The Condition of Sowing Seeds in Order to Wait for the Harvest
Islamic ethics does not command completely devaluing and abandoning the world, but rather using it as the most fertile “field” (farm) to gain the abode of the hereafter. It is a condition that those who expect endless blessings in the afterlife must toil in this world and scatter seeds of worship. Shaykh Geylani reinforces this truth with the Prophetic hadith: “The world is a field for the hereafter.” “The harvest is only awaited after sowing; you must do this to be able to reap the crop… Work diligently in sowing with all your being in this world.
Sending Investment to Eternity
A person who works solely for the fleeting pleasures of the physical body has sown weeds in their field; at harvest time (the moment of death), they will only receive pain and disappointment. The wise merchant does not leave the goods, time, and health he possesses in this temporary inn but sends them ahead to the permanent abode of the hereafter. “Send your worldly possessions to the other world. You will find it there in abundance.” When death comes, fleeting worldly possessions remain at the door of the grave, while only the seeds of sincerity, worship, and charity sown here will greet the servant in the endless gardens of Paradise.