Allah has provisioned this world with a number of enjoyable and materialistic things. These are provided to satisfy human needs as well as considered as a test at times to check the obedience. As a Muslim, we know that getting too much involved in materialism can make us obsessed with them as this attraction is too much alluring and have full distracting properties to set us off from the basic purpose of life.
Allah Apostle Mohammed (PBUH) once clearified in front of Sahaba that every nation has a weakness, and Muslim Ummah has the weakness that they lure the worldly pleasures. He (PBUH) further added that there will be a time yet to come when there will be extremely luxurious and highly decorated mosques but Muslims will be far away from the true spirit of Islam.
This World is mortal, and so are its pleasures. Before we even get to know, the joys ultimately end and we start to chase them again. Since they get expired in very short span of time the thirst became limitless and kept the person lured towards it until the time of death arrives.
How to Precisely Use Worldly Pleasures
With reference to Al-Bukhari, our Beloved Prophet (S.A.W.) clarified,
“Muslims should be gratified with every single relieve and bliss they get in life and still fear Allah. They should be like the two persons Allah SWT loves, one who is granted with wealth and gives away a precise amount from his wealth to the needy on regular intervals and other is the one who is blessed with knowledge and wisdom and he shares it to edify people.”
From This hadith, we can learn the true usage of the blessings and abilities that are sanctified to us as provisions. Certainly “sharing” everything precisely with others, especially the deprived ones is the true practice to remain humble. It is a condition that creates harmony and a good aura of humanity which will go farther ahead to serve the mankind. This is authenticated in Quran with complete guidelines that describe the usage and utility of each ability and blessing bestowed on us.
The Worth of Worldly Pleasures:
To get the most of the worldly pleasures while staying on the right path can be determined by following the footprints and sayings of beloved Apostle (S.A.W.) as he describe concisely,
” Become a passenger who aimed to reach his true destiny, who stays for a short interval of time to get rest under the tree of worldly joys and then continues his strive to reach towards his immortal home.” – Referenced from Tirimdhi
By evaluating the either sides of this hadith we get to know that Mohammed (PBUH) didn’t want his followers to restrain from worldly pleasures, instead he sought Muslims to maintain a balance in their lives with enjoining all the bliss and comforts with moral obligations and keep on track of the right path.
Intellects and philosophers give diverse perceptions regarding the life in this world; they all get in front of dead-end where they fail to provide the conceptual analysis, according to reality. The phenomenon can be easily understood through the teachings of Quran and Sunnah.
“It resembles water (rain) which showers down from the sky and moistens the earth where vegetation mingles with it to become fresh and green. Later it dries out into husk which scatters away with wind” – Quran 18:45
Today many Muslims are totally lost in the worldly life; they ignore the call for prayers (Athan) and have forgotten the teachings of Allah and his Apostle. The present situation of people can still become better if they obey the spirit of Islam by heart.
As Muslims, we believe that this worldly life is just a test which has to be passed with firm faith and by avoiding the temptations and attractions that make us weak, diverted and deceived. Allah notifies in Quran about this luring temptation in Al-Fatir;
“Then let not this worldly life deceives you” – Surah Fatir: 5
Since it is human nature that they fears that the sustenance of happiness is requisite, so they become obsessed with attaining more pleasure and luxuries.
Allah (S.W.T.) defines this term as,
The life of this world is nothing but a test; rapidly it will be left behind and take away all worldly pleasures. Only sustenance a momineen will get is the happiness of Jannah which will be provided on accomplishing there trial properly. (Al-Quran 8:28)
