Page 74 - The Truth of the Life of This World

Those who reject faith, neither their possessions nor their (numerous) prog-
eny will avail them aught against Allah: They are themselves but fuel for hell.
(Surah Ali-'Imran: 10)
The Qur'an heralds the end of those who demonstrate insatiable greed
for possessions:
Who heaps up wealth and lay it by,
Thinking that his wealth would make him last forever!
By no means! He will definitely be thrown into That which breaks to pieces,
And what will explain to you That which breaks to pieces?
(It is) hell of (the wrath of) Allah kindled (to a blaze),
Which mounts (right) to the hearts.
It shall be made into a vault over them,
In columns outstretched. (Surat al-Humazah: 2-9)
True wealth belongs to those believers who never show an inner inter-
est in possessions in this world and truly believe that only Allah gives
everything to man. These are actually the really wealthy people in this
world; they do not limit their lives to a mere 50-60 years. Believers engage
in the best trade by obtaining paradise in exchange for this life. They pre-
fer permanent instead of temporary wealth. Allah informs us about this in
the following verse:
Allah has purchased from the believers their persons and their goods; for
theirs (in return) is the Garden (of Paradise): they fight in His cause, and slay
and are slain: a promise binding on Him in truth, through the Tawrah, the
Gospel, and the Qur'an: and who is more faithful to his covenant than Allah?
Then rejoice in the bargain which you have concluded: that is the achieve-
ment supreme. (Surat at-Tawbah: 111)
Disregarding these facts, those who "cling to" this world will soon

understand clearly who is on the path of right action.

Marriage

Marriage is considered an important turning point in one's life. Every
young girl or boy looks forward to meeting the person of her or his
dreams. A good mate is a major goal in life and young people are almost
"indoctrinated" with the importance of finding one, which is certainly a nat-
ural wish. However, relations between man and woman are fundamental-

72 The Lure of Worldly Goods