and if that worldly ascent is accompanied by an ascent within the soul—an inner self-aggrandizement—the comedown will be all the swifter, because in that case the lowering is a punishment. When no such arrogance attends it, a return and a lowering must still occur, only more gradually. Allah, Exalted is He, says: “The likeness of the life of this world is that of water We send down from the sky; by it the vegetation of the earth—of which people and cattle eat—intermingles and flourishes” (Yūnus 10:24), meaning that every kind of plant springs forth. “Until, when the earth has taken on its adornment and is beautified, and its people think they have mastery over it, Our command comes to it by night or by day, and We make it like a reaped field, as though it had not flourished the day before” (Yūnus 10:24). All of it is gone. All that finery, all that varied vegetation—every bit of it vanishes as though it had never been. So too does the entire world pass away as though it had never existed. Even the human being himself starts out small and weak, then grows strong; but once his strength is spent he returns to weakness and old age, and finally to extinction and nonexistence. There is nothing that rises in this world except that Allah brings it down.

The Prophet’s ﷺ phrase “of this world” indicates that whatever is elevated in matters of the Hereafter is not brought low by Allah. Concerning this Allah says: “Allah will raise in rank those of you who believe and those who have been given knowledge” (al-Mujādilah 58:11). Such people will never be debased so long as they possess knowledge and faith; it is impossible that Allah should lower them. Rather, He exalts their renown and elevates their degrees in the Hereafter. Allah alone grants success.