By Yasir al-Qadhi
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Many people mistakenly assume that true wealth and real treasure is that of
money. It is indeed true that wealth is a great blessing from God which He
bestows upon His servants. And the one who earns it purely, and spends it
properly, and gives it to those that deserve it, without a doubt earns a great
reward from God.
"O Children of Adam! Take your adornment (by wearing your clean
clothes), while praying, and eat and drink but waste not by extravagance,
certainly He (Allâh) likes not Al-Musrifûn (those who waste by extravagance).
(31) Say (O Muhammad PBUH): "Who has forbidden the adornment with clothes given
by Allâh, which He has produced for His slaves, and At-Taiyyibât [all kinds of
lawful things] of food?" Say: "They are, in the life of this world, for those
who believe, (and) exclusively for them (believers) on the Day of Resurrection
(the disbelievers will not share them)." Thus We explain the Ayât (Islâmic laws)
in detail for people who have knowledge." (Quran 7:31,32)
"He it is, Who has made the earth subservient to you (i.e. easy for
you to walk, to live and to do agriculture on it), so walk in the path thereof
and eat of His provision, and to Him will be the Resurrection." (Quran
67:15)
But at the same time, wealth is not the greatest blessing that can be given
to mankind. Furthermore, no matter how much wealth a person has, eventually it
will leave him, and pass on into the hands of others. In reality most of the
money that a person owns will eventually end up in the hands of his or her
inheritors, and only that part which was spent for the sake of God will actually
benefit one in the Hereafter.
God emphasizes this point in the Quran with the teaching that:
"Wealth and children are the adornments of the life of this world.
But the permanent righteous deeds are better in your Lord's Sight (to attain)
rewards, and better in respect of hope." (Quran 18:46)
So money and children can be a comfort and a pleasure of this life, but
righteous deeds are what will remain permanently - not one's family or wealth.
It is these righteous deeds which will bring a person God's Pleasure, and
through which a person can hope for an ever-lasting reward in the Hereafter.
The Quran clearly states,
"And it is not your wealth, nor your children that bring you nearer
to Us, but only he (will please Us) who believes, and does righteous deeds; for
such (people), there will be a double reward for what they did, and they will
reside in the high dwellings (of Paradise), in peace and security." (Quran
34:37)
In a well-known and oft-repeated parable, the Quran compares the life of this
world to a crop that flourishes after rainfall, only to wither up and shrivel in
a short period of time. The Quran states,
"Know that the life of this world is but amusement and diversion and
adornment and boasting to one another and competition in increase of wealth and
children - like the example of a rain whose [resulting] plant growth pleases the
tillers; then it dries and you see it turned yellow; then it becomes [scattered]
debris. And in the Hereafter is severe punishment and forgiveness from Allah
and approval. And what is the worldly life except the enjoyment of delusion."
(Quran 57:20)
Imam al-Sa'adi summarised the commentary of this verse when he wrote, in a
very beautiful passage: In this verse, God informs us of the true nature of this
world, and what it is really based on, and He explains its end, and the end of
the people in it. He informs us that it is a mere play and amusement, so our
bodies play in it, and our hearts are amused at it. And we see that this is
exactly what the people that are following this world are upon, so you find that
they have wasted their entire lives so that they can amuse their hearts. They
are in total ignorance about remembering God, and what they are about to face of
rewards and punishments (in the Hereafter). You see them taking their religion
as an amusement and pastime.
And this is in contrast to the people of awareness, and the ones that strive
for the Hereafter. Their hearts are alive with the remembrance of God, and His
knowledge, and His love. And they have busied themselves with actions that will
bring them closer to God, whether those actions will benefit themselves only, or
also others.
Then, God drew for us a parable of this world. It is like a rain that falls
to the earth, and then mixes with the vegetation that is eaten by men and
animals, until, when the earth spreads forth its beauty, and the disbelievers -
those who cannot see beyond this life - are amazed at its fruits, the command of
God comes upon it. So it is destroyed, and it withers up, and dries, and it
returns to its previous state, as if the land never gave any greenery, and as if
no beauty were ever seen on it!
And this is how this world is! While it is at its prime for its companion,
sprouting forth with beauty, whatever he wants of its treasures he can take, and
whenever he wants to obtain anything of it, he finds the doors to achieve it are
open, when, all of a sudden, God's decree falls upon it. So all is the material
gain he made from the world is removed from his hands, and his control over it
is gone, or he himself is removed from it, so he leaves the world with
absolutely nothing of it in his hands. In the end, he would have gained nothing
from all of it except a shroud (in which his body is wrapped). So woe to him
who makes it his goal, and sacrifices everything for it, and strives and devotes
his entire life to it!
And as for the actions of the Hereafter, then that is what will truly
benefit. It will store for its owner (the fruits of his work), and will
accompany him forever. This is why God stated,
"But in the Hereafter (there is) a severe torment (for the
disbelievers), and (there is) Forgiveness from God and (His) Good Pleasure (for
the believers)." (Quran 35:7)
So all of this should make us lessen our desire for this world, and increase
our desire for the Hereafter, and this is why God said, "And indeed, the
life of this world is only a deceiving enjoyment." So, life is an
enjoyment that a person can benefit from, and take his needs from. No one
except a person of weak mind will be deceived by it, and become content with it.
Source (edited):
http://www.islamreligion.com/articles/2179/ |
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