By Kamil Mufti

This is a fact that none can escape, yet you go after the treasures  of the world and renounce the Lord of Truth.

"Know that the life of this world is but a play and a passing delight and a beautiful show, and the (cause of) your boastful) vying with one another, and (of your) greed for more and more wealth and children." [57:20]

Look at this world with the eyes of your heart, you will find it ugly and loathsome; look at it with your physical eyes and it will lure you to the side and slaughter you.

Be content with whatever Allah has decreed for you. Fear Allah in your innermost being. Implement His commands. Once your heart complies with the Divine Decree, the Lord of Truth will grant you from sources you never imagined:

"And whosoever is conscious of Allah, He will make a way for him to get out (from every difficulty). And He will provide him from (sources) he never could imagine. And whoever puts his trust in Allah, then He will suffice him. Verily, Allah will accomplish His purpose. Indeed Allah has sent a measure for all things." [65:2-3]

Beg of His mercy; turn to Him with a heart full of sincere repentance.

"O you who believe! Turn to Allah with sincere repentance." [66:8]

Stand before your Lord with humility, implore the Dispenser of Grace by His Most Beautiful Names and attributes of perfection. If He fulfills your wish, increase in your gratitude and servitude to Him. If He denies your request, then succumb to the Divine Decree of the All-Wise with a submissive heart. Do not argue or object to His will. Always remember:

"…Allah knows and you know not." [24:19]

Allah disposes of everything as He wills, and commands as He wills:

"He is not to be questioned about what He does, though they are subject to His questioning." [21"23]

If wealth and happiness are destined for you, they will come to you at their appointed time according to the Divine Decree of Allah, the Lord of the heavens and the earth. Do not be greedy but be moderate because you will receive all that was written for you. If you do so, you will earn the displeasure of the All Mighty, and lose all spiritual comfort in this life. Maalik ibn Deenaar once said:

"If you want to acquire true knowledge of Allah, the All Mighty, then consent to His management and planning. Make not your mind and desire, passion or will associates to Him."

O you of sound health but weak heart! Wake up and run to your Creator with repentance on your tongue, tears in your eyes, and sincerity in your heart. Cry before Him, before others cry for you. Make haste, O heedless one!

"Has not the time come for the hearts of those who believe to be affected by Allah's Reminder…?" [57:16]

Remove the veils of darkness that have corroded your heart. Adorn it with His fear and love.

Do you not fear the moment when you will stand before your Lord? There will be no screen between Him and you, nor an interpreter to translate for you. And your Creator will question you. You will find nothing to your left nor to your right but the blazing Fire of Hell. Do what the Prophet of Allah advised you, if you truly fear Allah:

"…So let each of you protect himself against Hell-Fire, be it even with half a date - and if he finds not, then with a kind word."

You are the servant, He is the Master. Prayers come from you, answers come from Him. Abstinence comes from you, protection comes from Him. Repentance comes from you, acceptance comes from Him. Go towards him walking, He will come to you running.

Make your deeds pure for His sake alone, and He will extend His mercy to you. Upload His religion, and He will extend His bounty to you. Follow the Sunnah of His beloved, and He will extend His love to you.

Look forward to your meeting with Allah. It will be very soon. Sooner than you can imagine! Make preparations for this meeting. Get rid of the love of this world from your heart; free it from everything other than the Lord of Truth. Do not buy the world and pay with the hereafter as a price. Do not sell the hereafter to acquire this world.

"…Shall We tell you who are the greatest losers in whatever they may do? Those whose efforts have been wasted in this life while they thought they were acquiring good by their deeds…" [18:103-104]

The Most Wise did not create you to gratify your base desires and passions, nor did He create you for fun, amusement, eating, drinking, sleeping, or having sex!

"I have created the jinns and the humans solely to worship Me." [51:56]

But you are so heedless as if you have drunk the elixir of immortality. You think that the Angel of Death will never squeeze your soul out of your body? You have forgotten that you will pass through the Siraat with the intense Fire of Hell underneath you. You are unaware of the thrashing that awaits you in your grave by the angels of Allah. Hot stones of Jahannam for you to walk on, herbage bitter than aloes, foul putrid meat to eat, your lips to be cut by coarse scissors, getting trampled under the feet of the people of Pharaoh, screaming with your mouths wide open while the hot coals that you devoured come out of your anuses, cutting your own flesh from the sides to eat it, scratching your chests and faces with brass nails - all this awaits you if you do not pay the zakah, if you fornicate, devour usury, slander others, backbite, or malign people's honor.

This is just the grave, Hell is yet to come!

"…the punishment of the Hereafter is greater, if they but knew."
[68:33]