—may Allah bless him and grant him peace. It is precisely this that has ruined people today: their rivalry over the life of this world, behaving as though they were created for it rather than it being created for them. Thus they have occupied themselves with what was made for their service and neglected that for which they themselves were made—an upside-down state of affairs; we ask Allah for safety.

This hadith also establishes the duty to remain patient with those in authority even when they wrong or oppress, for you and they will one day stand side by side before the King of kings. If they have treated you unjustly, you will face them as their adversary on the Day of Resurrection. Never imagine that any worldly injustice will vanish into thin air; the rights of the created must be repaid on that Day. You will stand together before Allah, who will judge between you in perfect justice. So be patient and await relief; in doing so your heart will find tranquility and steadfastness. Expecting relief is itself an act of worship by which you draw near to Allah. And when you look for relief from Him, remember that the Prophet ﷺ said: “Know that victory comes with patience, that deliverance comes with distress, and that with hardship comes ease.”

The hadith likewise warns of the corruption of the age, for times change—and they change for the worse. On one occasion the Prophet ﷺ told his Companions, “Whoever among you lives long will witness much discord.” I think that we—though our stay in this world is but brief—