Riyad al-Salihin - Al-Nawawi - (1/222)

Riyad al-SalihinAl-Nawawi

and its inhabitants suppose they have full control over it, Our command comes upon it, by night or by day, and We turn it into a mown field, as though it had not flourished the day before. Thus do We clarify the signs for a people who reflect (Yunus 24).

The Exalted One also says:

“Give them the parable of the life of this world: it is like water We send down from the sky; with it the plants of the earth mingle and then become dry chaff (1) scattered by the winds. Allah is Able to do all things. Wealth and children are the adornment of the worldly life, but enduring righteous deeds are better with your Lord for reward and better for hope.” (Al-Kahf 45–46)

He, the Most High, says:

“Know that the life of this world is only play, amusement, adornment, mutual boasting among you, and rivalry in wealth and children. It is like rain (2) whose growth delights the tillers; then it withers and you see it turn yellow, then it becomes debris. In the Hereafter there is severe punishment, and forgiveness from Allah and His good pleasure. The life of this world is nothing but the enjoyment of delusion.” (Al-Hadid 20)

He also says:

“The love of desires has been made attractive to people—women, children, great hoards of gold and silver, fine-branded horses (3), livestock, and cultivated land. Such is the enjoyment of the worldly life, yet with Allah lies the best destination.” (Al-ʿImran 14)

And He says:

“O people, the promise of Allah is true; so let not the life of this world deceive you, nor let the Deceiver (4) delude you about Allah.” (Fatir 5)

He, the Most High, says:

“Greed for increase (5) has distracted you until you visit the graves. No indeed—you will soon know; again, no indeed—you will soon know. No indeed; if only you knew with sure knowledge…” (At-Takathur 1–5)

And He says:

“The life of this world is nothing but play and amusement, whereas the Abode of the Hereafter—that is the true life (6), if only they knew.” (Al-ʿAnkabut 64)

The verses on this theme are many and well known.

As for the hadiths, they are too numerous to count, so we will cite only a sampling by way of guidance to the rest.

(1) That is: ground to pieces and broken; tadhruhu means “the winds scatter it.” (2) al-ghayth denotes rain. (3) That is: a well-marked, well-fed, handsome animal; al-anam are camels and cattle, and al-harth is cultivated crops. (4) al-ghurur means Satan. (5) That is: through wealth and speech. (6) That is: a pleasant, everlasting life.

وَظَنَّ أَهْلُهَا أَنَّهُمْ قَادِرُونَ عَلَيْهَا أَتَاهَا أَمْرُنَا لَيْلًا أَوْ نَهَارًا فَجَعَلْنَاهَا حَصِيدًا كَأَن لَّمْ تَغْنَ بِالْأَمْسِ ۚ كَذَلِكَ نُفَصِّلُ الْآيَاتِ لِقَوْمٍ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ ﴿ [ يونس : ٢٤ ] وقال تعالى : ﴿ وَأَضْرِبْ لَهُم مَّثَلَ الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا كَمَاءٍ أَنزَلْنَاهُ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ فَاخْتَلَطَ بِهِ نَبَاتُ الْأَرْضِ فَأَصْبَحَ هَشِيمًا (١) تَذْرُوهُ الرِّيَاحُ ۗ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ مُّقْتَدِرًا * الْمَالُ وَالْبَنُونَ زِينَةُ الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا ۖ وَالْبَاقِيَاتُ الصَّالِحَاتُ خَيْرٌ عِندَ رَبِّكَ ثَوَابًا وَخَيْرٌ أَمَلًا ﴾ [ الكهف : ٤٥ - ٤٦ ] وقال تعالى : ﴿ أَعْلَمُوا أَنَّمَا الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا لَعِبٌ وَلَهْوٌ وَزِينَةٌ وَتَفَاخُرٌ بَيْنَكُمْ وَتَكَاثُرٌ فِي الْأَمْوَالِ وَالْأَوْلَادِ ۖ كَمَثَلِ غَيْثٍ (٢) أَعْجَبَ الْكُفَّارَ نَبَاتُهُ ثُمَّ يَهِيجُ فَتَرَاهُ مُصْفَرًّا ثُمَّ يَكُونُ حُطَامًا ۖ وَفِي الْآخِرَةِ عَذَابٌ شَدِيدٌ وَمَغْفِرَةٌ مِّنَ اللَّهِ وَرِضْوَانٌ ۚ وَمَا الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا إِلَّا مَتَاعُ الْغُرُورِ ﴾ [ الحديد : ٢٠ ] وقال تعالى : ﴿ زُيِّنَ لِلنَّاسِ حُبُّ الشَّهَوَاتِ مِنَ النِّسَاءِ وَالْبَنِينَ وَالْقَنَاطِيرِ الْمُقَنطَرَةِ مِنَ الذَّهَبِ وَالْفِضَّةِ وَالْخَيْلِ الْمُسَوَّمَةِ (٣) وَالْأَنْعَامِ وَالْحَرْثِ ۗ ذَٰلِكَ مَتَاعُ الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا ۖ وَاللَّهُ عِندَهُ حُسْنُ الْمَآبِ ﴾ [ آل عمران : ١٤ ] وقال تعالى : ﴿ يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّ وَعْدَ اللَّهِ حَقٌّ ۖ فَلَا تَغُرَّنَّكُمُ الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا وَلَا يَغُرَّنَّكُم بِاللَّهِ الْغَرُورُ (٤) ﴾ [ فاطر : ٥ ] وقال تعالى : ﴿ أَلْهَاكُمُ التَّكَاثُرُ (٥) * حَتَّىٰ زُرْتُمُ الْمَقَابِرَ * كَلَّا سَوْفَ تَعْلَمُونَ * ثُمَّ كَلَّا سَوْفَ تَعْلَمُونَ * كَلَّا ۖ لَوْ تَعْلَمُونَ عِلْمَ الْيَقِينِ ﴾ [ التكاثر : ١ - ٥ ] وقال تعالى : ﴿ وَمَا هَٰذِهِ الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا إِلَّا لَهْوٌ وَلَعِبٌ ۚ وَإِنَّ الدَّارَ الْآخِرَةَ لَهِيَ الْحَيَوَانُ (٦) لَوْ كَانُوا يَعْلَمُونَ ﴾ [ العنكبوت : ٦٤ ] والآيات في الباب كثيرة مشهورة . وأما الأحاديث فأكثر من أن تحصر فننبه بطرف منها على ما سواه .

(١) أي : مهشوماً مكسوراً . ( تذروه ) أي : تفرقه الرياح . (٢) الغيث : المطر . (٣) أي : المعلمة أو المطهمة المجملة . و ( الأنعام ) : الإبل والبقر . و ( الحرث ) : الزرع . (٤) الغرور : الشيطان . (٥) أي : بالأموال والأقوال . (٦) أي : الحياة الهانئة الخالدة .