Page 13 - The Secret Behind Our Trials

THE WORLD IS A PLACE
OF TESTING

s with all living things, Allah created human beings for a
purpose and explains that purpose in the Qur'an, which
A He sent down to guide all people: "Did you suppose that
We created you for amusement and that you would not return to
Us?" (Surah Ghafir, 115) and "I only created jinn and man to wor-
ship Me" (Surat adh-Dhariyat, 56). In other words, all people were
created to serve Allah.
Human beings have a lifespan of roughly 60 to 70 years. But
like an hourglass, time is constantly running out. Everyone will stay
in this world for a length of time that is known only to Allah, for it
follows the destiny that Allah has determined for it and which no
person or thing can change.
Everything in this world will end when its time comes, for "the
life of this world, compared to the Hereafter, is only fleeting en-
joyment" (Surat ar-Ra`d, 26). Everything here grows old and dimin-
ishes as it rushes headlong toward destruction. Time destroys
everyone and everything, and those who attach themselves to this
transitory life stand to lose everything. That is why our Prophet
(saas) recommended to people to think about death and said: "Those
who are most aware of death and prepare themselves for it. They are the wis-
est of people." 1
In his works, the great Islamic scholar Bediuzzaman Said Nursi
constantly reminded his readers that this earthly life is transitory

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