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life of this world..
princess
02/06/02 at 14:33:45
as'salaamualikum ;-D i have a halaqa to do tomorrow..and i choose to do, "life of this world.." i'm basically wanting some articles to read through, just for my notes..so if anyone has any links or what not, plz, share :) thanks ;-D

The Life of this World is Fleeting Enjoyment..
bhaloo
02/06/02 at 17:48:45
slm The Life of this World is Fleeting Enjoyment Imam Ibn Kathir http://www.islaam.com/Article.asp?id=535 "Know that the life of this world is only play and amusement, pomp and mutual boasting among you, and rivalry in respect of wealth and children.  (It is) like a rain (Ghayth), thereof the growth is pleasing to the tiller; afterwards it dries up and you see it turning yellow; then it becomes straw.  But in the Hereafter (there is) a severe torment, and (there is) forgiveness from Allah and (His) pleasure.  And the life of this world is only a deceiving enjoyment." [57:20] Allah the Exalted degrades the significance of this life and belittles it by saying, "that the life of this world is only play and amusement, pomp and mutual boasting among you, and rivalry in respect of wealth and children." Meaning, this is the significance of this life to its people, just as He said in another Ayah, "Beautified for men is the love of things they covet; women, children, much of gold and silver (wealth), branded beautiful horses, cattle and well-tilled land.  This is the pleasure of the present world's life; but Allah has the excellent return with Him." (3:14) Allah the Exalted also sets a parable for this life, declaring that its joys are fading and its delights are perishable, saying that life is, "Like a rain (Ghayth)," which is the rain that comes down to mankind, after they had felt despair.  Allah the Exalted said in another Ayah, "And He is it Who sends down the Ghayth (rain) after they have despaired." (42:28) Allah's statement, "thereof the growth is pleasing to the tiller;" meaning that farmers admire the vegetation that grows in the aftermath of rain.  And just as farmers admire vegetation, the disbelievers admire this life; they are the most eager to acquire the traits of life, and life is most dear to them, "afterwards it dries up and you see it turning yellow; then it becomes straw." Meaning, that vegetation soon turns yellow in color, after being fresh and green.  After that, the green fades away and becomes scattered pieces of dust.  This is the parable of this worldly life, it starts young, then matures and then turns old and feeble.  This is also the parable of mankind in this life; they are young and strong in the beginning.  In this stage of life, they look youthful and handsome.  Slowly, they begin growing older, their mannerism changes and their strength weakens.  They then grow old and feeble; moving becomes difficult for them, while doing easy things becomes beyond their ability.  Allah the Exalted said, "Allah is He Who created you in (a state of) weakness, then gave you strength after weakness, then after strength gave (you) weakness and gray hair.  He creates what He wills.  And He is the All-Knowing, the All-Powerful." (30:54) This parable indicates the near demise of this life and the imminent end of it, while in contrast, the Hereafter is surely coming.  Those who hear this parable should, therefore, be aware of the significance of the Hereafter and feel eagerness in the goodness that it contains, "But in the Hereafter (there is) a severe torment, and (there is) forgiveness from Allah and (His) pleasure.  And the life of this world is only a deceiving enjoyment." Meaning, surely, the Hereafter that will certainly come contains two things either severe punishment or forgiveness from Allah and His good pleasure. Allah the Exalted said, "And the life of this world is only a deceiving enjoyment." Meaning, this life is only a form of enjoyment that deceives those who incline to it.  Surely, those who recline to this life will admire it and feel that it is dear to them, so much so, that they might think that this is the only life, no life or dwelling after it.  Yet, in reality, this life is insignificant as compared to the Hereafter. Imam Ahmad recorded that `Abdullah said that the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam, said, "Paradise is nearer to any of you than the strap of his shoe, and so is the (Hell) Fire." [Ahmad 1:387] Al-Bukhari collected this Hadith through the narration of Ath-Thawri [Fath al-Bari 11:328].  This Hadith indicates the close proximity of both good and evil in relation to mankind.  If this is the case, then this is the reason Allah the Exalted encouraged mankind to rush to perform acts of righteousness and obedience and to avoid the prohibitions.  By doing so, their sins and errors will be forgiven and they will acquire rewards and an exalted status.  Allah the Exalted said, "Race with one another in hastening towards forgiveness from your Lord, and Paradise the width whereof is as the width of the heaven and the earth." Allah the Exalted said in another Ayah, "And march forth in the way (to) forgiveness from your Lord, and for Paradise as wide as the heavens and the earth, prepared for those who have Taqwa." (3:133) Allah said here, "prepared for those who believe in Allah and His Messengers.  That is the grace of Allah which He bestows on whom He is pleased with.  And Allah is the Owner of the great bounty." Meaning, "This, that Allah has qualified them for, is all a part of His favor, bounty and compassion."  We mentioned a Hadith collected in the Sahih in which the poor emigrants said to the Messenger, sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam, "O Allah's Messenger!  The wealthy people will get higher grades and permanent enjoyment."  He asked, "Why is that?"  They said, "They pray like us and fast as we do.  However, they give in charity, whereas we cannot do that, and they free servants, whereas we cannot afford it."  The Prophet, sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam, said, "Shall I tell you of a good deed that, if you acted upon, you would catch up with those who have surpassed you? None would overtake you and be better than you, except those who might do the same.  Say, "Glorious is Allah," Allah is Most Great", and "Praise be to Allah", thirty three times each after every prayer."  They later came back and said, "Our wealthy brethren heard what we did and they started doing the same."  Allah's Messenger, sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam, said, "This is the favor that He gives to whom He wills." [Muslim 1:416]
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Re: life of this world..
bhaloo
02/06/02 at 17:49:47
slm The Life of This World Is a Transient Shade Abdul Malik Al-Qasim http://www.islaam.com/Article.asp?id=411 "Truly, the life of this world is nothing but a [quick passing] enjoyment, and verily, the Hereafter that is the home that will remain forever." [Qur'an, 40:39] "And know that your possessions and your children are but a trial and that surely with Allah is a mighty reward." [Qur'an 8:28] "And strain not your eyes in longing for the things We have given for enjoyment to various groups of them [polytheists], the splendour of the life in this world, that We may test them thereby." [Qur'an 20:131] "And put forward to them the example of the life of this world: It is like the water [rain] which We send down from the sky, and the vegetation of the earth mingles with it, and becomes fresh and green. But [later] it becomes dry and broken pieces, which the winds scatter. And Allah is Able to do everything." [Qur'an 18:45] "My similitude and that of the life of this world is that of a traveler who took a rest at mid-day under a shade of a tree and then left it." [Ahmad, at-Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah and al-Hakim] "Be in this world like a stranger, or a wayfarer." [Bukhari] "When Allah (`azza wa jall) gives a person whatever he loves of the worldly benefits despite his disobedience, then that is a gradual enticement." [Ahmad and al-Bayhaqi] "The Hour has drawn near, whereas the people have become more greedy for the life of the world and more remote from Allah." [Al-Hakim] Yahya ibn Mu`adh, may Allah be pleased with him, said: "I don't order you to abandon life but to abandon sins. Abandoning life is a virtue and abandoning sins is a duty, so your need for this latter is greater than your need for the former." Dear brother/sister, This life is full of benefits and fortunes: The land on which man constructs his dwelling, and grows his food, drinks, dress... etc., all represents the nourishment for man's body and soul proceeding towards Allah. Man of course cannot do without these vital necessities. the one who takes from these necessities only according to his real need as commanded by Allah is saved and praised. But whoever takes more than necessary for himself falls into covetousness which will lead him into harm instead of benefit, and consequently divert him from the right path towards Allah and the Hereafter. Likewise, taking less than required of the worldly benefits is harmful because the human body needs to satisfy certain basic needs, and that will increase its capability to worship Allah perfectly. `Amr ibn Abdullah said: "The life of this world and the Hereafter, in the heart of a person, are like the two scales of a balance, when the one becomes heavier the other becomes lighter." Al-Hasan Al-Basri was asked: "Who is going to cry more than the others on the Day of Resurrection?" He answered, "A man on whom Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala has bestowed His Grace and who uses that for Allah's disobedience." `Umar ibn Al-Khattab said: "Renouncing the worldly pleasures is a comfort for both the human heart and body." Yahya ibn Mu`adh said: "How can I love this life? A sustenance is decreed for me in it which keeps me alive and helps me to perform the deeds of obedience that will lead me to Paradise." `Abdullah ibn `Umar, radhiallahu `anhu, said: "The life of this world is Paradise for a disbeliever and a prision for a believer. When a believer dies and departs from this world, he feels himself like a prisoner who was released to go freely on the spacious earth." `Umar ibn `Abdil `Aziz said: "The life of this world is not your permanent dwelling because Allah has decreed that it should perish and that all its dwellers should leave it. How many a populated area that will soon come to ruins, and how many a happy resident who will soon leave his residence. You should therefore leave this wolrd in the best way you can, and the best of provisions is piety. Since the life of this world is neither a home nor an abode for the believer, he should be in it, either a stranger whose objective is to take the required provisions and return home, or a traveler who is residing nowhere and who is proceeding day and night to reach a country of residence." A poet said: "Man should take the minimum possible of the worldly pleasures, because he is leaving for a fixed appointment; turn his eyes away from this life and its ornaments, make all the efforts to keep away from its lusts, because it is a place of temporary pleasures and trials, and all the people in it will perish."
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Re: life of this world..
bhaloo
02/06/02 at 17:50:49
slm Quotes From the Salaf About the Life of This World Abdul Malik Al-Qasim http://www.islaam.com/Article.asp?id=412 Sufyan ath-Thawri said: "Man's love for the life of this world is shown in the way he greets people." [Look at a chaste poor man ... nobody talks to him. People greet him so warily as if fearing that he may pass poverty to them. But see how the people welcome a rich man, even if he does not perform prayer. They stand up with smiling faces, and each one hopes to greet him first. Note the difference between a man who is so great as seen by Allah and another who does not even weigh a mosquito's wing - but this is life.] Narrated Muhammad ibn Abi Imran, "I heard a man asking Hatim al-Asamm: 'On what have you based your dependence on Allah?' He said: 'On four points: I knew that my sustenance cannot be eaten by someone else and I am assured, I knew that my duty cannot be done by anyone else, so I kept myself busy with that. I knew that death will come suddenly to me, so I prepared myself for it. I knew that wherever I go I am under Allah's Eye, so I am always shy of Him.'" `Abdullah ibn Mubarak said, "O man! Prepare yourself for the Hereafter, obey Allah to the extent of your need for Him and anger Him to the extent of your patience in Hell." Abu Safwan ar-Ru`wini was asked: "What is that life dispraised by Allah in the Qur'an and that the sensible man should avoid?" He said: "Whatever you love in this life seeking worldly benefits is dispraised, and whatever you love seeking benefits in the Hereafter is praised." Yahya ibn Mu`adh said, "O how poor is man, if he fears Hell in the same degree of his fearing poverty, then he will enter Paradise." Ali ibn Al-Fudayl said: "I heard my father saying to Ibn Al-Mubarak: You order us to renounce the worldly pleasures and to be satisfied with the minimum, whereas you are buying goods, so what is that?" He said: "I do that to protect my face and my honour, and this helps me obey my Rabb." My father said: "How good is that if realised." An ascetic said: "I know none who has heard of Paradise and Hell, then spends an hour of his life without praying, remembering Allah or doing a good deed." A man said: "I weep so much." He said to him: "To laugh and admit your sins is better than to weep and feel proud of your deeds." The man said: "I need your advice." He said: "Abandon the life of this world to its people as they have abandoned the Hereafter to its people." Shumait ibn `Ajlan used to say: "Two persons are tormented in the life of this world: a rich man who is given a great wealth that keeps him so busy with worldly pleasures, and a poor man who is deprived of such pleasures for which he is longing with a heartbreak." Al-Hasan said: "How good is life in this world for a believer because he uses it to prepare his provisions for Paradise. And how evil it is for a disbeliever who uses it to prepare his provisions for Hell." Yahya ibn Mu`adh said: "The life of this world is a house of deeds and the Hereafter is a house of horrors. Man remains between deeds and horrors until he settles either in Paradise or in Hell." One of the salaf said: "Beware of the life of this world because its magic is more effective than that of Harut and Marut. The two latter's separate a man from his wife whereas the life of this world separates a man from his Rabb." Abu Dardaa' said: "Everyone has an imperfection of knowledge and wisdom, if his wealth increases, he becomes so happy though day and night are working hard on destroying his life-span. So what is good of a wealth that increases and a life-span that decreases." Al-Hasan al-Basri said: "I am astonished about those people who are ordered to prepare their provisions, then the start of the journey is announced, however they remain unmindful in their vain discussions and fruitless deeds." A man came to Sufyan ath-Thawree seeking his advice, and he said to the man: "Work for the sake of this life within the extent of your stay in it, and for the Hereafter within the extent of your stay therein." Al-Fudayl ibn `Ayyad said: "Man's fear of Allah is equal to his knowledge of Him and his renunciation of worldly pleasures is equal to his desire in the Hereafter." Salman ibn Dinar said: "What you love to have with you in the Hereafter you should advance today, and what you hate to have with you, you should abandon today." A poet said: "Don't seek anything other than contentment, because therein is the bliss and the comfort of your body. Then consider the case of a person who possesses the whole world, can he take with him in the grave more than cotton and a shroud?"
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