The Transience and Deception of This World
According to Islamic belief, this worldly life is a temporary and deceptive trial ground with an end. Becoming attached to the splendor and positions of this world distances one from their true purpose – the Hereafter and Allah’s pleasure. Great saints have seen the world as an old, aged, and ugly commodity, not valuing it at all. Those who enter the world only to cultivate it actually ruin their own Hereafter. When death arrives, all that is collected—wealth, property, and false titles—will bring no benefit; only righteous deeds remain.
Making This World a Field for the Hereafter
Islam does not command completely rejecting this world, but rather making it a means to the Hereafter. As our Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “The world is the field of the next realm. The wise believer invests what they gain in this world for the Hereafter.” They seek their livelihood within the bounds of what is permissible, take only what they need, and prepare for eternal life by spending the surplus in the way of Allah (references 69, 70). Prioritizing this world over the Hereafter means losing both; however, centering the Hereafter brings peace in this world and salvation in the Hereafter.
Purifying the Heart from Anything Besides God
The believer’s heart is Allah’s place of observation; both love for this world and love for the Hereafter cannot fit there at the same time. The person who pulls their heart away from worldly desires draws closer to Truth and attains spiritual tranquility. Although a servant may manage worldly affairs with their hands, they must always keep their heart attached to the Hereafter and Allah. Everything has a purpose; the true purpose of turning away from this world and directing oneself towards worship is solely to find the True God. Whoever finds Allah has found everything; whoever loses Him has lost everything.