Make the akhirah your target
مَّن كَانَ يُرِيدُ ٱلْعَاجِلَةَ عَجَّلْنَا لَهُۥ فِيهَا مَا نَشَآءُ لِمَن نُّرِيدُ ثُمَّ جَعَلْنَا لَهُۥ جَهَنَّمَ يَصْلَىٰهَا مَذْمُومًۭا مَّدْحُورًۭا
Whoever desires this fleeting world ˹alone˺, We hasten in it whatever We please to whoever We will; then We destine them for Hell, where they will burn, condemned and rejected. [17:18]
In this ayah Allah uses word ‘aajilah to refer to the dunya, which literally means immediate, now – compared to the akhirah which will be later. This is a test of intention and effort, and especially belief, because the akhirah is part of the unseen.
This is why the Quraysh were not interested and kept challenging Prophet Muhammad ﷺ to bring them proof of it. They once asked him to prove it existed by raining stones from the sky, stupidly asking for their own punishment.
The formula for success
وَمَنْ أَرَادَ ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةَ وَسَعَىٰ لَهَا سَعْيَهَا وَهُوَ مُؤْمِنٌۭ فَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ كَانَ سَعْيُهُم مَّشْكُورًۭا
But whoever desires the Hereafter and makes efforts for it as due, while he is a believer, then, the effort of such people is appreciated! [17:19]
This ayah gives us the three ingredients.
1) Intention – however this on its own is not sufficient. You can’t just hope for the akhirah, you have to work for it, therefore the second part is:
2) Making an effort towards it with your actions
3) Being a believer
Following these three steps will lead you to the ultimate reward – your actions will be thanked and rewarded.
How to be Prophet Muhammad‘s ﷺ companion in Jannah
Prophet Muhammad ﷺ used to have many people who would volunteer to serve him and see to his needs. One of them was Rabi’ah ibn Ka’b, who narrated the following hadith:
I spent the night with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and I brought him water for his ablution and his needs. The Prophet said to me, “Ask.” I said, “I ask for your companionship in Paradise.” The Prophet said, “And anything else besides that?” I said, “That is all.” The Prophet said, “Then help me do it for you by prostrating often.” (Muslim)
The Prophet’s ﷺ answer when Rabi’ah (may Allah be pleased with him) said he wanted to be his companion in Jannah was that he could make dua for it, but Rabi’ah had to do his part as well by increasing his salah and putting in the effort from his side.
Some people say they want Jannah while at the same time cheating in business, being involved with riba, alcohol etc. Your actions have to match your goal; Allah only accepts pure actions.
Make the akhirah your target
As the saying goes, failing to plan is planning to fail. If you want the akhirah, make it your goal and plan how to achieve it. The route to get there is using the formula laid out in the ayah above: imaan, actions based on the sunnah, and the intention to do it for Allah’s sake.
For those who do this, their efforts will be rewarded. If you do the opposite, it’s a path to Hell. This is why Allah continuously reminds us of the right path.
Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“Whoever makes the Hereafter his goal, Allah makes his heart rich, and organizes his affairs, and the world comes to him whether it wants to or not. And whoever makes the world his goal, Allah puts his poverty right before his eyes, and disorganizes his affairs, and the world does not come to him, except what has been decreed for him.” (Tirmidhi)
There are many different hadith where Prophet Muhammad ﷺ says that if your main concern is the akhirah, the dunya will come to you. But if your concern is the dunya, you will be defeated by it. And you will lose your akhirah, so it is a lose-lose scenario.
We ask Allah to make our target His pleasure in the akhirah, and make us among those who follow the footsteps of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and will be his companions in Jannah. Ameen.
Based on the Ramadan reflection on Night 10 by Shaykh Haytham Tamim. Transcribed by Hana Khan.
Immediate gratification and the akhirah
By Samia Ahmed
Allah says:
“Whoever desires the immediate, We hasten for him from it what We will to whom We intend. Then We have made for him Hell, which he will enter to burn, censured and banished.” (Surah al-Isra 17:18)
This ayah is comforting.
It speaks to something deeply human. The pull of immediacy. The craving for the here and now. The desire to see results instantly, to taste reward quickly, to hold success in our hands without delay.
“Whoever desires the immediate…”
The word carries the meaning of that which is hastened, the dunya in its visible, accessible form. We are drawn to what is in front of us. Immediate gratification feels tangible. The akhirah feels distant.
And this is the test.
Do we truly want the Hereafter?
Or do we only hope for it while working for the dunya.
Allah continues in the next ayah:
“But whoever desires the Hereafter and strives for it as he should while he is a believer, it is those whose effort is ever appreciated.”(Surah al-Isra 17:19)
Here Allah lays down three foundations.
Desire.
Effort.
Belief.
It is not enough to say we want Jannah. Desire alone does not elevate. Hope alone does not transform.
We must strive. We must act. And our striving must emanate from a place of iman.
This is where sincerity is tested.
If we are working for the akhirah, is the intention sound. Is it purely for Allah. Or is it still mixed with reputation, recognition, comfort.
Allah reminds us elsewhere:
“Whoever desires the harvest of the Hereafter, We increase for him in his harvest. And whoever desires the harvest of this world, We give him thereof, but he will have no share in the Hereafter.” (Surah ash-Shura 42:20)
The dunya is not condemned. But prioritising it over the Akhirah distorts the heart.
The obstacle to belief has often been this attachment to immediacy. The rejection of the Akhirah is rooted in impatience. People want proof they can touch. Reward they can see. Power they can measure now.
But sabr is the bridge.
Iman requires patience. Effort requires delay. Purification requires restraint.
The Prophet ﷺ said, “The intelligent one is the one who controls himself and works for what is after death. And the incapable one is the one who follows his desires and merely hopes in Allah.” (Tirmidhi)
Hope without work is illusion.
Desire without discipline is self-deception.
When given the choice between immediate gain and eternal reward, where does the heart lean. That is the real measure.
If we say we want Jannah, we must ask ourselves honestly.
Are we working for it.
Are we purifying our intentions.
Are we crystal clear in our dealings.
Allah says:
“That home of the Hereafter We assign to those who do not desire exaltedness upon the earth or corruption.” (Surah al-Qasas 28:83)
Purity is not only ritual. It is moral. It is internal. It is how we deal with people. How we speak. How we restrain ego. How we carry trust.
And above Jannah itself is something greater.
The pleasure of Allah.
Allah says:
“And the pleasure of Allah is greater.” (Surah at-Tawbah 9:72)
Rida of Allah is the ultimate goal. Not status. Not applause. Not even the gardens alone.
When the heart is purified, when belief is firm, when intention is sound, when action follows consistently, then a servant begins to taste something deeper than immediate gratification.
Contentment.
Clarity.
Direction.
Immediate gratification promises pleasure but often leaves emptiness.
The akhirah requires patience but delivers permanence.
So, the question is not whether we say we want the Hereafter.
The question is whether our daily choices reflect it.
Do we choose sabr over impulse.
Integrity over advantage.
Sincerity over image.
Surah al-Isra 17:18 is not simply about punishment. It is about alignment. What you truly desire determines what you are given.
May Allah purify our desires.
May He grant us sincere belief, sound intention and consistent action.
May He grant us His pleasure, which is greater than all else.
Ameen.
Samia