—and become heedless of obeying Allah. At such moments he must call to mind the bliss of the Hereafter, weigh it against this transient worldly pleasure, then school his soul and incline it toward that everlasting delight, saying, “O Allah, the true life is the life of the Hereafter.”
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, spoke the plain truth: however splendid this worldly life may seem, it is doomed to perish, and in any event it is encircled by sorrow, beset with calamities, and marked by deficiency. As the poet wisely said:
No sweetness remains in living when its pleasures are clouded
by thoughts of looming death and anxious cares.
Worldly life will end in one of two ways:
- Extreme old age, when a person reverts to a child-like state—physical weakness coupled with mental frailty—becoming a burden even to his own family;
- Or death itself. How, then, can a rational person find true enjoyment in such a life? Were it not for the hope he pins on the Hereafter and the reward he expects there, his existence would be futile.
In any case, Allah commanded His Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, to keep himself patient alongside those who call upon their Lord morning and evening, seeking His Face. The verse does not instruct him to stay only with the weak, even though that was the occasion of revelation; the lesson lies in the universality of its wording. Whoever calls upon Allah and worships Him—weak or strong, poor or rich—stay with them always.
Yet in most cases it is the notables and the elite who stand farthest from the religion, whereas the downtrodden are nearer to it.