BEWARE OF DECEPTION

BEWARE OF DECEPTION


Allah says in the Quran: 'Everyone shall taste death. And only on the Day of Resurrection shall you be paid your wages in full. And whoever is removed away from the Fire and admitted to paradise, he indeed is successful. The life of this world is only the enjoyment of deception(a deceiving thing).' (S.3, v.185)

Every person who passes through the life of this world shall experience death-or a cessation to this life. Just as the birth, or the entrance into this life, and the continuance of our lives in the succession of days are all part of life, so death is also part of life. For without death as the exit from the life of this world, there is no progression towards the ultimate eternity.

And inasmuch everyone shall experience death as the cessation to this life, so also we will be compensated eventually as regards our deeds in this life, and whatever we may have put forth in the cause of Allah as our provision in the eternal life.

Allah, in His everlasting Mercy for His creation, has given us the guidance to direct us away from the wrong and towards the right. He has mercifully created us with the tools to learn and understand that guidance. And He has also planted in our hearts the seed of knowledge, and the basic sense which guides us or acknowledges the right from the wrong. Then why is it that so many of us are so weak as to arrogantly deny His signs and His directives?

For so many it boils down to the simplicity of the desire to ssatisfy our needs and desires of the moment at hand. In our human tendency to forget, we become overwhelmed by the temptations of the passing pleasure of the moment, and hence indulge ourselves in whatever that pleasure may be-either forgetting (at least temporarily) the consequences thereof, or making light of the truth of those consequences.

Remember that Allah is full aware of all that takes place in this world in all ages and in all places. He is keeping full count of everyone's deeds, thoughts, and speech-to be reviewed at the time of judgement. And He is the most just of all judges. There is no corruption nor inbalance in His judgement. And what ever He passes as sentence-takes place.

Do not wrong yourself by becoming weak and giving in to the passing pleasure of this life. Rather, find the true pleasure and tranquility in abstention from that which is prohibited and enjoying that which is permitted, all for the sake of seeking Allah's pleasure by your obedience to Him in recognition of His guidance.

One of the close companions of the prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was quoted to have mentioned that if it were not a command from Allah (i.e. obligatory) he would not have troubled himself with fasting or praying. He would have spent that time seeking the pleasures of this life. But the knowledge and insight he gained from the blessings of the guidance (i.e. Islamic teachings) led him to realizes that the true pleasure was to be found in following the guidance, worshipping Allah, and seeking His pleasure.

Beware of the deceiving nature of this world, and strive towards eternal success. Read and re-read the guidance of the Quran and Sunnah to refresh your mind always and give you strength.

I pray that Allah will shed His mercy upon us all by granting us the guidance and the yearning in our hearts to seek His pleasure.