O You Who Believe

53)

"O you who have believed, what is [the matter] with you that, when you are told to go forth in the cause of Allah, you adhere heavily to the earth? Are you satisfied with the life of this world rather than the Hereafter? But what is the enjoyment of worldly life compared to the Hereafter except a [very] little."

[At-Taubah 9:38]

Before the battle of Tabuk, some  instructions were given to the believers by Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. This verse is one of them.

Allah admonishes those who lagged behind the Messenger of Allah (salAllahu alayhi wasallam) in the battle of Tabuk, at a time when fruits were ripe and shades tempting in the intense and terrible heat.

In such an atmosphere, some believers became rebellious to Allah's commands due to the enjoyments and provisions in their homes. Allah, who provided them these provisions then questioned the believers that even after they are gauranteed of Paradise for performing Jihad, they still reclining to remain in peace, shade and ripe fruits.

Allah is the Best of Planners and hence knows what each thing will lead to. Allah always wants the best for believers so that they can have the Paradise He created for them. In this verse, Allah shakes the believers and says in this manner that why do you do this, is it because you prefer this life instead of the Hereafter?

Allah next diminishes the eagerness for this worldly life and increases it for the Hereafter.

A hadith of Prophet Muhammad (salAllahu alayhi wasallam) is recorded in Sahih Muslim:

"The life of this world, compared to the Hereafter, is just like when one of you dips his finger in the sea, let him contemplate how much of it his finger would carry."

The Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasallam) pointed with his index finger.

This hadith can be explained simply as: the enjoyment of life is like the provisions a traveler takes.

'Abdul-'Aziz bin Abi Hazim narrated that his father said, "When 'Abdul-'Aziz bin Marwan was dying he said, 'Bring the shroud I will be covered with so that I inspect it.' When it was placed before him, he looked at it and said, 'Is this what I will end up with from this life?' He then turned his back and cried, while saying, 'Woe to you, O life! Your abundance is truly little, your little is short lived, we were deceived by you.'"

The enjoyment of the life of this world may imply two meanings. First: when we will find that the life in the Hereafter is eternal and see that the good things and the provisions of enjoyment are countless, we will realize that the potential and the actual enjoyments of the temporary life of this world were nothing as compared with the blessings of that great kingdom. At that time we will regret why we deprived ourselves of this everlasting happiness and bliss for the sake of a very little and short lived enjoyments of the mortal life of this world.

Second: the goods of this worldly life are of no value in the Hereafter, howsoever abundant they might be. We shall have to give up each and everything as soon as we breathe our last. For nothing of this world can go with us to the next world. Of course, we will get credit for what we sacrificed for the pleasure and love of Allah, and love of Islam. It is the reason why Allah commands the believers to leave their peaceful homes and fight in the way of Allah because only that can save us and lead us to Jannah.

This is why Allah reminds us again and again that the joy of the Hereafter for sacrificing the worldly life is abundant.

Drinking one sip from the rivers of Jannah will make us forget every hardship we faced in life. There is no sickness, sadness or pain in Jannah.

Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that the Messenger of Allah (salAllahu alayhi wasallam), said, "Allah, the Exalted, has said: 'I have prepared for my righteous slaves what no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and the mind of no man has conceived.'"

In various locations in the Qur'an, Allah has mentioned the bounties of Jannah which is the eternal abode of those who sacrificed their worldly life for the Afterlife.

"Truly, the muttaqun (the pious and righteous persons) will be amidst Gardens and water-springs (Jannah). (It will be said to them): 'Enter therein (Jannah), in peace and security.' And We shall remove from their breasts any deep feeling of bitterness (that they may have). (So they will be like) brothers facing each other on thrones. No sense of fatigue shall touch them, nor shall they (ever) be asked to leave it."

[Al-Hijr 15:45-48]

"(It will be said to the believers) : 'My slaves! No fear shall be on you this Day, nor shall you grieve. (You) who believed in Our ayat (proofs, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) and were Muslims (i.e., who submit totally to Allah's Will, and believe in the Oneness of Allah). Enter Jannah, you and your wives, in happiness.' Trays of gold and cups will be passed round them; (there will be) therein all that inner-selves could desire, and all that eyes could delight in and you will abide therein forever. This is the Jannah which you have been made to inherit because of your deeds which you used to do (in the life of the world). Therein for you will be fruits in plenty, of which you will eat (as you desire)."

[Al-Zukhruf 43:68-73]

And the biggest gift of Jannah is when the believers will see Allah!

Jarir bin 'Abdullah, may Allah be pleased with him, reported: We were sitting with the Messenger of Allah (salAllahu alayhi wasallam), when he looked at the full moon and observed:

"You shall see your Rabb in the Hereafter as you are seeing this moon; and you will not feel the slightest inconvenience in seeing Him."

(Al-Bukhari and Muslim)

Things we learnt:

> Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala encourages the believers who are in peaceful homes to get up and go to Jihad in the cause of Allah.

> This is encouraged by Allah because Allah knows that the peace and bliss of Jannah is much more than this and Allah wants the believers to have Jannah instead of the worldly joys and provisions because they are temporary and trivial while everything in Jannah is eternal and abundant.

> Hence, it doesn't matter how peaceful or joyous our conditions are. This is never reason enough to forget Allah and lag from His commands. We must choose the Afterlife instead of the worldly life as that is the biggest test for a believer.

May Allah guide us to the right path.
Ameen.
Wama alayna illal balaghul mubeen.