Search In Fatwa

Reality of the Worldly Life

Question

I am seventeen years old. I see that the worldly life is better than the Hereafter. Furthermore, I see that in Ramadan, people are offering worship with devotion and weeping while I am too lazy to work for the Hereafter because I cling to the worldly life. Would you clarify this fact to me? What can I do in order to endear the Hereafter to the myself and have aversion for the World?

Answer

All perfect praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.

Part of the trial by which this false and deceptive worldly life tests man is to induce him and veil his eye with a very thick veil of desires and malicious allegations from seeing the Hereafter, causing him to slacken to work for it and cling to this world as though he is pleased with it. What you are experiencing, my brother, is of this sort.

Which favor or merit does the worldly life have over the Hereafter? The Messenger of Allah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said, “Had this World been equal in value, in the sight of Allah, to a mosquito’s wing, He would not have provided a disbeliever a single gulp of water in it.” [At-Tirmithi: authentic]

It was narrated on the authority of Jabir ibn ‘Abdullaah  may  Allaah  be  pleased  with  them that the Messenger of Allah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, happened to walk through the market coming from the side of ‘Aliyah and there were people on his both sides. There he found a dead goat with very short ears (or its ears were cut off). He took hold of its ear (or what remained thereof) and said, “Who amongst you would like to have this for a dirham?” They said, “We do not like to have it even for less than that, as it is of no use to us.” He, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said, “Do you wish to have it for free?” They said, “By Allah, even if it had been alive, we would not have liked to possess that for it is defective; and its ears are cut off; and, after all, it is dead.” On that, the Messenger of Allah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said, “By Allah, this world is more worthless in the Sight of Allah than this (dead goat) is in your sight.” [Muslim]

Then how could it be said that the worldly life is better than the Hereafter? You may argue that in this worldly life we worship Allah by fasting and other (acts of worship). Yet, it should be known to you that the word of tasbeeh (exaltation of Allah) will be (as easy for) the inhabitants of Paradise as (the air of) their breath, and they will remember Allah, the Almighty, with tasbeeh and tahmeed (praise). About the men of Paradise, Allah, the Almighty, says (what means):

· {Their call therein will be, "Exalted are You, O Allah," and their greeting therein will be, "Peace." And the last of their call will be, "Praise to Allah , Lord of the worlds!"} [Quran 10:10]

· {…And they will say, "Praise to Allah, who has guided us to this; and we would never have been guided if Allah had not guided us. Certainly the messengers of our Lord had come with the truth." And they will be called, "This is Paradise, which you have been made to inherit for what you used to do."} [Quran 7:43]

Whilst in abiding bliss and all-embracing pleasure, they will be in permanent worship.

Allah knows best.

Related Fatwa