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Do not sacrifice your akhirah for a deal

Do not sacrifice your akhirah for a deal
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August 15, 2020
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In Surat al Isra, Allah Almighty says:

Whoever desires the immediate benefits from life, We expedite for him what We decide to give him, to whomever We desire. Then We assign Jahannam for him, where he will enter, condemned and defeated.

But whoever desires the Hereafter, and pursues it as it should be pursued, while he is a believer; these—their effort will be appreciated. (17:18-19)

In this Surah which is very connected with Palestine, Allah connects actions with intentions. As per the famous hadith:

Actions are but by intentions. (Bukhari and Muslim)

Imam Qurtubi said these verses are describing hypocrites. Those who are lying in order to achieve their own ends in the dunya. They are wearing the dress of Islam to achieve benefit in dunya which is temporary, and neglecting the akhirah. Allah will not reward them for their actions they were pretending to do to impress people, in the akhirah because they were not done with the right intention.

People are of two kinds, those who are pursuing the akhirah and those who are pursuing the dunya. Those who want dunya get dunya according to their destiny, but for those who are focusing on the akhirah with ikhlas theirs will be a great reward.

It is not enough to want the akhirah, it has to be accompanied by efforts. Efforts in accordance with guidance. You can’t seek the akhirah with your own suppositions, you have to fulfil the required conditions and follow the guidance. It is not just about hopes and lip service.

Zaid bin Thabit narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace be on him) said:

‘Whoever is focused only on this world, Allah will confound his affairs and make him fear poverty constantly, and he will not get anything of this world except that which has been decreed for him.

Whoever is focused on the Hereafter, Allah will settle his affairs for him and make him feel rich and content in his heart, and his provision and worldly gains will undoubtedly come to him.’ (Ibn Majah)

This shows us that if you are chasing the dunya and doing deals under the table, if you are afraid of failure in the dunya, then it is not a good sign. The Prophet (peace be on him) taught us to be careful and mindful of the akhirah, as jahannum is the destination for those who have no care and give no thought to the akhirah.

Acting without any accountability

We are shocked sometimes by people who are so evil that they are beyond description. The more they are into dunya, the less they care about who or what they destroy  – ruining people’s lives, trampling on human rights to get worldly benefit – to get projects, funding, mentions, followers…

Don’t they think that akhirah is coming? That they are accountable in dunya? And that akhirah is soon? What is wrong with these tyrants and oppressors? If they don’t deliver justice, they should not be in that position. Don’t abuse power.

Make akhirah your aim otherwise Allah will punish you. Let’s think about the akhirah before it is too late. And these calamities which are striking the world are revealing the true nature of people and their character. This is why we ask Allah to always keep us on the straight path. This was the prophetic supplication:

If you decree fitna among people, take me to you without being tested by the fitna.

Our moral compass has to point in the right direction. Not on worldly comforts which will end soon.

We ask Allah to make our focus the akhirah and what will benefit us. Ameen.

Delivered by Shaykh Haytham Tamim on 14th August 2020.

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Shaykh Haytham Tamim is the founder and main teacher of the Utrujj Foundation. He has provided a leading vision for Islamic learning in the UK, which has influenced the way Islamic knowledge is disseminated. He has orchestrated the design and delivery of over 200 unique courses since Utrujj started in 2001. His extensive expertise spans over 30 years across the main Islamic jurisprudence schools of thought. He has studied with some of the foremost scholars in their expertise; he holds some of the highest Ijazahs (certificates) in Quran, Hadith (the Prophetic traditions) and Fiqh (Islamic rulings). His own gift for teaching was evident when he gave his first sermon to a large audience at the age of 17 and went on to serve as a senior lecturer of Islamic transactions and comparative jurisprudence at the Islamic University of Beirut (Shariah College). He has continued to teach; travelling around the UK, Europe and wider afield, and won the 2015 BISCA award (British Imams & Scholars Contributions & Achievements Awards) for Outstanding Contribution to Education and Teaching.

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