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Doing without the life of this world in preference FRIDAY KHUTBAH Posted by: "umm awwab" afrask@yahoo.com afrask Fri May 29, 2009 1:32 pm Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem Doing without the life of this world in preference for the Hereafter ____________ _________ _________ __ Doing without the life of this world in preference for the Hereafter Allah (subhanahu wa ta'ala) says (which means) :
"Whatever is with you will be exhausted, and whatever is with Allah [of good deeds] will remain. "[1]
"And the life of this world is but amusement and play! Verily, the home in the Hereafter, that is the life indeed, if they but knew. "[2]
"The life of this world is only the enjoyment of deception." [3]
"Say: 'Short is the enjoyment of this world. The Hereafter is [far] better for him who fears Allah, and you shall not be dealt with unjustly in the very least!'"[4]
"Nay, you prefer the life of this world; but the Hereafter is better and more lasting."[5]
The Qur'an is replete with verses which tell us to do without the life of this world and its fleeting, short-lived pleasures and which encourage us to work for the Hereafter, which is better and more lasting.
Eschewing the transitory pleasures of this life and preferring the Hereafter are by no means inseparable, for only those who forsake the pleasures of this world long for the Hereafter. Ibn Taymeeyah said, "To eschew [the pleasures of this] life is [in fact] to forsake what is of no benefit to the Hereafter."
The Prophet (salla Allahu alihi wa sallam) said,
"By Allah, the life of this world, compared to that in the Hereafter, is but like someone who puts his finger in the sea, so let him see what it brings out." [6]
He also said, "The most truthful word ever uttered by a poet is that in which [the poet] Labeed says, "Verily, everything apart from Allah is but falsehood' [7]
And, "What have I to do with this world ! I am no more in this world than a traveller who sought the shade of a tree then left it and continued [his journey]."[8]
And, "If this world had the value of a mosquito's wing in the sight of Allah, no disbeliever would have had a drink of water from it."[9]
And, "Eschew the life of this world and Allah will love you." [10]
The Qur'an and the Sunnah both encourage people to eschew this evanescent life and long for the everlasting bliss of the Hereafter. Allah (subhanahu wa ta'ala) says (which means),
"The description of Paradise which the righteous are promised is that in it are rivers of water, the taste and smell of which are not changed; rivers of milk of which the taste never changes; rivers of wine, a joy to those who drink; and rivers of honey pure and clear. In it there are for them all kinds of fruits; and forgiveness from their Lord. "[11]
"[It will be said to the true believers]: My
worshippers! No fear shall be on you this Day, nor shall you grieve, [you] who
believed in Our Signs and were Muslims. Enter
"Verily, al-muttaqoon (the pious and righteous) will be
in the midst of Gardens and Rivers (paradise). In a seat of truth (
"Some faces, that Day, will beam (in brightness and beauty) -looking at their Lord. "[14]
"[Other] faces, that Day, will be joyful, pleased with their striving [for their good deeds which they did in this world, along with the true faith of Islamic monotheism]. In a High Garden (Paradise), where they shall hear no harmful speech nor falsehood; therein will be a running spring; therein will be thrones [of dignity] raised high, and cups set at hand, and cushions set in rows, and rich carpets [all] spread out. "[15]
The Prophet (salla Allahu alihi wa sallam) said,
"You will see your Lord with your own eyes, just as you see the moon, never tiring of seeing Him." [16]
He also said,
"The space taken up in the Hereafter by something as little as the whip of one of you is better than the whole of this earth and what is on it."[17]
He also said,
"The smallest distance from
The life of this world, therefore, is not a place of abode for a Muslim. It is rather a place of testing and trials. The Prophet (salla Allahu alihi wa sallam) said,
"This world is the prison of a believer and the paradise of a disbeliever" [19]
Indeed a Muslim has another abode, of which he is aware and
for which he longs. He wants no more of this life than the provisions of good
works necessary for completing the journey to his true home and that of Adam
(alaihi as-salam) before him. A journey towards
Az-Zuhd is to abandon all that is of no benefit in the Hereafter. It is therefore of utmost importance to forsake this life, which is bound to stand as a barrier between us and the Hereafter. Imam Ahmad said, "Eschewing worldly pleasures (Az-Zuhd) is to shorten the hopes." It has also been said that Az-Zuhd is belittling the world and wiping affection for it from the heart. Ibn Al-Qayyim said, "Those who possess knowledge are in accord that the eschewing of the world means the departure of the heart from the abode of this world to that of the Hereafter." He also said, "Desiring the Hereafter can only be achieved by eschewing life of this world; and eschewing life of this world could only be achieved after taking two correct looks. The first is to look at the shortness of life, its quick disappearance and vileness. The second is to look at the Hereafter, its inevitability, eternity, constancy, the excellence and honour of its pleasures and joys, and the difference between it and what is here in this life. Allah (subhanahu wa ta'ala) says (which means),
"But the Hereafter is better and more lasting." [20]"
Ibn Al-Qayyim also said, "The servant's love for this life and his acceptance of it is proportionately related to his slowness and prevarication in obeying Allah and seeking the Hereafter."
How true are Ibn Al-Qayyim's words! This is why we have said that eschewing the worldly pleasures and seeking success in the Hereafter are important provisions for a Muslim who seeks to serve his religion, a provision without which there could be no sacrifice or selfless offering of the self required for the victory and superiority of Islam. Once this provision is lacking, all efforts come to an end. The Qur'an has chided those believers who have taken pleasure in this life, saying (which means), "O you who believe! What is the matter with you, that, when you are asked to march forth in the Cause of Allah (Jihad), you cling heavily to the earth? Do you prefer the life of this world to the Hereafter? But little is the enjoyment of the life of this world, as compared with the Hereafter. "[21]
Then Allah promised them the severest punishment if they neglect this duty, saying (which means),
"If you march not forth, He will punish you with a painful torment and will replace you by another people, and you cannot harm Him at all, and Allah is Able to do all things. "[22]
Love for the life of this world, the attachment of the heart to it and the striving of the limbs for its sake all deter the servant to fight Jihad in the way of Allah. On the other hand, selling this life for the Hereafter is the catalyst for fighting in the way of Allah,
"Let those fight in the cause of Allah who sell the life of this world for the Hereafter. "[23]
Indeed, it is the selling of this life for the Hereafter which makes one disdain all the harm one might suffer for the sake of Allah,
"So decree whatever you desire to decree, for you can only decree (regarding) the life of this world. "[24]
It is the selling of this life for the Hereafter which
enticed Anas bin Nadhir to fight bravely in the Battle of Uhud until he
sustained over eighty injuries, before finally falling as a martyr in the way
of Allah. He sensed the winds of
It is the forsaking of life of this world in preference to
the Hereafter which filled the heart of 'Umair bin Al-Hamam when he heard the
Messenger of Allah (salla Allahu alihi wa sallam) saying on the day of the
Battle of Badr. "Rise to a
This is the type of men that we lack today. It is the only type capable of working for Islam. We will never be able to be like these men in their courage, daring and sacrifice unless we become like them in their forsaking of this life in preference to the Hereafter. Books of Hadeeth and Seerah are replete with shining examples of such personalities who have sold this world for the Hereafter. We can only acquire their qualities of bravery, boldness and selfless sacrifice when we follow in their footsteps regarding their eschewing of this world. We will surely fail, however, if we wish to fight Jihad and strive hard for the cause of this religion without employing the ways and means to achieve such a goal and without severing the material ties that hold us down to the earth..
What we mean by eschewing worldly pleasures (Az-Zuhd) is not the forbidding of the permissible and lawful, such as money, food and marriage. Nor does it mean lowering our heads, keeping low profiles and insisting on assuming inferior appearances. The type of Az-Zuhd which we mean is represented in three points: 1. Forsaking what is forbidden This is an obligation of individual responsibility (Fard 'Ain) for every single Muslim.. 2. Eschewing undesirable things and the peripheral aspects of the legally acceptable things This type of Az-Zuhd is commendable and necessary for members of the Muslim Jama 'ah if they wish to prevail in this life. We have little time for such peripherals, besides the fact that they will distract us from firmly adhering to and working for our faith. 3. Eschewing life in general by 'having it in the hands' and not making it a preoccupation of the heart If worldly gains disappear after having enjoyed them, one is not saddened by the loss, nor does one rejoice in making such gains after long having been deprived of them. ____________ _________ _________ __
FOOTNOTES
1 Surah An-Nahl (16), Ayah 96. 2 Surah AI-'Ankabut (29), Ayah 64. 3 Surah Ale-Imran (3), Ayah 185. 4 Surah An-Nisa (4), Ayah 77. 5 Surah Al-A'la (87), Ayat 16-17. 6 Muslim and Tirmidhi. 7 Bukhari, Muslim and Tirmidhi. 8 Tirmidhi and Ibn Maajah. 9 Tirmidhi. 10 Ibn Maajah. 11 Surah Muhammad (47), Ayah 15. 12 Surah Az-Zukhruf (43), Ayat 68-73. 13 Surah Al-Qamar (54), Ayat 54-55. 14 Surah Al-Qiyaamah (75), Ayat 22-23. 15 Surah Al-Ghaashiyah (88), Ayat 8-16. 16 Bukhari and Muslim. 17 Bukhari. 18 Bukhari. 19 Muslim. 20 Surah Al-A'la (87), Ayah 17. 21 Surah At-Taubah (9), Ayah 38. 22 Surah At-Taubah (9), Ayah 39. 23 Surah An-Nisa (4), Ayah 74. 24 Surah Ta-Ha (20), Ayah 72.
Extracted from "In Pursuit of Allah's Pleasure" published by Al Firdous Publications, Distrubuted by Message of Islam ____________ _________ _________ __ "Adhere to the rope of Allah and be not divided." (ali-Imraan 103)
Allah said about the Prophet (salla Allahu alihi wa sallam), "So hold you fast to the Revelation sent down to you. Verily you are on a straight path." (al-Zukhruf 43).
O you who believe, obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you.. And if you are in dispute over any matter, refer it to Allah and His Messenger if you are actually believers in Allah and the Last Day. That is better for you and more seemly in the end." (al-Nisaa 59)
The Prophet (salla Allahu alihi wa sallam) also said, "The Tribes of Israel divided into seventy-two religious sects. My nation will divided into seventy-three sects. All of them will be in the Fire except one." They said, "And who is that one, O Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)?" He replied, "[The one following] what I and my Companions are upon." (al-Tirmidhi, it is hasan) __ "O Allah.. Lord of Power (And Rule), Thou givest power to whom Thou pleasest, and Thou strippest off power from whom Thou pleasest: Thou enduest with honour whom Thou pleasest, and Thou bringest low whom Thou pleasest: In Thy hand is all good. Verily, over all things Thou hast power. "Thou causest the night to gain on the day, and thou causest the day to gain on the night; Thou bringest the Living out of the dead, and Thou bringest the dead out of the Living; and Thou givest sustenance to whom Thou pleasest, without measure." (3: 26-27) http://in.groups.yahoo.com/group/Precious_Teachings_Of_Islam/message/5587 |
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