The Qur’ān (17:18-21) says: “As for those who care only for (the pleasures of) this fleeting life, We readily grant of it whatever We may please to whomever We will. In the end We consign any such person to hell, where he will burn disgraced and rejected. But those who care only for the life to come, strive for it as it should be striven for, and are true believers, are indeed the ones who will have their endeavours well rewarded. On all – these as well as those – do We bestow the bounty of your Lord. Indeed your Lord’s bounty is not denied (to anyone). See how We have bestowed more bounty on some than on others. But the life to come will be higher in rank and greater in merit.”
Two behaviour models of human beings appear in the ayat side by side. Those who do not believe in the life of the hereafter deserve hell, because they strive only for the success and good things of this world and their endeavours are confined to material objects. Consequently, they become mere worshippers of this world and adopt wrong conduct, for they have no sense of personal responsibility and accountability to Allah, the Exalted, and ultimately deserve the torment of hell.
“But those who care only for the life to come, strive for it as it should be striven for, and are true believers, are indeed the ones who will have their endeavours well rewarded.” As soon as we form an intention to have the reward of the hereafter in whatever we propose to do, that deed of ours shall stand accepted.
Someone who wishes to lead a life based solely on this world, looking up to nothing beyond this earth and its pleasures, will have whatever Allah has assigned to him of these. In the life to come, hell will be waiting for him because he deserved it. This is because those who do not aspire for anything beyond this world are keen to immerse themselves in its carnal pleasures. This however inevitably leads them to hell: He is disgraced by his actions, rejected, suffering severe punishment.
On the other side is a totally different picture: “But those who care only for the life to come, strive for it as it should be striven for, and are true believers, are indeed the ones who will have their endeavours well rewarded.” Someone who desires the rich reward of the life to come must pursue his goal diligently. He should fulfil the duties Allah requires of him. Moreover, he must have faith which serves as the basis of his pursuit for the life to come. Faith is not a matter that people attain through idle wishes, but it is rather an idea that is firmly held as a belief, and clearly endorsed by action. Pursuit of the hereafter does not deprive anyone of the wholesome pleasures of this life. It simply opens up wider horizons before us. Thus, enjoyment and pleasure are not the driving goal. There is no harm in seeking pleasure, provided however that one is not captivated or enslaved by it.
It is proper to mention that even well-meaning efforts made by insisting on bland personal opinion and self-invented ways – which includes common customs of Bidah (innovations in established religion) – no matter how good and beneficial they may appear at their face, but are not appropriate to the effort made for the hereafter. Consequently, they are neither acceptable with Allah nor are they of any use in the hereafter. The ‘effort’ should be in accordance with the Qur’ān and practice of Allah’s Messenger ﷺ (sunnah).
A life that seeks nothing more than the pleasures of this world is fitting only for worms, reptiles, insects, cattle and wild beasts. It is only the life that pursues the rewards of the hereafter that is fitting for man who has been the recipient of honour bestowed on him by Allah. It is Allah who has created man and fashioned him, planting in his soul a secret that motivates him to look up to higher horizons even when his feet are solidly planted on earth.
Yet both groups receive Allah’s bounty which is open to all and restricted to none. There is no Limits to Allah’s Grace. Both – those who seek only this world’s pleasures and enjoy them to the full and those who pursue the reward of the life to come partake of Allah’s bounty which Allah grants to all: “On all – these as well as those – do We bestow the bounty of your Lord. Indeed, your Lord’s bounty is not denied (to anyone).” This bounty bestowed by Allah differs widely, in accordance with people’s means, aims and actions. They differ despite the fact that the scope on earth is very limited and its expanse so narrow. How then will they differ when they are in the other place, where the scope is limitless? How can we compare the expanses of the two worlds, when, in Allah’s sight, this world and all that it contains counts for less than the span of a mosquito’s wings, as stated by the Prophet ﷺ?
“See how We have bestowed more bounty on some than on others. But the life to come will be higher in rank and greater in merit.” This is to show that the seekers of the hereafter have been exalted over the worshippers of the world even in this worldly life. However, this exaltation is not in regards to the good things of this world, rich food and dresses, palatial dwellings, luxurious means of travelling and other grand things. They enjoy that true honour, love and goodwill which is denied to the tyrants and the rich people in spite of the fact that they may be indigent.
This is because whatever the seekers of the hereafter get in this world, it is earned in righteous and honest ways, while the worshippers of the world amass wealth by employing dishonest and cruel ways. Then the former spend what they get with prudence and righteousness. They fulfil the obligations they owe to others. They spend their money in the way of Allah and to please Allah on the needy and the indigent. In contrast to them, the worshippers of this world spend their money in the enjoyment of luxuries, wicked works, corruption and spreading other evil things.
This makes the former models of God worship and purity in every respect and distinguishes them so clearly from the worshippers of the world that they shine in exaltation over the latter. These things clearly indicate that in the next world the rewards of the seekers of the hereafter will be far greater and their superiority far higher than those of the worshippers of the world.
If we seek to have the higher prize and the greater grace, we should aim for the hereafter. For there lies the limitless expanse and scope whose boundaries are known only to Allah, the Exalted. It is for this prize that we should compete, not for the petty comforts of this world.