The Akhirah

Hadhrat Abdullah ibn Mas’ood (ra) narrates that Rasulullah (saws) recited this verses, ‘That person whom Allah intends to guide, Allah grants him satisfactions of the heart for Islam.’ Then Rasulullah (saws) said, ‘When Noor (light) enters the heart, it (the heart) open up.’ Rasulullah (saws) was asked, ‘If there any sign (of the heart opening up) that can be recognized.’ He said, ‘Yes, distancing oneself from the house of deception (world=duniyah) and turning towards the permanent house (hereafter=akhirah) and preparation for death before it decends.’ (Mishkaat pg.446; Qadeemi)

THE WORLD AND THE HEREAFTER

By Shaykh Fadhl Elahi

Translated by Abu Taymiyyah

Oh man how foolish you are, this thing you understand, that you are going to go back home one day, so you won’t get involved with the luxuries of the host country, but rather work for those back home. But when it comes to working for the hereafter than this concept escapes your mind. You may have a contract to work this number of years in this country and then you will return, then oh foolish man, how long of a contract do you have with the Lord of the Angel of Death? How long will you live in this world? When and where death will come no souls knows. And how many are those who have not even gotten a chance to step back on the soil of their homeland. Oh evil doers, you will remain in this world but on a temporary basis, and eventually you will have to face what you have not prepared for. There are no guarantees for this life, whether we will be here from one Jumu’ah to the next. However the guarantee of eternal life does exist in the hereafter, for both good and bad.

After Praising Allaah and sending the salutations upon the Messenger the Shaykh starts with the following: “And the life of this world is nothing but play and amusement. But far better is the house in the Hereafter for those who are al-Muttaqoon (the pious). Will you not then understand?” (6:32)

In order for man to become successful than there are certain things that he must comprehend fully, once success has been achieved in their understanding than Allaah will bless him in this world as well as the next. His character will become like those that are on the path of good, he will yearn to do that which has been legislated and avoid that which has been forbidden by Allaah and His Messenger – However if success is not achieved in its understanding, than he will be at a loss both in this world and the next.

Imaam Muslim narrates in his collection on the authority of Mustaurid (radee Allaahu ‘anhu) that Allaah’s Messenger (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: ”By Allaah, this world (is so insignificant in comparison) to the Hereafter that if one of you should dip his finger (and while saying this he pointed with his forefinger) in the ocean and he should see as to what has stuck to it.”

Look at the parable that the Messenger is bringing here. At one end you have the ocean (in its vastness and depth) and at the other end you have a few droplets. Play close attention to the difference and vastness of these two objects. How can a few droplets compare to the entire ocean? If someone was to focus his entire attention on the few droplets and ignore the ocean, than he would be considered a fool. Then what would a person, who focuses on this world and ignores the hereafter, be considered? The reality of this world compared to that of the hereafter has been articulated by the Messenger (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) on an abundant number of occasions so that it can fuse into the hearts and minds of his Ummah.

Imaam Muslim also narrates in his collection on the authority of Jabir (radee Allaahu ‘anhu) that: Allaah’s Messenger was travelling in the market place when he passed by a carcass of a baby goat. Lifting it up by its ears he asked: “Which one of you would like to purchase this dead animal for one dirham.” We responded: “We wouldn’t like to take it even if it was offered for free.” The Messenger (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: “I swear by Allaah the reality of this world compared to the hereafter is the same as of this dead animal.”

Look at the allegory that is being established by the Messenger of Allaah(sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam), that the existence of this world does not even hold as much value as the carcass of a dead animal. Close attention must be paid to the severity of this truth, which has caused the Messenger (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) to swear upon his Lord. The clouds can be set ablaze, the mountains can be uprooted from their positions before a single doubt can be raised about the oath of the Messenger (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam).

In another hadeeth collected by Imaam Ahmad, Imaam at-Tirmidhee, and Imaam ibn Maajah on the authority of Sahl bin Sa’ad (radee Allaahu ‘anhu) that the Messenger of Allaah (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: “If the standing of this world in front of Allaah was even equal to the size of the wing of a mosquito, than Allaah would not have given the disbeliever even a sip of water to drink.”

The world with its entire glamour is not even equal to the wingspan of a mosquito. Compared to this, what can the reality of the hereafter be in the Sight of Allaah; the same hereafter that we are quick to sell for the slightest amount of profit. We relinquish the hereafter from our eyes, and focus our sight on this world, on its false fame and glamour, on its dreams and desires neglecting the comparison of this world to the hereafter. May Allaah bless our beloved Messenger (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) who has spared no effort in notifying his Ummah to the truth of this world, and that of the hereafter.

Imaam al-Bukhaaree narrates in his collection on the authority of Sahl bin Sa’d al-Sa’id (radee Allaahu ‘anhu) that the Messenger of Allaah (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: “A place in Paradise equal to the size of a lash is better than the whole world and whatever is in it.”

Even with clear warning from the Messenger (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) you will see many selling the hereafter for a small gain in this world. When they are reminded about as to what they are transacting in reality, they will say: “Yes that is true, but what can you do, we have to stay alive in this world don’t we.” What a shameful thing that they will utter, don’t they realise the depth of their transaction? What are they receiving and what are they giving up in return? Even if they were to receive the entire benefits of this world, and be left out of paradise, than will they be successful in that transaction? No, but rather they will be the loser. Do the words of the Messenger (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) have no affect on them, do they not know what they are giving up in order to receive the false fame and glamour of this world.

They take this rule (what is being given up and what is being received) into consideration during all their worldly activities. When they go out to the market place to purchase groceries, or go shopping for other things, close attention will be paid to the value of the object that is going to be acquired. If it were found that what is going to be received is lesser in value compared to the price that is going to be paid for it, than would any sane mind conduct this transaction. What a foolish being man is, he can understand this concept when it comes to his worldly transactions, but when he leaves the hereafter for this world, this concept escapes his mind. Doesn’t he know that what he is leaving, it’s greater in value than what he is receiving. Its place, the size of a lash, is better than the entire world with all its glamour and fame.

What is to be said about the person, who conducts the transaction of this world in exchange for the hereafter? What will happen to that foolish person, who falls for the false glamour of this world, and lands himself in the fires of hell? What will his status be? The Messenger (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) to his Ummah has conveyed this severity in numerous narrations.

Imaam al-Bukhaaree has collected that Nu’man b. Bashir (radee Allaahu ‘anhu reported that the Messenger of Allaah (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: “Verily the least suffering for the inhabitants of Fire would be for him who would have two shoes and two laces of Fire (on his feet). And these would boil his brain as boils the cooking vessel, and he would think that he would not see anyone in a more grievous torment than him, whereas he would be in the least torment.”

Man is in a constant battle between the world (with all its glamour and fame) and the hereafter (with all its beauty and eternity). Should his attention be more on the hereafter or on this world? On normal circumstances, with surety it can be said that more attention is paid to this world than the hereafter. The common theme seems to be to focus all the attention on this world now and think about the hereafter later, preferably in their old age. However this is not how one should live, rather he should constantly focus on what he is trading for the luxuries of this world, then with the grace of Allaah he will constantly scrutinize every transaction that will compromise his hereafter for this world.

In order to better comprehend the reality of this world and that of the hereafter, a very serious question must be asked. How long will one be staying in this world? If one, and Allaah forgive, decided to focus his attention on this world, than he must pay close attention because how long does he think that he will live to enjoy this world. There is no guarantee on how long one is going to live in this world, however that guarantee does exist for the hereafter.

Imaam Ahmed, Imaam at-Tirmidhee, and Imaam ibn Maajah have narrated in their collections on the authority of ‘Abdullaah ibn Mas’ud (radee Allaahu ‘anhu): The Messenger of Allaah was taking rest upon a bed that had been made from the leaves from a date tree. When he got up, we could see the marks on his back form the leaves. So I said: “O beloved Messenger of Allaah, if you order us we can go and fetch for you a soft and comfortable bed to rest on.” The Messenger (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) replied: “What have I got to gain from the benefits of this world. My association with this world is like that of a traveller who stops on his journey to take a small rest under a tree.”

Whenever a traveller stops to take a rest on his journey he only stops for a couple of hours at the most, and then moves on to his destination. If the beloved Messenger’s (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam’s) approach to this world was like this, than how should our outlook be. He knows that he is only travelling and will be departing soon, than how can we think that we will be staying here forever, never thinking about our departure, never preparing for it.

Imaam al-Bukhaaree transmitted on the authority of Mujaahid (radee Allaahu ‘anhu) that ‘Abdullaah ibn ‘Umar said: The Messenger of Allaah took hold of my shoulder and said: “Be in this world as if you were a stranger or a traveller.” The sub-narrator added that ‘Abdullaah ibn ‘Umar used to say: “If you survive till the evening, do not expect to be alive in the morning, and if you survive till the morning, do not expect to be alive in the evening. And take from your health for your sickness, and (take) from your life for your death.”

“Live like strangers”, this concept is understood when going abroad to work, but not when it involves the hereafter. Look at those who go to foreign lands to work. They will live in small quarters, many to a single room, so that they can work and save money and for what? To build a house or a business in their home countries, but when it comes to buying furniture, while abroad, they will buy the cheapest that they can find. Why? Because they know that they are only going to stay there for a while, and when they go back home then they will buy the expense furniture for their new home.

Oh Muslims... Stop living the life of this Duniya and striving for it and start living and striving for Akhira, your real Home... You still have time to choose your Jannah or Jahanum.