This World and the Hereafter
From what we have mentioned it will be clear that love of wealth and leadership and
craving after them destroys a person’s Religion (Deen) to the point that nothing except
what Allaah wills remains of it, just as the Prophet (salAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) informed.
The root of love of wealth and status is love of this world, and the root of love of this
world is following desires. Wahb ibn Munabbih said, “From following desires comes
desire for this world, and from desire of this world comes love of wealth and status, and
from love of wealth and status comes making lawful that which is forbidden.” This is a
fine saying, since love of wealth and status is caused by desire for this world, and desire
for this world is brought about by following one’s desires. This is because one’s desires
call to desire for this world and love of wealth and status in it. But taqwaa prevents one
from following desires and prevents love of this world. Allaah, the Most High, said:
“Then, for such as had transgressed all bounds, and had preferred the life of this
world, their abode will be Hell-Fire; but as for him who feared standing before his
Lord, and restrained himself from impure evil desires, and lusts – verily, Paradise
will be his abode.”
an-Naazi`aat (79):37-41
Allaah, the Most High, has also described the people of the Fire as being people who
formerly possessed wealth and authority in a number of places in His Book. He, the
Most High says:
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“But as for him who will be given his record in his left hand, will say: ‘I wish that I
had not been given my record! And that I had not known how my account is? I wish,
would that it had been my end (death)! My wealth has not availed me, my authority
and argument (to defend myself) have gone from me.’”
al-Haaqqah (69):25-29
Know that the soul loves to attain rank and position above its like and this is what
produces pride and envy. However the intelligent one strives, for everlasting and
perpetual rank which is in Allaah’s pleasure, and in nearness to Him, and he turns
away from fleeting and short-lived rank which is followed by Allaah’s Wrath and
Anger and means the person’s downfall, lowness and his distance from Allaah and
being banished away from Him. So this is the second kind of eminence which is
blameworthy and it is wrongful haughtiness and eminence upon the earth. As for the
first type of eminence and wishing for it – then that is praiseworthy, Allaah, the Most
High, says,
“And for this let (all) those strive who want to strive.”
al-Mutaffifeen (83):26
Al-Hasan [al-Basree] said, “If you see a man competing with you with regard to this
world then compete with him concerning the Hereafter.”
Wuhayb ibn al-Ward said, “If you are able to make sure that no one precedes you in
hastening towards Allaah then do so.”
Muhammad ibn Yoosuf al-Asbahaanee, the worshipper, said, “If a person hears of
another person or knows of another person who is more obedient to Allaah than him,
then that should grieve him.”
Someone else said, “If a man hears or knows of another man who is more obedient to
Allaah than himself and this causes his heart to break – then this is not a case of vanity.”
A man said to Maalik ibn Deenaar, “I saw in a dream a caller calling out, ‘O People! The
time for departing and the time for moving on has come.’ But I did not see anyone
departing except Muhammad ibn Waasi’. So Maalik cried out and fainted.
So it is correct to vie for the levels of rank in the Hereafter and to seek and aspire to that
by hastening in that which leads to it, and that a person should not be satisfied with
aspiring for a lower rank when it is within his power to aspire for that which is higher.
But as for the second eminence which is cut off and followed by regret, grief,
humiliation, shame and inferiority – then it is prescribed to avoid this and to turn away
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from it for many reasons. From these is that a servant should look to the evil results in
the Hereafter of seeking status in this world through authority and leadership – for
those who do not discharge its duties justly. Also from them is that the servant should
consider the punishment awaiting the unjust and the proud and haughty and those
who seek to compete with Allaah’s cloak of Pride.
It is reported in the Sunan that the Prophet (salAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “The
haughty will be raised up on the Day of Ressurection like tiny ants in the shape of men,
humiliation will cover them from every side. They will be led in to a place of
confinement in Hell-Fire called Boolas. They will be covered by the Fire of Fires. They
will be given to drink the festering pus flowing from the inhabitants of the Fire.”52 In a
different narration reported elsewhere there occurs in this hadeeth, “The people will
tread upon them with their feet.”53 In a further narration reported through a different
chain there occurs, “Jinn, humans and animals will tread upon them with their feet
until Allaah carries out judgement between His servants.”
A man asked permission of `Umar, radiyallaahu `anhu, to address the people, so he
said to him, ‘I fear that if you address the people you will feel that you are better than
them and so Allaah will place you beneath their feet on the Day of Ressurection.’
Also from the reasons54 for this is that the servant should consider the reward in store
for those who are humble for Allaah’s sake in this world, and that they will attain
eminence in the Hereafter since whoever humbles himself for Allaah then Allaah will
raise him in rank. Also from the reasons for this, and it is not something in the control
of the servant, rather it is from the Bounty and Mercy of Allaah and it is that those
servants of His who know Him and who abstain for His sake from temporary wealth
and status – in exchange for that in this world Allaah gives them the honour of taqwaa
and the respect of the creation. They will also taste the sweetness of having knowledge
of Him, and of Eemaan and obedience – and this is the good and pleasant life promised
to those men and women who act righteously and are Believers. This good and
pleasant life is not tasted by the kings of this world, nor by those who aspire to
authority and status. Ibraaheem ibn Adham, rahimahullaah, said, “If the kings and their
sons knew that which we delight in, they would contend with us for it by the use of the
sword.”
52 Reported by Ahmad (2/179), al-Bukhaaree in al–Aadaabul-Mufrad (no.557) and at-Tirmidhee (no.2492)
who declared it hasan and its isnaad is hasan.
53 Reported by `Abdullaah ibn Ahmad in his additions to az-Zuhd (p.22) and its isnaad contains `Ataa` ibn
Muslim al-Khaffaaf who is generally acceptable except that he makes many mistakes as occurs in at
Taqreeb of Ibn Hajar, and Ahmad disapproved of his narration as occurs in Taareekh Baghdaad (12/294)
54 i.e. the reasons which should cause a person to avoid seeking after eminence in this world.
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So whoever is granted that by Allaah, is preoccupied by it from seeking fleeting status
and temporary eminence, Allaah, the Most High, says:
“The rainment of righteousness – that is the best.”
al-A`raaf (7):26
He, the Most High, says:
“Whoever desires honour, power and glory then to Allah belong all honour, power
and glory.”
Faatir (35):10
There occurs in some narrations that Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, says, “I am the
Mighty and whoever wishes for honour then let him be obedient to the Mighty, and
whoever wishes for honour in this world and the Hereafter – then let him have
taqwaa.”
Hajjaaj ibn Artaat used to say, “Love of status has killed me.” So Sawwar said, “If you
had taqwaa of Allaah then you would attain status.”
Concerning this there is the poem:
“Indeed taqwaa is honour and nobility
Whereas your love of this world is humiliation and a sickness
And a servant having taqwaa will not suffer loss
If he truly has taqwaa….”
Saalih al-Baajee said, “Obedience is authority and the one who obeys Allaah is one in
authority given authority over the rulers. Do you not see the awe they hold for him in
their hearts. If he speaks they accept it and if he commands they obey.” Then he said,
“It is fitting that one who serves You well and then You bestow favour upon him – that
through Your love the tyrants are humble before him and have awe of him due to the
position he holds in their hearts, which is due to the awe that he has for You in his heart,
and every good that is from You if with Your chosen servants.”
One of the Salafus-Saaliheen said, “Who can be more fortunate than one who is
obedient (to Allaah) since all good lies in obedience (to Him)? Indeed the one obedient
to Allaah is a sovereign this world and the Hereafter.”
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Dhun-Noon said, “Who is more noble and honourable than one who is cut off from
everyone except the One who has sovereignty of everything in His Hand?”
Muhammad ibn Sulaymaan – the governor of Basrah, entered upon Hammaad ibn
Salamah and sat before him asking him questions, and he said, “O Aboo Salamah! How
is it that every time I look at you I tremble due to fear of you?” He said, “Since if the
scholar intends by his knowledge the Face of Allaah everything fears him, but if he
wishes by it to increase in treasures then he himself fears everything.”
Likewise someone said, “In accordance with your fear of Allaah the creation will fear
you, and in accordance with your love of Him the creation will love you, and in
accordance with your preoccupation with Allaah the creation will be occupied in
carrying out that which you are preoccupied from.”
It happened one day that `Umar ibn al-Khattaab, radiyallaahu `anhu, was walking and
behind him were some of the older muhaajirs, so he turned round to them and saw that
they fell upon their knees out of awe of him. So `Umar, radiyallaahu `anhu, wept and
said, “O Allaah You know that I have more fear of You than them, so forgive me.”
Al-`Umaree the zaahid (one who avoids the allurements of this world) once went out to
Koofah towards ar-Rasheed in order to admonish and forbid him, and fear spread
through ar-Rasheed’s army when they heard of his arrival such that if an enemy army
of a hundred thousand had approached it would have caused them greater fear.
It was also the case that no one was able to question al-Hasan due to their awe of him,
and his closest students would gather together and ask each other to ask him questions.
But then when they attended his gathering they could not bring themselves to ask him –
to the point that it would sometimes continue for a year, due to their awe of him.
Likewise the people used to fear to ask Anas ibn Maalik questions and about this
someone said,
“The answer is left and not mentioned again due to awe,
And the questioners sit with their chins lowered –
The light of dignity and honour, the sovereign of taqwaa.
So he is the one who inspires awe and he is not a sovereign.”
Badeel al – `Uqailee used to say, “Whoever intends by his knowledge the Face of Allaah,
the Most High, then Allaah turns with His Face to him, and turns the hearts of the
servants to him, and whoever acts for other than Allaah, then Allaah turns His Face
away from him and turns the hearts of the servants away from him.”
Muhammad ibn Waasi` said, “If a servant turns to Allaah with his heart then Allaah
turns to him with the hearts of the Believers.”
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