وَٱضۡرِبۡ لَهُم مَّثَلَ ٱلۡحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنۡيَا كَمَآءٍ أَنزَلۡنَـٰهُمِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ فَٱخۡتَلَطَ بِهِۦ نَبَاتُ ٱلۡأَرۡضِ فَأَصۡبَحَهَشِيمً۬ا تَذۡرُوهُ ٱلرِّيَـٰحُۗ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىۡءٍ۬مُّقۡتَدِرًا ٱلۡمَالُ وَٱلۡبَنُونَ زِينَةُ ٱلۡحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنۡيَاۖوَٱلۡبَـٰقِيَـٰتُ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتُ خَيۡرٌ عِندَ رَبِّكَ ثَوَابً۬اوَخَيۡرٌ أَمَلاً۬ وَيَوۡمَ نُسَيِّرُ ٱلۡجِبَالَ وَتَرَى ٱلۡأَرۡضَبَارِزَةً۬ وَحَشَرۡنَـٰهُمۡ فَلَمۡ نُغَادِرۡ مِنۡہُمۡ أَحَدً۬اوَعُرِضُواْ عَلَىٰ رَبِّكَ صَفًّ۬ا لَّقَدۡ جِئۡتُمُونَا كَمَاخَلَقۡنَـٰكُمۡ أَوَّلَ مَرَّةِۭۚ بَلۡ زَعَمۡتُمۡ أَلَّن نَّجۡعَلَ لَكُممَّوۡعِدً۬ا وَوُضِعَ ٱلۡكِتَـٰبُ فَتَرَى ٱلۡمُجۡرِمِينَمُشۡفِقِينَ مِمَّا فِيهِ وَيَقُولُونَ يَـٰوَيۡلَتَنَا مَالِهَـٰذَا ٱلۡڪِتَـٰبِ لَا يُغَادِرُ صَغِيرَةً۬ وَلَا كَبِيرَةًإِلَّآ أَحۡصَٮٰهَاۚ وَوَجَدُواْ مَا عَمِلُواْ حَاضِرً۬اۗوَلَا يَظۡلِمُ رَبُّكَ أَحَدً۬ا
"Set forth to them the similitude of the life of this world: it is like the rain which We send down from the skies: the earth's vegetation absorbs it, But soon it becomes dry stubble, which the winds do scatter: it is (only) Allah Who prevails over all things.
Wealth and sons are allurements of the life of this world: but the things that endure, Good Deeds, are best in the sight of thy Lord, as rewards, and best as (the foundation for) hopes.
One Day We shall remove the mountains, and thou wilt see the earth as a level stretch, and We shall gather them, all together, nor shall We leave out any one of them.
And they will be marshalled before thy Lord in ranks (with the announcement), "Now have ye come to Us (bare) as We created you first: aye, ye thought We shall not fulfil the appointment made to you to meet (Us)!":
And the Book (of Deeds) will be placed (before you); and thou wilt see the sinful in great terror because of what is (recorded) therein; they will say "Ah! woe to us! what a book is this! It leaves out nothing small or great, but takes account thereof!" They will find all that they did, placed before them: and not one will thy Lord treat with injustice."
(Qur'an: Kahfi: 18: 45-49)REFLECTIONOne of cornerstone of the tenets of Islam is the believe in 'Al-aakhirah' - life in the Hereafter. Yet, the inculcation of conviction to this Reality (Haqiqah) in our life, such that it truly sink in and serves as our touchstone in shaping our values, our perspective and our worldview - is sorely deficient (lacking) or even missing. There are significant difference between receiving mere information from attaining to knowledge; and having knowledge from that of attaining to conviction (yaqeen); and the various levels (degrees) of convictions ('ilm, 'ain & haqq : al-yaqeen). Not that we lack the opportunity to be educated or be guided towards attaining conviction, rather it is the gross lack of attentiveness on our part, not applying in our daily life what we have been taught, through dzikr (remembrance) and fikr (deep reflection). The real lesson is actually in the 'classroom of life'. The subject on the Hereafter is there. Apart from perhaps casually mentioning of it, or merely hearing passing remarks concerning it or perhaps life occurances (birth. sickness, death etc.) that serve to remind us of 'al-aakhirah' - yet these pass us by, without we gaining any increase in conviction of it. Why? Notwithstanding that the blame is upon us, but the distraction is without doubt also due to the allurement of ad-Dunya(life of this world), which cast its hypnotic spell on everyone.WHAT IS LIFE OF THIS WORLD?Allah s.w.t. set forth a parable:
وَٱضۡرِبۡ لَهُم مَّثَلَ ٱلۡحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنۡيَا كَمَآءٍ أَنزَلۡنَـٰهُ مِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ فَٱخۡتَلَطَ بِهِۦ نَبَاتُ ٱلۡأَرۡضِ فَأَصۡبَحَ هَشِيمً۬ا تَذۡرُوهُ ٱلرِّيَـٰحُۗ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىۡءٍ۬ مُّقۡتَدِرًا
" Set forth to them the similitude of the life of this world: it is like the rain which We send down from the skies: the earth's vegetation absorbs it, But soon it becomes dry stubble, which the winds do scatter: it is (only) Allah Who prevails over all things. "
O! What a transitory existence, growing with bestowals from Allah, only to be reduced to stubble and decay. Yet, we place so much emphasis upon such things, which we know will disappear - forgetting that our hope is in seeking the countenance of Allah s.w.t. Who will prevail over all things. Look beyond this world, which is merely a sign, and remember and glorify the Creator. Do not be bedazzled by the creation for they are there only to remind us of Him, so that we may be grateful and glorify Him, not the world. Do not loose sight that you are the slave of Allah, do not let the world enslave you. Hereafter is better! Thus Allah lovingly guides and warns us :
وَذَكَرَ ٱسۡمَ رَبِّهِۦ فَصَلَّىٰ بَلۡ تُؤۡثِرُونَ ٱلۡحَيَوٰةَ ٱلدُّنۡيَا وَٱلۡأَخِرَةُ خَيۡرٌ۬ وَأَبۡقَىٰٓ
"And glorify the name of their Guardian-Lord, and (lift their hearts) in Prayer. Nay (behold), ye prefer the life of this world; But the Hereafter is better and more enduring."
(Qur'an: al-A'la: 87: 15-17)
REMEMBER: Things that Endure (GOOD DEEDS) .... our best hope
What are we preoccupied in? Day in and day out, what really keeps us going? What is our motivation, our driver? What really matter in our life? The world (ad-dunya) beckons us with its glitters; abetted by the materialists who tempt our desires with their ever alluring products, bombarding us with advertisements that subtly impose values to replace our set of standards which must constantly be anchored upon our religious Faith (arkaan al-iiman) which favours more the concern for the eternal Hereafter. When this Faith is weak; its nurturing neglected and excerbated by life-style which emphasise more on worldly vanity; competing in amassing wealth and children, the outcome of this push-pull tension between ad-dunya (this world) and al-Aakhirah (Hereafter), will determine the kind of activity most favoured by the person. Nay, Allah s.w.t. knows and gives us this advice:
ٱلۡمَالُ وَٱلۡبَنُونَ زِينَةُ ٱلۡحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنۡيَاۖ وَٱلۡبَـٰقِيَـٰتُ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتُ خَيۡرٌ عِندَ رَبِّكَ ثَوَابً۬ا وَخَيۡرٌ أَمَلاً۬
"Wealth and sons are allurements of the life of this world: but the things that endure, Good Deeds, are best in the sight of thy Lord, as rewards, and best as (the foundation for) hopes."
BE VERY CAREFUL: AL-AKHIRAH BECKONS US
The temporary nature of this world seems obvious to us, yet why are there no urgency for us to prepare for the Hereafter? The end of times is sure to come. Even today, signs of instability of our planet are most apparrent with many natural disasters occuring world-wide. Yet, still no urgency! Remember, we may not be able to meet that Last Day, but most certainly our day on this earth will last with our death. This too is most certain, and it may be sooner than we hope & imagine. Yet, still no urgency?! Some, are beginning to have doubt, being influenced by ahli-dunya (the secularists) who persistently mock at our religious belief. Leave them with their heedlessness. On that terrible day not a single mountain will ever remain. flatten and each and every mankind shall be raised to gather before Allah to be judged. And on this Day Allah, after resurrecting us naked and bare, He will mock at them who denied this Day of Judgement:
وَعُرِضُواْ عَلَىٰ رَبِّكَ صَفًّ۬ا لَّقَدۡ جِئۡتُمُونَا كَمَا خَلَقۡنَـٰكُمۡ أَوَّلَ مَرَّةِۭۚ بَلۡ زَعَمۡتُمۡ أَلَّن نَّجۡعَلَ لَكُم مَّوۡعِدً۬ا
And they will be marshalled before thy Lord in ranks (with the announcement),"Now have ye come to Us (bare) as We created you first: aye, ye thought We shall not fulfil the appointment made to you to meet (Us)!":
O! This will be the Day of much regret, especially for those who do not take seriously what has been taught in our Aqidah regarding the Hereafter. Those who did not heed the advice to hasten to doing good Deeds while we can in this world. all those wealth and children, and the allurement of the world are of no use - only record of Good Deeds accepted by Allah will stand as testimony that can assist us. What matters most here will be our own Book of record - laid bare to the minutest detail - big or small, we shall have to account for them. Allah's justice will be fully manifested. Fortunate would be those who are covered by Allah's Mercy:
وَوُضِعَ ٱلۡكِتَـٰبُ فَتَرَى ٱلۡمُجۡرِمِينَ مُشۡفِقِينَ مِمَّا فِيهِ وَيَقُولُونَ يَـٰوَيۡلَتَنَا مَالِ هَـٰذَا ٱلۡڪِتَـٰبِ لَا يُغَادِرُ صَغِيرَةً۬ وَلَا كَبِيرَةً إِلَّآ أَحۡصَٮٰهَاۚ وَوَجَدُواْ مَا عَمِلُواْ حَاضِرً۬اۗ وَلَا يَظۡلِمُ رَبُّكَ أَحَدً۬ا
And the Book (of Deeds) will be placed (before you); and thou wilt see the sinful in great terror because of what is (recorded) therein; they will say "Ah! woe to us! what a book is this! It leaves out nothing small or great, but takes account thereof!" They will find all that they did, placed before them: and not one will thy Lord treat with injustice.
OUR PRAYER
رَبَّنَا لَا تُزِغۡ قُلُوبَنَا بَعۡدَ إِذۡ هَدَيۡتَنَا وَهَبۡ لَنَا مِن لَّدُنكَ رَحۡمَةًۚ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ ٱلۡوَهَّابُ رَبَّنَآ إِنَّكَ جَامِعُ ٱلنَّاسِ لِيَوۡمٍ۬ لَّا رَيۡبَ فِيهِۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يُخۡلِفُ ٱلۡمِيعَادَ
رَبَّنَآ ءَامَنَّا بِمَآ أَنزَلۡتَ وَٱتَّبَعۡنَا ٱلرَّسُولَ فَٱڪۡتُبۡنَا مَعَ ٱلشَّـٰهِدِينَ
"Our Lord! let not our hearts deviate now after Thou hast guided us, but grant us mercy from Thee: for Thou art the Grantor of bounties without measure. Our Lord! Thou art He that will gather mankind together against a day about which there is no doubt: for Allah never fails in His promise.
Our Lord! we believe in what thou hast revealed, and we follow the Messenger; then write us down among those who bear witness."O Allah! Your Salutations of Peace and blessings be upon our Leader, Your Beloved Messenger Muhammad, and his purified family, all his righteous companions and all those who follow them in righteousness and benevolence, aiding his cause from time to time till the Hereafter - Aa-min
Wa-allaahu a'lam
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