Page 17 - The Pains of the False World

ARE YOU AWARE
YOU ARE LIVING IN A FALSE WORLD?

how the transitory blessings of this world were dull and
worthless compared to those to be granted by Allah in the
H e re a f t e r. Ghazali called upon people to seek the good ple-
asures of the Hereafter:
… In contrast to those peoples' stations, the ranks of the rulers in
this world are small and dull—incomparably so. Allah speaks thus
of the sultanate of the Here a f t e r, "Seeing them, you see delight
and a great kingdom [sultanate]" (Surat al-Insan, 20).

Elevate the goods of the Hereafter, which Allah has described as
such a great sultanate! Full well you know that the world and
those things in it are few and worthless. Life is short, the span of
the blessings of this world is short and very brief. Yet we muster
our souls and possessions to acquire that very little and enjoy it
for so short a time. Some of us achieve this, and others fail but
envy those who do. They never look to see how they endanger
their souls and possessions to acquire this. (Imam Ghazali, Min
-
hajul Abidin, p. 319)

REAL LIFE LIES IN THE HEREAFTER

It is through the guidance of the Qur'an that people learn
the purpose behind their creation. They understand how they
should serve Allah and they appreciate the truths about life
itself. As set out in the preceding pages, we are informed in
the Qur'an that "the true life" is that of the Hereafter. As reve-

aled in the verses, therefore, the world we are living in at pre-
sent is merely a "diversion," "a place of trial." When a person
crosses over to the life of the Hereafter, all that will remain of
this world will be brief memories in his or her mind. Compa-

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