“And no soul knows what it will earn tomorrow.” In other words, no one knows what he will secure in the future—whether he will obtain good or evil, whether he will die before tomorrow arrives, or whether tomorrow will dawn with some obstacle that prevents him from acting. A person may declare, “Tomorrow I shall do such-and-such,” yet he may never carry it out at all. He has no certain knowledge of what he will earn tomorrow; he merely estimates, and events often take a different course.

“And no soul knows in what land it will die.” Man is equally unaware of the place where death will overtake him. Will it be in his own country, in a distant land, in one nearby, at sea, or in the air? He does not know; only Allah possesses that knowledge.

So, just as you do not know the land in which you will die—even though you are free to travel east and west—you likewise do not know the moment of your death. You have no idea whether you will die in the morning, the evening, at night, or in the middle of the day, whether it will be soon or long hence. You know neither the time nor the place of your death.

Given this uncertainty, shorten your hopes. Do not spin out long expectations. Do not say, “I am young; I shall live a long while,” for many a youth has died in his prime, while many an old man has lived on. Do not say, “I am healthy and death is far off,” for many have been struck by a swift, fatal illness, many have perished in accidents, and many have died suddenly. Therefore it is unseemly for a person to indulge in prolonged hope. Let him act instead. This world has its deeds, and the Hereafter has its deeds. So strive for the Hereafter as it deserves, with faith in Allah and reliance upon Him.