We Don't Belong Here

Assalamu alaikum. The human race over time has been living under the constant illusion that its ultimate journey to 'Akhir' (hereafter) is not a reality but rather a myth. We find ourselves inheriting the earth, making the best and the worst out of it and more so oblivious about the essence of our creation. The similitude of man in this world is like that of a traveler who buys a ticket for a journey and boards on a plane that stops over in various destinations perhaps two, before reaching the final destination. Whenever the plane stops over, he will not waste his time trying to go round the town to explore its culture because he is fully aware of the fact that if he does that he risks the chance of reaching his final destination. No matter how reach and beautiful this place is he will still not allow it to take over his senses because his mindset is already focused on the final destination.

Our ticket is the life that Allaah has blessed us with and our final and ultimate destination is teither Paradise or Hell. The first stop over we have is the life of this world, the second is the lonely life of the grave while the last is the final resurrection wherein we will live for ETERNITY. If we allow the life of this world to delude us and we allow the chief deceiver (Satan) to deceive us with worldly passions, then we will risk our entrance into Jannah otherwise we are in. This world is not worth the trouble  look around us today, we are constantly inundated by the footage of carnage perpetrated against innocent, defenseless souls across the world. Recently my country (Nigeria) has also joined this unfortunate league all in the name of politics which does not go beyond material gains. 

Is this the type of life an intelligent person who is on transit will live? of course only the foolish ones will allow the amusements and passions of this world to take over their sense of reasoning. We tend to behave arrogantly and assume that we will live forever even when death is the commonest thing we see around us today. Allah says in the Qur'an: "Everyone is going to taste death, and We shall make a trial of you with evil and with good, and to Us you will be returned". Surah Al-Anbiya: 35

The mention of death often provokes a strong feeling of abstinence, self-introspection of one's own deeds and the horrible nature of the Day of Reckoning which in turn instigates one to increase in his good deeds and prepares his mind for accountability. Our Master (SAW) said in a hadith narrated by Abu- Hurairah (RA) that: "Remember a lot the cutter of delights i.e, death". Our presence in this world is to do Allah's bidding, we are to constantly equate our actions to the pleasure of Allah bearing in mind that a day is coming wherein we all will stand in front of The Almighty to give full and detailed account of all our actions and utterances. Allah admonishes us to do deeds of righteousness in order to better our lives in the hereafter. In Qur'an 54 (Al-Hashr): 18, Allah says: "O you who believe! Fear Allah and keep your duty to Him. And let every person look to what he has sent forth for the morrow, and fear Allah. Verily, Allah is All-Aware of what you do"

Everything around us is constantly reminding us of the temporary nature of this world. The sun rises and it soon hides in the veil of the night, seasons come and seasons go, now we laugh the next moment we cry, today there is hope tomorrow there is fear, we soon loose our youthful age, yesterday's followers are today's leaders, the downtrodden are becoming the most celebrated, our new clothes soon become old, the latest technology soon becomes outdated, old vocabularies are giving way to new ones, latest fashion soon becomes obsolete, friends are becoming enemies and enemies turning  into friends.  And at the background of all these the bigger plan of Allah is taking shape and we are moving closer and closer to our ultimate destination.

Allah tells us in Surah Ash-Shams that every human by his temperament has an angelic qualities as well as devilish traits, whichever of the two he chooses to nurture and nourish so will it prosper and flourish.

"Indeed he succeeds who purifies his own-self (i.e. obeys and performs all that Allah ordered, by

following the true Faith of Islamic Monotheism and by doing righteous good deeds). And indeed he fails who corrupts his own-self (i.e. disobeys what Allah has ordered by rejecting the true Faith of Islamic Monotheism or by following polytheism, etc. or by doing every kind of evil wicked
deeds)." 9-10.

Indeed the constant remembrance of the temporary nature of this world makes us better people and puts us at a vantage point to see this world with a spiritual eye. It is high time we abandoned the life of play and amusement and embrace the life of total obedience to Allah and His Rasul (SAW). We pray Allah makes us among the dwellers of Jannatul Firdaus.