In this transient world, human beings are as fleeting as everything else. People arrive one by one and leave one by one. Those who depart are followed by those who come after them, and then by others still. Yet some imagine themselves permanent here, only to be swept away in an instant, leaving those behind watching in astonishment. Since the road ends in the Hereafter for every soul, one must strive to depart in a good state. The way to depart well is to live well. As the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) warns us: “As you live, so you will die; as you die, so you will be resurrected.”[1]

Whatever path a person follows in this world becomes the path that will carry them into the next life. That journey will either be a fall or a flight—either a plunge into a bottomless pit or a soaring toward the heights. As one dies, so will they be raised again. Each of us uses our will, like thread, to weave the lacework of our eternity. Its beauty or its blemish depends on our intentions, our choices, and our deeds.

What we call a lifetime is only a brief span. If we fail to enrich it with faith, sincerity, and righteous action—if it never grows into fruitful, ever-blooming stalks—then we have lived in vain. This short life has value only if it becomes a means to eternal happiness; otherwise, what is it worth? A person should be able to turn a drop of life here into oceans in the Hereafter, a tiny particle into a radiant sun. If anything can transform a limited life into an unlimited one, it is the intention of the heart. Even if we were to live thousands of years, what truly matters is our resolve to remain on the same path of devoted servanthood. A person will be judged not by the small number of worshipful acts performed in this brief lifetime, but by the purity of their intent, the clarity of their heart, and the degree to which they were anchored in seeking the Divine good pleasure.

Eternal Gain or Eternal Loss

A person who lives with their heart turned toward God never truly loses. Even calamities and hardships that appear to be losses are transformed into gains for such a soul. They know that these passing afflictions come as wake-up calls, recognize them as ‘slaps of compassion’[2], and meet them with patience. They understand that trials which sting sharply at first can, through the elixir of patience, turn into sweetness. Believing that patience carries great rewards in the Hereafter, they do not collapse at the first shock. Instead, they turn to the One to whom they must turn, seeking help and grace solely from God. The injustices, sufferings, and difficult circumstances they endure become steps toward spiritual growth, lifting them—like migrating birds—toward the heights. Their surrender to God in times of hardship is so deep that they need no consolation from anyone else.

Such a person does not cling to the world, chase after it, or turn it into a shrine. The world may follow behind them, but it cannot harm them. A believer who has given their heart to God knows how to use worldly blessings in the direction of the next life. Obeying the Qur’anic command, they strive to secure the eternal abode with the gifts God has granted them. They do not lodge the world’s beauties in their heart. Whatever comes from God, they return to God—without hesitation or pain. Like Abu Bakr, who laid all he owned before the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), or ‘Uthman, who gave five hundred camels with their loads in the path of God, such a person has one concern alone: whether their charity and good deeds are accepted. Meanwhile, those who cling to the world with an almost worshipful attachment, trying to reap the harvest of everything here, end up being harvested themselves without even realizing it.

As for those who chase wealth like Qarun or display arrogance like Pharaoh, they clung to the world with all their might, yet could not prevent the power and resources they held from slipping through their fingers. Tyrants like Pharaoh and Nimrod amassed immense force and sovereignty, but ultimately tumbled into the pit awaiting them. Their systems of oppression, built on fragile and transient foundations, collapsed with a great roar. After their downfall, even their own followers felt no reverence for their memory—they tore down their statues and erased their names. Seeking respect and honor, they instead became part of the accursed “jababirah”—the tyrants and oppressors. People looked back on them and said: “He never tasted peace, nor did he let others enjoy it. Now that he has left this world, let the dwellers of the grave endure him instead.”  Such individuals, deprived of peace in this life through their own choices, will find no peace in the grave, in the intermediate realm, or beyond.

Yet those faithful souls who followed the way of the Prophets became cherished memories by virtue of what they did and what they left behind. They lived with a smile and stepped into eternity with a smile. Perhaps they even greeted death with a smile. Who knows in what gentle manner the Angel of Death comes to such people, and what glad tidings he brings? For a person dies as they lived, and they will be resurrected as they died. May God grant us a beautiful life, a beautiful death, and a resurrection in the state in which we departed—and may He honor us with His blessings in the Hereafter.

The Path to Giving a Fleeting Life Lasting Meaning

This world is a temporary guesthouse, and we are merely passing travelers within it. As the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) expressed, our position in this world resembles that of a traveler who pauses briefly under the shade of a tree during a long journey. The traveler rests for a moment, then mounts once more and continues on the road. Not only the lifespan of an individual, but even the collective lifespan of all humanity is no more than a swiftly passing instant when measured against eternity. If we can grasp the vast difference between the world we inhabit and the eternal abode to which we will migrate, we will live accordingly. We will not let our hearts become attached to this fleeting inn. Instead, we will follow the Qur’anic call and use the blessings God has granted us to pursue the eternal home—chasing it breathlessly and striving to attain it. To avoid being consumed by regret when we cross over—to avoid groaning with “if only” as we look back—we must not be deceived by this life that flashes by like a lightning bolt. We must not shut our eyes to the eternal light or fall into blindness toward the Hereafter.

Yet many today live in such blindness. Their entire world is the world itself. To them, the world is all that matters—nothing else even enters their mind. They cling to it so fiercely that they do not hesitate to exploit even sacred values in their pursuit of worldly gain. They act as if they will remain here forever, knowingly and willingly choosing this life over the next. When they think of “success,” they think only of the world, like Qarun, forgetting the life to come. Countless graceful souls, countless beloved leaders, countless nobles like Khosrow were overtaken by the passion for the world and drowned in its depths.

For this reason, believers who have given their hearts to God must seek ways to turn this fleeting life into an enduring one. They must cultivate the field of the world so that it yields its harvest in the next life, leaving the reaping to the Hereafter. They must carefully choose the path they walk here, cross the corridor of this world, and—like migrating birds—lift their wings toward the realm of the unseen. They should use their brief lives and limited resources in such a way that they can purchase their eternal dwelling with them. Difficulties encountered along the path to eternity should not deter them. For if Divine nearness, Divine favor, and Divine grace await at the end of the road, are the hardships here not worth enduring?

[1] Ali al-Qārî, Mirkāt al-mafātīḥ, 1/219; al-Sahāranfūrî, Bazl al-ma‘jūd, 9/78.

[2] Slap of Compassion: A Divinely ordained hardship or difficulty that arises as a corrective response to a person’s spiritual negligence, mistakes, or missteps—especially in matters of faith and moral responsibility. Although seemingly painful, it is rooted in Divine mercy and functions as a loving wake-up call, guiding the individual back toward sincerity, humility, and spiritual alignment. Such trials carry hidden blessings and are intended not as punishment but as means of growth, refinement, and deeper connection with God.