WHAT WILL FADE AWAY CANNOT BE THE PURPOSE OF LIFE

Throughout every moment of our lives, we encounter countless blessings and beauties created for us by Allah: the air we breathe, the varied and impressively lovely sights in nature, the splendid beauty in animals, plants and flowers are all examples of this incontestable fact. They, along with many other wonders of the natural world, all have a powerful impact upon the human soul. Yet there is one important fact about the beauties of this world which needs to be understood by man. As our Lord has revealed in His Book, "the life of this world is just the enjoyment of delusion" (Surah Al 'Imran, 185).

The illusory and transitory nature of the life of this world stems from the fact that it is not permanent, that it will one day come to an end. As the Qur'an states, "He Who created death and life to test which of you is best in action" (Surat al-Mulk, 2), Allah has created the Earth and the blessings of the world in order to test man, to separate those who are committed to behaving in a godly manner from those who embrace evil rather than good. Each of us will remain here for only a short time and can only enjoy these blessings for a limited period, according to Allah's will. It is the Hereafter in which people will live their true lives. This is how Allah has revealed in the Qur'an that the Hereafter represents one's true life:

The life of this world is nothing but a game and a diversion. The abode of the Hereafter-that is truly Life if they only knew. (Surat al-'Ankabut, 64)

It is therefore a major error for any person to become disproportionately infatuated with the world's transitory blessings during his brief existence in this life. Recalling that the benefits of this world are ultimately worthless, Allah has issued a warning:

... taking the goods of this lower world, and saying, "We will be forgiven." But if similar goods come to them again they still take them. Has not a covenant been made with them in the Book, that they should only say the truth about Allah and have they not studied what is in it? The Final Abode is better for those who guard against evil. Will you not use your intellect? (Surat al-A'raf, 169)

In one of his hadiths, the Prophet Muhammad (saas) also set out the difference between Paradise and this world with his characteristic eloquence:

Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet (saas) said, "A place in Paradise as small as a bow is better than all that on which the sun rises and sets (i.e. all the world)." The same hadith is reported in these terms by Anas bin Malik, "A place in Paradise as small as the bow or lash of one of you is better than all the world and whatever is in it." (Bukhari)

As revealed by our Prophet (saas), the blessings in this world are merely miniscule manifestations of the blessings of Paradise. No matter how attractive, impressive and permanent the blessings of the life of this world may appear, we must never forget this important truth which lies behind every single one of them. One must know that becoming caught up in the false adornments of this world-which itself is but a mere deception-will lead to disappointment in this world and a horrible fate in the next. At all times, one must act in accordance with that knowledge.

Allah has promised that He will give "a good life" to those who seek the Hereafter. There, they will experience the true life promised to them in the Qur'an. (Surat an-Nahl, 97) On the other hand, there is a "dark and narrow life" for people in the life of this world:

[Allah said:] "But if anyone turns away from My reminder, his life will be a dark and narrow one and on the Day of Resurrection We will gather him blind." (Surah Ta Ha, 124)

ARE YOU AWARE YOU ARE LIVING IN A FALSE WORLD?

Reason is the most important distinguishing feature between believers and unbelievers. Reason, an intellectual gift from Allah, is a characteristic of servants who believe in Him. It develops in proportion to an individual's faith and fear of and submission to Him. Fear of Allah and sincere faith endow the individual with an understanding which allows him or her to act in accordance with the good pleasure of Allah at every moment of his or her life. Using their conscience, such people choose to behave in the manner most compatible with the Qur'an, as a result of which they acquire a high standard of behavior which prevails throughout their lives. Allah has revealed this mercy on believers in the Qur'an:

You who believe! If you fear [and respect] Allah, He will give you discrimination and erase your bad actions from you and forgive you. Allah's favor is indeed immense. (Surat al-Anfal, 29)

On the other hand, no matter how clever an unbeliever may be, so long as he lacks faith, he can never possess the reason with which to correctly comprehend the nature of the world in which he lives, nor what he needs to do as a consequence. That is because reason is a very different thing to intelligence; it cannot be acquired by hard work and experience, nor by solving mathematical problems or by occupying one's self in complicated academic processes. Reason is a power of comprehension and understanding which comes about by the will of Allah and belongs only to those who have faith. Allah has revealed in many verses of the Qur'an how deniers lack true reason. Some of these read as follows:
... Those who did not believe invented lies against Allah. Most of them do not use their intellect. (Surat al-Ma'ida, 103)

The likeness of those who do not believe is that of the beast which, call out to it as one may, can hear nothing but a shout and a cry. Deaf-dumb-blind. They do not use their intellect. (Surat al-Baqara, 171)

The worst of beasts in Allah's sight are the deaf and dumb who have no intellect. (Surat al-Anfal, 22)

One of the principal reasons that unbelievers imagine this world they live in to be real, forget about the Hereafter and seek only to fulfill their earthly desires is that, as revealed in the verses, they have "no intellect." They therefore imagine that their whole lives are restricted to this world. Their narrow-minded perspectives on events and other judgments are nearly all directed towards this world. They see only the superficial aspects of the life of this world, are unable to comprehend its true purpose and spend their lives being totally forgetful of the Hereafter. Allah reveals the following about such people in the Qur'an:

They know an outward aspect of the life of this world but are heedless of the Hereafter. Have they not reflected within themselves? Allah did not create the heavens and the Earth and everything between them except with truth and for a fixed term. Yet many people reject the meeting with their Lord. (Surat ar-Rum, 7-8)

However, the fact is that via the verses of the Qur'an, Allah has provided information about the true face of the life of this world and has warned people not to be seduced by it.

To humanity the love of worldly appetites is painted in glowing colors:

women and children, and heaped-up mounds of gold and silver, and horses with fine markings, and livestock and fertile farmland. All that is merely the enjoyment of the life of this world. The best homecoming is in the presence of Allah. (Surah Al 'Imran, 14)

The life of this world is nothing but a game and a diversion. The Hereafter is better for those who guard against evil. So will you not use your intellect? (Surat al-An'am, 32)

In other verses, Allah has reminded people that they are ignoring the Hereafter, where they will spend their real lives:

No indeed! But you love this fleeting world and you disregard the Hereafter. (Surat al-Qiyama, 20-21)

There can be no doubt that such behavior will inflict eternal losses upon those who do not reflect upon the magnitude of Allah's words.

Imam Ghazali, a worthy Islamic scholar and man of high wisdom, once issued a reminder on this subject, describing how the transitory blessings of this world were dull and worthless compared to those to be granted by Allah in the Hereafter. Ghazali called upon people to seek the good pleasures of the Hereafter:

… In contrast to those peoples' stations, the ranks of the rulers in this world are small and dull-incomparably so. Allah speaks thus of the sultanate of the Hereafter, "Seeing them, you see delight and a great kingdom [sultanate]" (Surat al-Insan, 20).

Elevate the goods of the Hereafter, which Allah has described as such a great sultanate! Full well you know that the world and those things in it are few and worthless. Life is short, the span of the blessings of this world is short and very brief. Yet we muster our souls and possessions to acquire that very little and enjoy it for so short a time. Some of us achieve this, and others fail but envy those who do. They never look to see how they endanger their souls and possessions to acquire this. (Imam Ghazali, Minhajul Abidin, p. 319)

REAL LIFE LIES IN THE HEREAFTER

It is through the guidance of the Qur'an that people learn the purpose behind their creation. They understand how they should serve Allah and they appreciate the truths about life itself. As set out in the preceding pages, we are informed in the Qur'an that "the true life" is that of the Hereafter. As revealed in the verses, therefore, the world we are living in at present is merely a "diversion," "a place of trial." When a person crosses over to the life of the Hereafter, all that will remain of this world will be brief memories in his or her mind. Compared to the Hereafter, the life of this world resembles "the blink of an eye," as in the following example:

Imagine that you are sitting happily by the banks of a river one lovely spring day. Imagine that a light breeze makes the air cool and refreshing. Can you hear the delightful sound of the bubbling waters? Can you see the wonderful flowers, each more lovely than the last? Imagine that you are talking to a dear friend as you enjoy these beauties; imagine you are smelling the pure scent of the flowers on the air and listening to the sweet chirping of the birds. Imagine that as you are enjoying all these sensations you then wake up and find yourself lying in bed. In such a case, you would realize that everything you imagined to be real was in fact nothing but a dream: a figment of your imagination, which suddenly evaporated.

Let us now imagine the same situation after you have woken up. Let us assume that you really are talking to a dear friend, enjoying all those sights and sounds by the banks of a sublime river.

If someone were to ask "which of the two would you prefer?" after you had experienced both, you would of course say, "the one after I had woken up." The reason is that what goes on in our dreams remains in our dreams and benefits a person nothing in real life. Nobody can seriously feel sorrow at what he or she has lost in a dream since he or she knows that these have no effect on real life. No matter how much delight a person takes in a dream, this can never give as much pleasure as when he or she is awake and in the real world.

THE BEAUTIES OF THIS WORLD ARE IMPERFECT AND FLAWED

This world is dream-like. In the same way that the taste and feeling of satisfaction imparted by the apple one eats in a dream are nothing compared to those of the apple one eats when one is awake, so the pleasure one receives from this world's actions is a poor man's version of its equivalent in the Hereafter. In the Qur'an, Allah warns people against the deceptive nature of the life of this world:

... Allah's promise is true. So do not let the life of this world delude you and do not let the Deluder delude you concerning Allah. (Surah Luqman, 33)

Allah created man from clay and breathed His own soul into him; in other words, He created man from "nothing." Allah knows all of the characteristics of human beings and He is fully aware of their earthly desires. He knows of their weaknesses, wishes, the things they enjoy or need, their doubts and fears, in short everything, better than they do themselves. Allah reveals how close He is to us in another verse:
We created man and We know what his own self whispers to him. We are nearer to him than his jugular vein. (Surah Qaf, 16)

Human beings always feel a deep longing for perfection in their souls. As a requirement of the testing they undergo, Allah, Who knows all their desires and passions, has created the life of this world with flaws and imperfections alongside its countless blessings. People, if they wish to be spiritually successful, must strive to overcome these imperfections and rid themselves of flaws in order to pass the test erected in front of them by the Lord. However, one must always bear in mind the fact that it is still impossible for them to achieve the desired level of perfection. Allah has made this perfection unique to Paradise and to those of His servants deserving of bliss.

In the life of this world, a struggle with a great many more imperfections is necessary just in order to survive; human beings, without exception, need to eat every day, sleep, protect themselves from illness, wash and take care of themselves. In exactly the same way, they need to use their reason and conscience at all times in order to protect themselves from the evils of earthly desires and to exhibit proper moral values.

As revealed in the Qur'an, "He is Allah-the Creator, the Maker, the Giver of Form. To Him belong the Most Beautiful Names. Everything in the heavens and Earth glorifies Him. He is the Almighty, the All-Wise." (Surat al-Hashr, 24), Allah's creation is flawless. Our Lord has the power to accomplish all and to create everything He so desires. Yet He encourages human beings to think by creating flaws and imperfections in the life of this world.

When considered in its components and compared to the perfection of the life of Paradise, the wisdom in the imperfections in the life of this world can be more easily comprehended. To give an example, no matter what, an individual can go no longer than two or three days-if that-without sleeping.

There then follows a gradual loss of consciousness and that person loses all touch with reality. Similarly, a person who goes several days without washing becomes dirty and will feel an immense physical discomfort. A person also needs to feed and look after him or herself on a regular basis in order to survive. Falling ill is another serious imperfection. That is because human beings are so helpless that even a germ or virus, so small as to be invisible to the naked eye, can result in sickness and oblige the individual to do nothing but rest for weeks on end. In such an event, the person becomes weak and takes little pleasure from most things. The individual concerned will no doubt become highly dependant on the help and care of other people.
On account of His infinite compassion, our Lord has also created the means by which people can overcome the imperfections they encounter in the life of this world; foodstuffs which confer strength and power, materials which can be used for cleaning and bodily maintenance, and medicines capable of curing illness are all manifestations of Allah's compassion for and protection of His creatures.

Alongside such physical imperfections in the life of this world, there are also spiritual ones: the way a person's heart may be troubled, and feeling of doubt or fear are examples of this. Moreover, earthly passions are never satisfied for long; an activity embarked on with enormous enthusiasm soon becomes wearisome. These are all just some of the imperfections specially created by Allah in this world.

However, let us also note that although the spiritual difficulties in the life of this world turn into great suffering for those without faith, believers live far distant from them. Human beings are created with a great many negative features in their desires; yet faith and a fear of Allah will shelter them from these evils and the weaknesses of their own passions, their own worldliness. Binding oneself to Allah with sincere faith and submission prevents a person from suffering such spiritual troubles as fatigue, despair and sorrow. On the other hand, the above-mentioned spiritual difficulties result in horrible crises for non-believers.

With all these flaws and imperfections He has created, Allah reveals to us the false face of this world which He has created solely to test us in our faith. The individual thus longs for a life in which there is no imperfection, in which everything is flawless and complete-for Paradise. In Paradise, people will live forever with no troubles of any kind, never becoming weary and never become bored of that which they are given by Allah. As He reveals in the Qur'an:

They will say, "Praise be to Allah Who has removed all sadness from us. Truly our Lord is Ever-Forgiving, Ever-Thankful: He Who has lodged us, out of His favor, in the Abode of Permanence where no weariness or fatigue affects us." (Surat al-Fatir, 34-35)

In another verse, Allah has revealed that in Paradise believers will find everything their hearts desire:

The angels descend on those who say, "Our Lord is Allah," and then go straight: "Do not fear and do not grieve but rejoice in the Garden you have been promised. We are your protectors in the life of this world and the Hereafter. You will have there all that your selves could wish for. You will have there everything you demand." (Surah Fussilat, 30-31)

Since unbelievers do not believe in the existence of the Hereafter, they vainly try to fulfill this aspect of their desires from the life of this world. They wrongly think that the more blessings of this world they can acquire, the happier they will be. Therefore, as revealed in the verse, "Leave the person I created on his own to Me alone, him to whom I have given great wealth, and sons who stay with him, and whose way I have smoothed. Then he wants Me to add yet more!" (Surat al-Muddaththir, 11-15), they chase after the offerings of this world with great passion and cupidity.

However, the fact is that no number of material items will bring a person the happiness he or she seeks. That is because the emptiness in the hearts of unbelievers which they seek to fill with material values actually stem from the fact that they lead their lives far distant from Allah. Allah has created human beings in such a way that they can only find peace by remembering Him. Someone who fails to remember Allah wastes his or her life. Such people erroneously imagine that goods, property, rank or fame guarantee great happiness.

Only in the Hereafter will they realize the ultimate hollowness of the efforts they expended in this world. In return for their rejection of Allah in this world, they will encounter bitter suffering in the next. This is such a horrendous torment that they will happily give up all that was dear to them in this world to be freed from it: their families, their friends, the goods they were so deeply attached to and which they sought to add to by working day and night. Allah has revealed the situation of the unbelievers in the Hereafter:

If every self that did wrong possessed everything on Earth, it would offer it as a ransom. They will show remorse when they see the punishment.

Everything will be decided between them justly. They will not be wronged. (Surah Yunus, 54)

If those who did wrong owned everything on Earth, and the same again with it, they would offer it as a ransom to save themselves from the evil of the punishment on the Day of Resurrection. What confronts them from Allah will be something they did not reckon with. (Surat az-Zumar, 47)

... [T]hey can see each other. An evildoer will wish he could ransom himself from the punishment of that Day, by means of his sons, or his wife or his brother or his family who sheltered him or everyone else on Earth, if that only meant that he could save himself. But no! It is a Raging Blaze... (Surat Al-Ma'arij, 11-15)

It is those who have faith and who live for the good pleasure of Allah who will be saved both from the troubles of this world and the eternal suffering in the Afterlife. In the Qur'an, Allah gives those who demonstrate that morality the news of a pleasing life in both this world and the next:

Anyone who acts rightly, male or female, being a believer, We will give them a good life and We will recompense them according to the best of what they did. (Surat an-Nahl, 97)

The great Islamic scholar Abdul-Qadir Gilani has also reminded people not to be led astray by the distractions of this world but to work to gain our Lord's approval and the Afterlife, and that in the event he has exhibited such moral values, a person will find the most auspicious of everything in the Hereafter:

Let not your main endeavors be such simple things as eating, drinking, dressing up and getting married. (That is because these are not ends in themselves, but means to achieve ends. Do not confuse the means with the ends.) Where is the endeavor of the heart and the secret? That is what one must know and find. Have no doubt but that this is nothing other than a desire for Allah. This must be your labor and your most important concern. In that event let your most sincere and serious endeavor be the Lord and the things in His sight…

The Hereafter is the opposite of this world. The Creator is the opposite of the people. Know how to turn from this world to the Hereafter, from people to the Creator…

Everything you abandon in this world you will find in a more auspicious form in the Hereafter. Be as ready as if you had but one more day to live…" (Abdul-Qadir Gilani, Gonul Incileri Ikazlar (Warnings of the Pearls of the Heart), translated into Turkish by Celal Yildirim, Bahar Yayinlari, pp. 27-29)

PASSION AND DESIRE ARE OBSTACLES TO HAPPINESS

Allah reveals in the Qur'an that people's earthly desires contain two distinct elements. One of these is the "conscience," which commands what is good and prohibits what is evil; the other is fujoor, which commands what is evil. The word fujoor means engaging in sin and rebellion: telling lies, turning one's back on what is right, disobeying just laws, moral collapse and that which is an affront to godliness. In other words, the concept referred to here as fujoor includes all the negative features of the human ego. In the Qur'an, Allah reveals that He has inspired both fujoor and conscience, which impels human beings to avoid the former:

And [I swear by] the self and what proportioned it and inspired it with fujoor [depravity] or taqwa [sense of duty], he who purifies it has succeeded, he who covers it up has failed. (Surat ash-Shams, 7-10)

FALSE VALUES OF A FALSE WORLD

Those people who forget the Hereafter and imagine this world to be the be-all and end-all of existence have constructed for themselves a moral system far removed from that of the Qur'an. They may sometimes give the appearance of behaving in line with the attitudes ordained in the Qur'an but even while doing so, they still act with a worldly desire. For instance, people with such a view regard such virtues as truth, honesty, sincerity, helpfulness, humility, self-sacrifice and loyalty as means of looking good to those around them and assuming a specific place amongst them. They adopt certain modes of behavior with that end in mind. Yet that behavior is artificial and transitory since it is built on worldly interests. People who adopt a modest and altruistic approach towards their friends may turn into most proud, hypocritical and selfish individuals the moment they realize that this provides them with no advantages.

Moreover, people who live in such a way are constantly calculating their own interests. Before doing anything, they ask themselves, "What will people say if I do this, what will they think about me, what advantage can I attain from this behavior?" This is an indication that they are considering their own, their spouses', and their friends' wishes and desires, not the approval of Allah. Under such circumstances, virtues such as love, sincerity, goodness, friendship, compassion and patience cannot be permanent, and one sees only false versions of these, not the originals. All there is are temporary feelings that the society of the ignorant built on their false values, turning solely in the direction of the life of this world.

Love

Allah installs the emotion love in the human heart as He does many other feelings. What a human being needs to do is to direct this emotion in the best possible way: in the light of the recommendations given by Allah in the Qur'an. Since believers take the Qur'an as their guide, they direct their love towards our Lord, the Creator of themselves and all the blessings they enjoy, and towards believers who seek to gain His approval.

However, those who are c aught up in the shenanigans of the life of this world are passionately devoted to the wrong things. For instance, they love "people as they should love Allah." Allah reveals this distorted love of unbelievers thus in the Qur'an:

Some people set up equals to Allah, loving them as they should love Allah. But those who believe have greater love for Allah. If only you could see those who do wrong at the time when they see the punishment, and that truly all strength belongs to Allah, and that Allah is severe in punishment. (Surat al-Baqara, 165)

For example, many unbelievers direct this distorted love to the most materialistic pursuits. Their love for property is passionately devoted to this transitory sphere and the very heart itself is thus infected by the shadows of meanness and selfishness. This attitude of unbelievers is revealed in these terms in the Qur'an:

Truly he is fierce in his love of wealth. (Surat al-'Adiyat, 8)

However, the fact is that Allah has revealed with the verses of the Qur'an that property is a subject of test belonging to the life of this world and has warned people against obsession with the material:

Know that your wealth and children are a trial and that there is an immense reward with Allah. (Surat al-Anfal, 28)

You who believe! Do not let your wealth or children divert you from the remembrance of Allah. Whoever does that is lost. (Surat al-Munafiqun, 9)

Aware of these facts, believers are not taken in by love of worldly goods.Since they know that it is our Lord Who endows them with the blessings they enjoy, this is a means whereby they give thanks to Allah.

They use the material means given to them for good deeds which can gain Allah's approval, and seek more in order to use all that they have to please Allah. Prophet Sulayman (as), who was given an enormous treasury, expressed the purposes for which he wanted those blessings:

He [Sulayman] said: "Truly do I love the love of good, with a view to the glory of my Lord." (Surah Sad, 32)

There is no doubt that this virtuous behavior by Prophet Sulayman (as) shows the way in which believers should look at the riches of this world. People should always direct their love towards our Lord, Who protects them at all times and provides limitless blessings, according to His will.

One of the most noticeable signs of false love-love based on values other those of the Qur'an-is the choice of friends. The fundamental logic behind the friendship of those who fail to consider the existence of the Hereafter is generally built upon ensuring the greatest mutual benefit in this world. Both sides have specific characteristics sought by the other and they look for a friend who can offer them material and emotional benefits of various sorts. The aim is to attain respect and prestige in the eyes of wider society.

THE LIVES OF BELIEVERS WHO HAVE UNDERSTOOD THE TRANSITORY NATURE OF THE BLESSINGS OF THIS WORLD

In the preceding chapters, we revealed the attitudes of those people taken in by the enjoyment of the transitory world, together with the reasons for them, and also considered, with examples, the differences between believers and unbelievers. In this chapter, we shall be considering, in more detail, the power of understanding of believers and the superior moral values they live by.

THEY ADOPT THE LIFESTYLE APPROVED OF BY ALLAH

The believers know that the life of this world is a test and that the blessings of the world are made to appear attractive as an element of that test. Since they are aware of the transitory nature of all these blessings, they expend their energies in order to attain their eternal, true lives and Paradise. On account of His great mercy, our Lord allows His servants who expend great efforts for the Hereafter to make use of the blessings of this world in the best possible manner.

In the Qur'an, Allah has revealed the manner of life that people should lead and the moral values which they should adopt. As revealed in the verse, "I only created jinn and man to worship Me." (Surat adh-Dhariyat, 56), someone who understands that the purpose behind creation is to serve Allah attains the best possible path, both in this world and the next, by taking the Qur'an as a guide. Such people use all the means at their disposal in the life of this world in order to please Allah and attain His true path. As a consequence, they also acquire the moral values approved of by Allah and live a life that will be pleasing to Him. Allah has praised these moral values of believers in the Qur'an in the words:

Who could say anything better than someone who summons to Allah and acts rightly and says, "I am one of the Muslims"? (Surah Fussilat, 33)

On account of these superior moral values, believers enjoy very pleasant lives: the exact opposite of the troubled lives led by unbelievers. They take great pleasure in all they do and in every blessing available to them. They are content with whatever event Allah places in their path. As well as living so happily in the life of this world, they are also a blessing to other people with their pleasant and assured behavior. They are exceedingly sensitive, helpful and affectionate to other people. They help their parents, orphans, the poor, stranded travelers and anyone in need solely because they seek Allah's approval. This feature of believers is revealed in these terms in the Qur'an:

They will ask you what they should give away. Say: "Any wealth you give away should go to your parents and relatives and to orphans and the very poor and travelers." Whatever good you do, Allah knows it. (Surat al-Baqara, 215)

… Whatever good you give away is to your own benefit, when you give desiring only the face of Allah. Whatever good you give away will be repaid to you in full. You will not be wronged. (Surat al-Baqara, 272)

Believers, who live by the moral values of the Qur'an, exhibit pleasing attitudes at every moment of their lives. They act in accordance with these moral values in instances of injustice they may encounter in their daily lives. Even in cases which might damage their own interests, they still support what is right and true.

They are also very honest in their business dealings. Due to their fear of Allah they behave in the manner ordained in the verse, "Give full measure when you measure and weigh with a level balance. That is better and gives the best result" (Surat al-Isra', 35).

They are also fastidious about maintaining the bounds set by Allah and are fearful of transgressing Allah's laws. Among people who have no fear of Allah and belief in the Hereafter, one can encounter mutual deception in business life and partnerships and attitudes aimed at unfair profits. It is revealed in the Qur'an how Prophet Dawud (as) addressed the litigants who came to him in these terms: "Truly many partners are unjust to one another-except those who believe and do right actions, and how few they are!" (Surah Sad, 24). Here, the Qur'an is drawing attention to this environment of insecurity and injustice which prevails among unbelievers.

The proper behavior of those who believe can be seen in whatever environment they may be found. Their modesty, forgiveness and tolerance, and the way they respond to wickedness with goodness are all features of the superior moral virtues of believers. Allah reveals that believers respond to wickedness inflicted on them with patience and goodness thus in the Qu'ran:

They will be given their reward twice over because they have been steadfast and because they ward off the bad with the good and give from what we have provided for them. (Surat al-Qasas, 54)

Ward off evil with what is better. We know very well what they express. (Surat al-Muminun, 96)

A good action and a bad action are not the same. Repel the bad with something better and, if there is enmity between you and someone else, he will be like a bosom friend. (Surah Fussilat, 34)

Believers respond with a forgiving approach when they encounter negative behavior and act in such a way as to set an example, be useful and point to proper moral values. This is how Allah reveals to believers the moral values of which He will approve:

Make allowances for people, command what is right, and turn away from the ignorant. (Surat al-A'raf, 199)

The repayment of a bad action is one equivalent to it. But if someone pardons and puts things right, his reward is with Allah. Certainly He does not love wrongdoers. (Surat ash-Shura, 40)

Mockery, which can frequently be seen among people who have no belief in the Hereafter, is one of the forms of behavior which believers avoid. As a requirement of the verse, "You who believe! People should not ridicule others who may be better than themselves; nor should any women ridicule other women who may be better than themselves. And do not find fault with one another or insult each other with derogatory nicknames. How evil it is to have a name for evil conduct after coming to faith! Those people who do not turn from it are wrongdoers." (Surat al-Hujurat, 11), they adopt such an attitude towards anyone, no matter what the circumstances.

In a society where people live by the moral values of the Qur'an, fear Allah, think about the Hereafter and seek to gain the approval of our Lord, a peaceful and secure life prevails. The attitudes of believers, who have assumed the moral values of the Qur'an, the best suited to human nature, represent excellent examples for everyone. This message may-by the will of Allah-be a means by which the hearts in question warm to faith and adopt the moral values of the Qur'an.

One of the main reasons for believers having such pleasing moral values is their fear of Allah. At the same time, because they value the life of this world only as much as Allah has ordained, they never become caught up in passions and desires or exhibit extreme behavior. They make every effort to live by the moral values which Allah has revealed, those of which He approves of. They never forget that the blessings created by Allah on Earth are merely to test people and are simply the enjoyment of the life of this world. Thanks to this understanding, it is easy for them to exhibit the best behavior at all times.

THE TRUE SPHERE OF LIFE: THE HEREAFTER

We have so far concentrated on the way that the world is a temporary and deceptive place, full of seductive delusion and false baubles. It has also been explained that it is the eternal life in the Hereafter that will be the true abode. In this chapter, we shall be seeing how the Hereafter, the true sphere of life which every human being will come to after death and live for all eternity, will be a very different thing for believers and unbelievers.

THE ORIGINALS OF ALL THINGS ARE IN THE HEREAFTER

The definition in the Qur'an of the Afterlife as the "true life" is a matter which all people should consider, which all people should reflect upon. This expression in the Qur'an reveals that everything we imagine to be real in the life of this world is in fact very different. This life we live, the values which people spend a lifetime following, and all the beautiful things they seek to acquire are all "false" in comparison to the Hereafter. In other words, this world is full of false passions, false emotions, false successes, false loves and false friendships for those who do not seek the approval of Allah.

Believers, on the other hand, will experience in this world the happiness of hoping for Paradise, joy in the Afterlife and the "true" and "complete" versions of such emotions as joy and happiness. That being the case, a person needs to ask him or herself this: "If everything I experience in this world is false and I can only encounter the originals of them in the Hereafter, why should I make do with what is transitory and deceptive and lose, because of them, their eternal and original counterparts? Why should I not strive to attain beauties which will never fade and which will exist for ever?"

If a person asks him or herself that question with all due sincerity and answers it with the same sincerity, then he or she will strive for the truth and live a happy life in this world and also in the next. The answer to these questions that every rational person will give is, of course, "My most important aim in this world is to abide by the approval of Allah and to strive for my true life, which will last for all eternity in the Hereafter." Another question which every person capable of seeing this must ask him or herself with the same logic is that addressed by the person to his people, as revealed in the Qur'an:

"Why indeed should I not worship Him Who brought me into being, Him to Whom you will be returned?" (Surah Ya Sin, 22)

Human beings will eventually be directed to Allah and will encounter the original counterparts of all worldly things in the Hereafter. For that reason, they must sincerely consider the Hereafter, revealed as the "true life" in the Qur'an, and to live by the moral values of the Qur'an by giving thanks to our Lord, Who gave human beings such a great blessing with His infinite mercy and kindness.

THE HEREAFTER: PAIN FOR UNBELIEVERS, HAPPINESS FOR BELIEVERS

Everything which the human being desires lies waiting for him in the Afterlife, providing he spends his life in this world pursuing the pleasure of Allah. In the life of Paradise, there will be the blessings of infinite abundance and beauty. At the same time, believers will also experience enormous spiritual joy in Paradise and will feel such emotions as happiness, love, joy, peace and security in a far more powerful manner than in their earthly lives. Unbelievers, on the other hand, will experience pain and unimaginable torment in Hell, described in the Qu'ran as a fire "fueled by men and stones." Allah has revealed in the Qur'an that the Hereafter will be full of severe torment for unbelievers but full of blessings for the believers:

When Our signs are recited to such a person, he turns away arrogantly as if he had not heard, as if there was a great weight in his ears. So give him news of a painful punishment. (Surah Luqman, 7)

Their Lord gives them the good news of His mercy and good pleasure and Gardens where they will enjoy everlasting delight. (Surat at-Tawba, 21)

The sufferings the unbelievers will experience in the Hereafter will be incomparably greater than those in this world. Unbelievers will be punished with a torment they have never imagined and the like of which they have not previously experienced. The expression "blazing fire" is used in several verses of the Qur'an in order to describe the fierceness of the flames of Hell. In other verses, that fierceness is described as follows:

But no! It is a Raging Blaze. Stripping away the limbs and scalp. (Surat al-Ma'arij, 15-16)

Unlike this fierce torment in Hell, a very happy and peaceful environment has been prepared for the people of Paradise. Allah, in His mercy, has created Paradise for His faithful servants in the best and most perfect manner. Allah is pleased with them and will reward them with eternal joy. In the Qur'an, the following is stated:

Allah has promised the men and women of the believers Gardens with rivers flowing under them, remaining in them timelessly, for ever, and fine dwellings in the Gardens of Eden. And Allah's good pleasure is even greater. That is the great victory. (Surat at-Tawba, 72)

Allah has revealed the difference between Paradise and Hell in another verse:

An image of the Garden which is promised to those who guard against evil: in it there are rivers of water which will never spoil and rivers of milk whose taste will never change and rivers of wine, delightful to all who drink it, and rivers of honey of undiluted purity; in it they will have fruit of every kind and forgiveness from their Lord. Is that like those who will be in the Fire timelessly, for ever, with boiling water to drink which lacerates their bowels? (Surah Muhammad, 15)

Imam Ghazali has invited people to think rationally on this matter by considering in his commentaries the sharp differences, as regards to pains and blessings, between Paradise and Hell:

Know that there is another home (And that is Paradise) in contrast to sorrow and sadness (i.e. flame), the abode of Hell you know. Consider the blessings and joys it will impart. That is because he who is far removed from one of these will definitely find a decision in the other. Think long and hard about the terrors of Hell and fix them in your heart. Also think long and hard about the eternal blessings promised to the people of Paradise and fix a hope in your heart. Drive earthly desires with the whip of fear and bring them to the true path by means of hope. In this way you will attain a great existence and be saved from a painful torment. Consider the people of Paradise, on whose faces is the beauty of the blessings of Paradise.

DEATH CAN COME AT ANYTIME!

With characteristic wisdom, the revered Islamic scholar Imam Ghazali has recommended all people to question their consciences:

You must know that this world is not actually everlasting. Either you will leave it, or it will leave you! Hassan says that: "Even if the blessings of this world continue, your life will one day come to an end. That being the case what is the meaning of chasing after the life of this world and spending one's valuable life in doing so?"

If you think rationally, you will see that this world is not everlasting. The benefits it brings cannot compensate for the damage and troubles it will inflict. In the same way that the body grows weary and departs in this world, so your heart is also occupied. In the Hereafter is a terrible suffering and long reckoning. In understanding these truths you will abandon the excess things of this world and make do with those necessary for you to worship the Lord.

… Can the serving and worship of the Lord, with Whom you will remain alone and for ever, be abandoned in favor of other people? That Lord Who meets the needs of the day, is everyone's support and everyone's shelter in times of trouble and violence. He is everyone's partner and everyone stands in need of His mercy. ((Imam Ghazali, Minhajul Abidin, pp. 145, 157, 147)
A person's life in this world will inevitably come to an end one day. As Imam Ghazali recalls, the benefits of the life of this world will be unable to make good the damages and troubles which will be suffered by those who waste their time on the sphere of this world.

It is revealed in the Qur'an that Allah will ask such people how many years they lived on the Earth and their reply is revealed thus:

He [Allah] will say: "How many years did you tarry on the Earth?" They will say: "We tarried there for a day or part of a day. Ask those able to count!" He will say: "You only tarried there for a little while if you did but know!" (Surat al- Muminun, 112-14)

These verses show that when a person goes to the Hereafter, a person will understand that he or she has spent far less than a day in this world and even "just one hour of a single day" (Surat al-Ahqaf, 35). All that will remain of his or her long years of endeavor in the life of this world will be a few brief memories in the mind, and everything belonging to this world will vanish.

Despite this, unbelievers will proceed to the Hereafter under a heavy load. In the verse "Those who deny the meeting with Allah have lost, so that, when the Hour comes upon them suddenly, they will say: 'Alas for what we neglected there!' They will bear their burdens on their backs. How evil is what they bear!" (Surat al-An'am, 31), Allah reveals that unbelievers carry the burden of their sins on their backs. In other verses Allah reveals that unbelievers will remain under this burden for all eternity:

… We have given you a reminder direct from Us. Those who turn away from it will bear a heavy burden on the Day of Resurrection. Remaining in it timelessly, for ever. What an evil load they will bear on the Day of Resurrection! (Surah Ta Ha, 99-101)

Alongside all these truths, a person can proceed from the life of this world to that of the Hereafter at any time. As recalled in the verse, "Wherever you are, death will catch up with you, even if you are in impregnable fortresses…" (Surat an- Nisa', 78).

Death is inevitable. A person may well die at an entirely unexpected moment, and will then be unable to consider these truths, even if he or she wishes to. This will lead to an indescribable regret.

If, on the other hand, a person sets aside a brief time to consider all the truths recounted here, while there is still time, he is more likely to step towards that which will bring him great joy and blessings in both this world and the next. Imam Ghazali has reminded people to question their consciences in this way:

There have been so many people who have been caught by death suddenly before their last breath has left their bodies. The fact is though that all you have consists of but a breath; neither a day nor yet an hour! Turn to repentance and obedience to Allah before even that breath is over. Death may find you before you can breathe a second! One must not pause to think too long on the subject of the necessities of life. You may not live long enough to need them. Therefore the time you spend on that will be wasted, and your endeavors will be in vain. That means that all a person's endeavors for a second day, a second hour, a second breath, will all prove empty, because there is no guarantee of attaining them. (Imam Ghazali, Minhajul Abidin, p. 118)