The topic of today’s khutba is “Life of this World and the Hereafter.” The purpose of my khutba is to remind myself and you not to get diverted by the commotion; by the hustle and bustle of our daily lives to the extent that we forget our ultimate destination; that we forget our ultimate objective, which is to seek the pleasure of Allah (SWT) and become successful in absolute terms. My khutba will address questions like: How does this life compare with the hereafter? What is the value that we tend to give to this life? What is the price we pay for living without the consciousness of the life to come? What do we do to give this life its due share? And, finally, how can we strike the right balance?
To have firm belief in the hereafter (al-Akhirah) is one of the six tenets of a Muslim’s faith, the others being belief in Allah, His angels, His revealed books, His prophets and messengers, and His divine decree.
How does this life compare with the hereafter? Out time in this life is limited. We have at best a few more years and then we will move on to a world about which the Qur’an provides numerous references. Allah has repeatedly reminded us in the Qur’an that the value of this life compared to the hereafter is insignificant.
أَرَضِيتُمْ بِالْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا مِنَ الْآَخِرَةِ فَمَا مَتَاعُ الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا فِي الْآَخِرَةِ إِلَّا قَلِيلٌ
“Do you prefer the life of the world over the hereafter? Yet the enjoyment of this world is very small compared to that of the hereafter” (AL-Taubah, 9:38).
وَفَرِحُوا بِالْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا وَمَا الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا فِي الْآَخِرَةِ إِلَّا مَتَاعٌ
“They rejoice in the life of this world, but compared with the Hereafter the life of this world is but a fleeting enjoyment” (al-Ra’d, 13:26).
So, by likening this life to a passing enjoyment, amusement, and a deception, Allah the All Knowing has clearly put the matter regarding the hereafter in perspective for us to reflect upon. He cautions us not to get carried away by the charms of this life because in comparison with the hereafter, this life has a very limited span. And as we go through facing the life’s challenges as well as its attractions, we have to ensure that we do not deviate from the straight path. Be it the diversion of temptations, or problems and sufferings, we should always be careful not to fall prey to manmade philosophies; rather we should adhere to the straight path ordained by Allah (SWT).
Our beloved Prophet Muhammad (SAW) also clarified the value of this life in relation to the hereafter. According to one hadith, “The life of this world compared to the hereafter is as if one were to put one’s finger in the ocean and take it out again; then compare the water that remains on one’s finger to the water that remains in the ocean.”
What is the value that we tend to give to this life? Knowing the limited time that we have in this life, giving it anything more than its due proportion, therefore, wouldn’t be prudent. But we also know that Allah has made this life a test and adorned it with enough temptations and attractions to make the weak among us get diverted and deceived. Allah warns in the Qur’an in the following words:
فَلَا تَغُرَّنَّكُمُ الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا وَلَا يَغُرَّنَّكُمْ بِاللَّهِ الْغَرُورُ
“ Do not let the life of the world deceive you and do not let the Deceiver (Shaytan) deceive you about Allah” (Fatir, 35:5).
But the reality is that the attractions of this life do blind us from seeing the big picture that includes our impending departure from this life and then our resurrection in the next eternal life. Fearing that our means of sustenance in this life are something we cannot do without, we make the mistake of turning means into goals. We run after wealth believing it to buy and secure our present and the future. Thus we become obsessed with gaining benefits, pleasures and comforts and in doing so we go after acquiring more and more, be it wealth, name, fame, status, power or authority. We compete with others in pursuit of these and lose sight of the hereafter. The Qur’an alludes to this situation when it says,
أَلْهَاكُمُ التَّكَاثُرُ حَتَّى زُرْتُمُ الْمَقَابِرَ
“ Striving for more distracts you until you go into your graves” (al-Takathur, 102:1-2).
What is the price we pay for living without being conscious of the life to come? Focusing on the present life with lack of consideration for the hereafter can push us to a state where one feels that one is rightfully entitled to the fulfillment of one’s wishes and desires, and is entitled to enjoy all that life can offer. Confronted with the reality of limited time in this life, and to acquire and enjoy this life’s resources, we plant the seeds of greed and dissatisfaction within us. That often leads to injustice, deprivation of the rights of people, misuse of power and authority, and so on. The Prophet (SAW) expressed his concern for our Iman when he said: “By Allah, it is not poverty that I fear for you, but I fear that this world will be spread out in front of you as it was spread out in front of those before you, and then you will vie for it as they vied for it, and it will destroy you as it destroyed them.”
The price that we pay for going overboard in our quest for the best that this world can offer is that we become part of a cut-throat culture where material success is the measure of a person’s worth, and failure in worldly acquisitions is regarded as a matter of shame and humiliation. Enamored by this life, people become heedless of Allah, the hereafter, the moral bounds and moral responsibilities, the rights of others, and of their own obligations to render those rights. They strive to acquire more at any cost and become forgetful about their end. About such people Allah (SWT) says,
أُولَئِكَ الَّذِينَ اشْتَرَوُا الْحَيَاةَ الدُّنْيَا بِالْآَخِرَةِ فَلَا يُخَفَّفُ عَنْهُمُ الْعَذَابُ وَلَا هُمْ يُنْصَرُونَ
“They are the ones who bought the life of this world for the Hereafter; so their punishment shall not be lightened, nor will they be helped” (al-Baqarah, 2:86).
But then Allah, the Most Benevolent, gives people what they yearn for and whatever they work for as He also says,
مَنْ كَانَ يُرِيدُ الْحَيَاةَ الدُّنْيَا وَزِينَتَهَا نُوَفِّ إِلَيْهِمْ أَعْمَالَهُمْ فِيهَا وَهُمْ فِيهَا لا يُبْخَسُونَ
“As for those who desire the life of the world and its adornments, We will give them full payment in it for their actions. They will not be deprived here of their due (Hud, 11:15)“
Allah, therefore, lets those who are eager to lose themselves in this world remain content with it, but also warns that they’re buying these pleasures at the price of the hereafter. A man came to the Prophet (SAW) and said, ‘Oh Messenger of Allah! Guide me to such an action, that when I do it, Allah will love me and the people will love me. He said, “Be detached from this world and then Allah will love you and do not be attracted to what people have and then the people will love you”. This hadith shows that Allah loves those who live simply in this life. It has been said that if having love for Allah is the best state to be in, then living simply is the best condition to be in. May Allah guide us to that which pleases Him.
أَقُولُ قَوْلِي هَذَا وَأَسْتَغْفِرُ اللَّهَ لِي وَلَكُمْ وَلِسَائِرِ المُسْلِمينَ وَالمُسْلِمَاتْ فَاسْتَغْفِرُوهْ إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ
الحمد لله رب العالمين والصلاة والسلام على سيد المرسلين وعلى آله وأصحابه أجمعين
What do we do to give this life its due share? We do have to give this life its due share. We have to live it; we cannot escape from it, nor can we ignore the real challenges it poses. Moreover, Islam does not expect us to withdraw ourselves from the world. Allah tells us in the Qur’an:
وَابْتَغِ فِيمَا آَتَاكَ اللَّهُ الدَّارَ الْآَخِرَةَ وَلَا تَنْسَ نَصِيبَكَ مِنَ الدُّنْيَا وَأَحْسِنْ كَمَا أَحْسَنَ اللَّهُ إِلَيْكَ وَلَا تَبْغِ الْفَسَادَ فِي الْأَرْضِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يُحِبُّ الْمُفْسِدِينَ
“Seek the abode of the Next World with what Allah has given you, without forgetting your portion of this world. And do good as Allah has been good to you. And do not seek to cause corruption in the earth. Allah does not like those who cause corruption.” (al-Qasas, 28:77).
We see from the life of the Prophet (SAW) that he was an active and successful merchant before being chosen as a prophet. During his life of prophethood, he had family and dealt with worldly affairs like any fully-engaged human being. He is an excellent example for the rich and poor, for young and old, for rulers and ruled, for the most intelligent as well as the most common people. He was exemplary as a teacher, preacher, imam, leader, statesman, judge, commander of the armies as well as a husband, a father, a grandfather, a businessman, a neighbor, and a friend. We, too, are supposed to lead life, utilizing all the resources Allah Most Gracious has bestowed on us. Accordingly, we need to educate ourselves in worldly matters and to use that knowledge to lead a good life and also to help prevent injustices and exploitation of humanity at large.
The life and example of the Prophet (SAW) should make it clear as to how we should engage ourselves in the activities of this life. No one should withdraw from life and forget his responsibilities. The Prophet (SAW.) said: “The upper hand is better than the lower hand, (i.e., he who gives charity is better than him who takes it)… And whoever abstains from asking others for some financial help, Allah will give him and save him from asking others, Allah will make him self-sufficient”
How can we strike the right balance? The obligation to live this life while providing for ourselves and our families effectively and by ensuring that we are not violating others’ rights may create conflicts that must be managed accordingly. We ought to adopt attitudes where our actions strike the right balance between any competing and conflicting situations. We need to remind ourselves that by respecting the tenets of halal (the lawful) and haram (the unlawful) as laid out by Allah (SWT), we can lead a life where we can make the most of this life while our hearts are always conscious of, and devoted to, Allah and the hereafter.
Let’s remember that when we live our lives according to what Islam teaches us, we not only live fulfilling lives, we also please Allah (SWT). However, while living this life, nothing should divert us from our real purpose of life. The desire to attain the favor of Allah (SWT) should supersede all other considerations. Allah says in the Qur’an:
بَلْ تُؤْثِرُونَ الْحَيَاةَ الدُّنْيَا وَالْآَخِرَةُ خَيْرٌ وَأَبْقَى إِنَّ هَذَا لَفِي الصُّحُفِ الْأُولَى صُحُفِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَمُوسَى
“But you prefer the worldly life, even though the Hereafter is better and more lasting; All this is in the earlier scriptures; the Scriptures of Ibrahim and Musa” (al-A’la, 87:16-19).
Let us supplicate to Allah (SWT) what we have been taught to supplicate for good in this life and in the hereafter.
رَبَّنَا آَتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَفِي الْآَخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ
“Our Lord, give us good in this world, and good in the Next World, and safeguard us from the punishment of the Fire” (al-Baqarah, 2:201).
