Allah and prepare for the eternal Home of the Hereafter. May Allah guide us all on the straight path and grant us success in this life and the Hereafter. Ameen!
Islamic Gems 