Life is monastic and worldly. A warning against the seduction of this world. Understanding the Essence of Worldly Life

Dear Muslim brothers, Allah created man as the best creation of the universe and appointed him as a vicegerent on earth. Man's only duty in this transitory life is to serve Allah. In other words, a person comes to this earth only to rule on it in accordance with what was sent down by Allah, that is, to spread the religion of Allah.

All prophets and messengers were sent to bring this truth to the people. All divine scriptures were sent only to reveal this truth to people. All that is in heaven and on earth has been subjected to man only for him to understand it.

Every reasonable person should know without a doubt that the life of the world is but a test. Every person is tested. That is why Allah Almighty in the Holy Quran commands us the following:

“Know that your property and your children are a test for you and that Allah has prepared[believers] great reward" .

"Indeed, all[what is] on earth, We created as an ornament for her, and also in order to test people[and to know] which of them is better in deeds" .

Therefore, each person must be ready for trials. There will come a day for everyone when they die. There will come a day for everyone when he will be resurrected and asked about what he did in life. Therefore, carelessly plunging into the vanity of earthly life, forgetting about serving Allah and about eternal life, is nothing but recklessness. There is no greater delusion for man than this. Therefore, a person is given only two ways. Either go through the trials of this mortal life and be saved, or be lost forever. There is no third way. Everyone must accept this reality as it is.

Dear Muslim brothers, worldly life is a kind of bridge for a person. The beginning of this bridge is the cradle, the end is the grave. Man, whether he likes it or not, is moving towards eternity. And his path runs through the bridge called life. Therefore, one of the conditions for readiness for eternal life is preparation for it while still alive. And how to prepare for eternal life, Allah Almighty explained to us in the Holy Quran, and the Honorable Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) - in his Sunnah.

The very first condition for preparing for eternal life is the acceptance that worldly life is deceptive, and in case of strong attachment to it, a person loses eternal blessings. We must believe that everything worldly is given to us only as a test. We must believe that worldly life is given only for temporary use. Such was the attitude of the Venerable Messenger (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) towards the worldly. This is how the noble Sahaba and beloved servants of Allah understood life. After all, they all took provisions from life only for a one-way trip.

The Great Lord who created and gave us food, who will kill and resurrect all of us, in many verses of the Holy Quran tells us about the frailty and deceitfulness of this worldly life, warning us to be ready for eternal life. He says:

“O people! Indeed, what Allah has promised is true. Let not this life deceive you, and let not the deceiver deceive you concerning Allah.”

“Life in this world is just a game and fun. For those who are God-fearing, the next world is better. Don't you understand this?"

"O my people! Life in this world[given] only in[temporary] enjoyment, and the future life, verily, is the abode[eternal] stay" .

The light of both worlds, the Venerable Prophet of Islam (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) in his hadiths said:

“Worldly life is a beautiful oasis. Almighty Allah sent you to this earth only to test you in your deeds. So beware of the worldly…”

“Worldly life is a haven for those who have no home, and the property of those who have no property, and gathers around itself only those who have no mind” .

Dear Muslim brothers, as we see, forgetting eternal life in favor of worldly life is one of the greatest dangers that await a person in this life. Everyone who, having believed in the things of the world, boasts of what he has, is doomed to be humiliated and disgraced.

Therefore, anyone who forgets to worship Allah in this life, who has departed from the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), who has turned away from the Holy Quran, who has a prejudiced look at Islam, who has not bowed his head before the commands of Allah and His Messenger (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), who neglects such worships as prayer and fasting, who is mired in sinful things, such as alcohol, gambling, usury, adultery and slander, anyone who, having a permitted income, uses it for a forbidden one, everyone who does not give his Islamic education for children and grandchildren, depriving them of such blessings as faith, worship and shame, anyone who neglects the rights of Muslims and treats Islam irresponsibly, anyone who laughs at a beard, headscarf, faith and worship of Muslims, anyone who tries to be knowledgeable in unbelief, anyone who tries to get rid of the morality of Islam from society, from their homes - shame and piety, and from their hearts - the fear of Allah, trying, in such a way to at once, to drown out the voice of Truth and Truth, anyone who spares his property and does not make efforts to explain the Truth, anyone who has joined the ranks of the servants of the nafs and shaitan, anyone from whose forehead the traces of prostrations have disappeared, in other words, anyone who does not accepts Islam as a way of life, even turning to the infinite mercy of Allah, will be damned.

Dear brothers and sisters, peace and mercy to you!

Brothers, in my opinion, some tired. Not!? They all fast in the month of Ramadan. One of the purposes of the month of Ramadan is as the Almighty says in the Quran:“O believers, fasting is prescribed for you, just as for those who were before you. “

And what is the purpose of this!? In about two hours, eat as many kibabs, pokole, etc. as possible. Is this the purpose of the month of Ramadan? Not! The purpose of the month of Ramadan is that by the time it ends, you will have a deep connection with Allah. So that you have a deep connection with Allah. So that you become people of Taqwa (God-fearing). This is the meaning of the month of Ramadan. And therefore, each of us should ask ourselves: has this month of Ramadan become the reason for our spiritual growth. Did we become people who approached Allah, or did this month pass for us, as usual: that is, we abstained from food and drink, did not have intimacy with our wife, and besides all this, we did the rest in the same way as in others months. The goal of the month of Ramadan is to become God-fearing people by the end of it. Refraining from food and drink is the catalyst for becoming God-fearing people. But this is not the main purpose of the month of Ramadan. The goal is for you to become spiritually stronger by the end. So that you have a deep connection with your Creator. And this means that those things that are forbidden become even more forbidden. Eating, drinking and getting close to your wife is generally permitted, but what is generally permitted becomes forbidden in the month of Ramadan. What about those things that are already banned!? What is their position!?

One of these things that moves a person away from God-fearing is the deception of worldly life. worldly life itself. Why? Because we are all human and we are affected by everything around us. And for this reason, if you live in a spiritually healthy society, it helps you develop spiritually. And yet, because worldly life means something close. Something close to us. And the akhirah is something else and, accordingly, something far away. That is, worldly life is something tangible. We can feel the mundane and it is all around us. Akhirat is based on iman (faith). And that's why many people are deceived by the world. The worldly has taken over their lives. I mean how many intelligent people we see around who have never thought about the meaning of their stay on this earth. They go through life without even thinking about its meaning on this earth. They know that their shoes have a purpose, that their jacket has a purpose. But what is the purpose of man on earth!? Why did Allah create man? But people are deceived by the things of the world. Well, imagine who chose when and where to be born. Who chose the place of birth in Clapton or in east London? Not! You didn't choose. Allah has chosen ... for you where you will be born and at what time. If the choice were yours, then you would rather not want to be born in the depths of Pakistan, Bangladesh, Somalia or somewhere else. So you didn't come into this life of your own free will. And I swear by Allah, when the angel of death knocks on your door, there will be no reprieve, death will come to you and you will also leave this world against your will. You won't have a choice and you won't be able to say no, no, no, there's something else I need to do. Or I still have 6 months left to be the President of the Islamic Association. Or, I still have a couple of hundred thousand more to go before my first million. Let me make my first million. You won't have any choice. And you will leave this life against your will. You did not come into this world of your own free will, and you will leave this world not of your own free will. So what makes you think that you can do whatever you want from birth to death?

Life is entrusted to us from Allah and everyone wants to be successful here. But what is the definition of success? When Allah talks about success, what did He say?

He says: "Whoever was not far from the fire and entered Paradise, he succeeded."

Then Allah says directly something else: “But this is worldly, this life in itself is nothing but a deceit”, since Allah knows that most people are distant from Allah, they have lost the meaning of their life and are deceived by worldly things. They are deceived, because the basis of their meaning of life is only the mundane. And what does it look like!? It's like a dream. You all see dreams. You have a dream and in this dream you are driving a Ferrari in California, you also have a beautiful mansion, you enjoy, and in general you believe that this is all for real. And then you wake up, open your window and see your Peugeot 306 in there. And you're still in East London. Well, I don't know how it is in East London, I usually joke about Birmingham. You realized that that dream was an illusion. You got it. On the other hand, you sometimes see in a dream that you were beaten and hurt. And you feel this pain. And when you wake up, you realize that it was just a dream. This is what this world is like. Aliashab, may Allah be pleased with him, said that all people sleep, and they will wake up only when they die. You think you are awake, but you are actually asleep. And only when you die and see the truth of earthly life and eternal life, then you will fully realize that worldly life is a deception. And that is your awakening.

At the time of Prophet Isa, peace be upon him, there was a man who wanted to accompany Prophet Isa, peace be upon him. So he said: O Messenger of Allah, may I accompany you? And the prophet Isa, peace be upon him, allowed him. After a little time, when they were already on their way, the prophet Isa, peace be upon him, said to him: go buy three cakes! Cakes were even in those days. He went. And then he asked himself: there are only two of us - I and Isa, and for whom is the third cake !? Yes, he ate it himself. Upon his return, the prophet Isa, peace be upon him, asked him: Where is the third cake? He said there was no third. They continued their journey. And the prophet Isa, peace be upon him, bought a goat, paying the owner of the goat its cost. Then he offered a prayer to Allah. And it was the goat who sacrificed herself, skinned herself and began to fry. And this man in shock began to say: Allahu Akbar. SubhnAllah. MashaAllah. How did it happen? Prophet Isa, peace be upon him, says: I ask you in the name of the One who performed this miracle, tell me what happened to the third cake? Where is she? The man replied: wallah, billah, talah, I don't know. So they went on and came to the river, and there was no boat to cross it. Then the prophet Isa, peace be upon him, struck his staff on the ground and the river parted. And this person sees all this and says: Allahu Akbar, SubhanAllah, what a miracle. The prophet Isa asks him: I ask you in the name of the One Who made this miracle, tell me where is the third cake? He again answers Wallahi, Billahi, Tallahi, I don't know. There was no third cake. Later they reached the desert and decided to rest. The Prophet Isa made three sandy piles of sand, after which he offered a prayer to Allah and Allah turned these three piles of sand into gold. And the prophet Isa, peace be upon him, turns to him and says: this is for me, then for you, and the third piece of gold is for the one who ate the third cake. This man said: Wallahi, Billahi, Tallahi, I ate it, I ate it. Then the Prophet Isa, peace be upon him, said: you go your way, and I will go mine. This man rejoiced, because he received the earthly - three pieces of gold. Then three robbers passed by. They saw this man with three pieces of gold. And they killed him. Then one of them said to the other: go buy cakes. One of them leaves to buy something to eat. And the one who remained waiting thought: when he returns, I will kill him. The one who went out for food, in turn, thought: I will add poison to this food, he will eat it and die. He returned with food. His partner killed him, and then ate the cakes and also died.

The mundane remains in place. But the man leaves him. Man leaves the worldly. Once the prophet Isa, peace be upon him, saw worldly life in the form of a beautiful crazy woman and asked her: who are you. She answered: I am a worldly life. He asked: how many partners did you have? She replied: I had billions of them. Everyone who has walked the surface of this earth has been my partner. He asked: And how many of them were you faithful to? She said: None! Then the prophet Isa, peace be upon him, said: a fool is one who falls in love with you after he saw what you did with your previous partners.

That is why Allah Almighty says in the Holy Quran: Do not forget your inheritance in this world!

Imam Qurtubi says that your inheritance from this world is your shroud.

The only thing you will take with you from the worldly is your shroud. You can't take everything else with you. Everything: your cars, bank accounts, absolutely everything - your popularity, power, beautiful houses and beautiful clothes, everything remains here. What you go to the grave with is two pieces of shroud. And that's it! This is the reality of worldly life. But we are often deceived by the world.

One of the most beautiful examples that I have given hundreds of times about the reality of worldly life is the example given by Imam al Ghazali. In this example, he is talking about a man who is making his way through the jungle. He looks back and sees a lion chasing him. He is running. Runs up to the well and jumps into it. As he falls, he grabs the rope and breathes a sigh of relief. Then he looks and sees that the lion is above him and waiting for him. He looks down and sees a large snake with an open mouth waiting for it to fall. And all he has is a rope. Then, after a while, he sees two mice on the rope, black and white, who begin to gnaw on this rope. Above him is a lion. There is a snake underneath. And the only support is the rope ... and now they are starting to gnaw at it. And in front of him he sees honeycombs. Looks at these honeycombs and puts his finger there. He takes honey on his finger, then puts it on his tongue and tastes it. The sweetness of honey instantly makes you forget his lion, snake and two mice.

Imam al Ghazali says: the lion is death that always haunts you. The snake is your grave, in which everyone will be laid. And if this is a good person, then he will be in the Gardens of Eden. And if this is a bad person, then he will be in the pit of hell. Rope is his life. Black mouse - means night. And white is the day. And they constantly gnaw throughout your life. As for honey, it is dunya (worldly life). Man tastes the sweetness of life and forgets death, forgets the grave. He forgets that the day will come and he will die and he will have to stand before his Creator. And this is the reality of worldly life. Have you ever gone to a cemetery!? Have you ever seen…..gravestones!? Many of those who lie there are from 18 to 25 or from 18 to 75 years old. You understand that these people spend more time underground than above. Many of them were much stronger than me and you, more beautiful than me and you, they possessed great property, strength and knowledge. They have come and gone. And a reasonable person is one who prepares for eternal life. But sometimes what surrounds us makes us forget about it.

About the purpose of our life. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, once spoke about three people who lived in the time of the sons of Israel before Islam. There were three people. One was a leper. The second one was bald. And the third was blind. And Almighty Allah wished to test these people and sent them an angel in the form of a man. So this angel went to the leper. And the angel said to him: What do you desire most on this earth? The man replied: what I want most in this life is for Allah Almighty to give me good skin with a healthy color. Because people avoid me. People avoid me. And we often see this these days, people have become too superficial to other people. They do not judge you by your actions, they do not judge you by your character, they judge you on the basis of material means: what kind of car you drive, where you live, how good you look ..... Allah Almighty did not create a person by his choice . You see people who drive big cars, who have a lot of money in their account, are they ready to share this money with you!?? Not! A guy in a big car never thinks about needy friends. What to say about people!? Are you ready to suck up to a person for some piece of metal? Is this appropriate for a Muslim?

But there was a time when people were judged by their character. If Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, appreciated Bilal, may Allah be pleased with him, by the color of his skin, and this was the case in society, then he would never have released him. But Abu Bakr assessed Bilal by his character, by his piety, and therefore, when he saw Bilal, who was being tortured, he went to Umayi and said: sell Bilal to me. Umaya replied: I will sell it to you because you are the one who spoiled it. Abu Bakr asked: How much? Umaya replied: 10 gold coins. Immediately Abu Bakr went home and brought 10 gold coins and gave them to Umayi. Then Umaya began to laugh. Abu Bakr then asked him: O Umayyah, what made you laugh? Umaya said: The reason for my laughter is that if you bargained with me, if you bargained with me and offered me one gold coin, then I would sell Bilal to you for one gold coin. And Abu Bakr said: By Allah, O Umayya, if you had bargained with me and asked me for a hundred gold coins for Bilal, I would have given you a hundred gold coins…..Because Bilal was worth it. So Abu Bakr freed Bilal. Bilal was a slave... he was a slave, but grew to such a level that Abu Bakr, the ruler of his time, said: Sayyiduna (lord) Bilal. Umar once said: Sayyiduna Bilal. What about Khalid bin Walid? When Umar, being a ruler at one time, wanted to punish him and wanted to take the turban from his head, whom did Umar send!? He sent Bilal. Who was Khalid? Khalid was the son of Walid ibn Mughira. He was the sword of Allah and the son of Walid ibn Mughira, who was the undisputed leader ... people thought that this was Abutalib, but it was Walid ibn Mughira who was the undisputed leader of the Quraysh. And Bilal was a slave, but when he became a Muslim, when he had a connection with Allah, Umar sent him and he took the turban of Khalid ibn Walid.

But today we judge people by the clothes they wear. Prada shoes and brand watches. What, is this a tradition of Muslims!? If you want to judge people by their appearance or by the clothes they wear, then let me tell you. When the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, left this world, he left behind a few pieces of material. 11 pieces of fabric. When Abu Bakr left this world, he had 14 pieces of material.

When Umar ibn Abdulaziz died...Who was Umar ibn Abdulaziz!? Umar ibn Abdulaziz, may Allah be pleased with him, was one of the most powerful people on the surface of this earth. Tradition mentions that his caliphate extended from China to Spain. From the Caucasus to the depths of Africa. And when he died, he was wearing old clothes. Then someone said to his wife: change his clothes. She didn't say anything. He again tells her: listen, he is dying, change his clothes. She was silent again. And the third time he said the same thing, but already angrily. Then his wife turned to him and said: By Allah, this is the only garment he has. These are the only clothes he has. But history mentions Umar ibn Abdulaziz for his good deeds left by him after himself, for his service that he rendered to people. That is why he has been recorded in history.

So this leper tells the angel that what he desires most is beautiful skin and beautiful hair. The angel asked: what do you want from the material. The man answered him: from the material side, I want to have a camel. Then the angel gave him a pregnant camel, then made a dua for grace, after that he left.

Next, the angel went to a man who suffered from baldness and damaged skin. The angel asked: what do you want? He replied: I wish that Allah Almighty gave me hair, as people avoid me. Then the angel ran his hand over his head and Allah Almighty granted him healthy hair. Then the angel asked: what do you want from the material? The man said he wanted a cow. And the angel gave him a pregnant cow. Then he made dua for grace.

And the angel did the same to the blind man. He restored his sight and gave him a pregnant goat. And after all this, Allah Almighty wished to test these people again. Because He gave them these blessings. So Allah Almighty sent another angel to them. But now in the form of a beggar. So the angel went to the man who was suffering from leprosy. And he said to him: I am very far from my home, I have nothing. And that man already had a whole valley full of camels. And the angel says: I am far from my home and I have no one to whom I could turn, except Allah Almighty, and after Allah you are. Of all the hundreds and thousands of camels you have, grant me one! And Subh1anallag! He said: I have too many responsibilities. I have too many mouths to feed. I have too many aspirations.

I don't have time for people in Pakistan. I need to buy myself an iPhone. I need to buy myself a big car. These are my aspirations. And those people in Pakistan, according to what Allah Almighty and the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “Believers are like one body. If the head hurts, then the rest of the body feels bad.”

You see, there is no time for them. Because I have big aspirations. This is what Allah says about the disbelievers.

He says (meaning): “Leave them to eat and drink. Their desires and love for their aspirations will deceive them. Let their love of aspirations deceive them. Soon they will return to Allah and Allah will show them.”

So this man said: I have too many responsibilities. Then the angel asked: Are you the person who suffered from leprosy ... and then Allah Almighty gave you all this!? No, no… not me!? This is what I got from my ancestors. This is all I have inherited. Then the angel cursed him and said: If you lie, may Allah restore you to your former state. And Allah restored it to its former state.

Then the angel went to the bald man. And the same conversation took place there. Too many mouths to feed. Too many debts to pay. Too many wishes. As the poet said: "Alas, but how many desires perished in the depths of the grave." Every man and every woman who dies has their desires, but you will never fulfill them, because that is the nature of worldly life.

The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “If the son of Adam, i.e. If a man had gold equal to two valleys, he would strive for a third. It never ends."

Then that angel went to the man who was blind. And he said to him: I am a poor man who is far from my home, grant me one of these goats. To which the man replied: By Allah, of all the goats that you see here with me, take whichever you want, because Allah has rewarded me with them. Allah gave them to me. Then the angel made a dua for this person, so that Allah would increase his blessings even more.

Such is the essence, my dear brothers and sisters. People are suffering. Don't let the world fool you! Because Muslims have such a thing as baraka (grace). When you spend something for the sake of Allah, Allah is the One Who gives and Allah is the One Who increases, and Allah is the One Who gives grace. Almighty Allah promises: "If you are grateful to Me, I will increase your wealth." What does gratitude mean? I don't know about others, but mostly Asians say: shukr, shukr alhamdulillah. And that's it. The best shukr is when you spend and use what Allah has given you for His own pleasure. This is the best gratitude.

The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: This is quoted by Imam at-Tirmzi in his book: “Three things about which I swear: A person’s wealth will not decrease if he spends it in the path of Allah.” In the time of the Prophet, the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, came home and asked Aisha, may Allah be pleased with him: “Did anyone come to this house?” One person came. But all we had was just a little food for you and saved it for you. Then the Prophet said: “No, no, Aisha! What you spent would be saved for me, because it would be with Allah and would be saved with Him. Everything you have will disappear. And everything that is kept by Allah will remain. And this had a profound effect on Aisha.

After the death of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, a beggar came to the house of Aisha, may Allah be pleased with him. And Aisha's slave named Barira opened the door. The beggar said: O family of the Messenger of Allah, give me something! She said we don't have anything. But Aisha heard this and asked: Who is this? To which Barira replied that it was a beggar. And all we have is a handful of barley for you to open the fast. And it was during the afternoon prayer. Aisha said: Give it to him! Allah will provide. She gave.The time for evening prayer has come, but there is no food. So Aisha opened her fast with just water and began to perform the evening prayer. And Barira was sitting next to me and she said with a little sarcasm, well, jokingly: Yes, Allah will provide. Allah will provide. Then immediately there was a knock on the door. A man came and gave them a goat as a gift. Aisha finished her prayer and asked: O Barira, who is this? She said it was a man who lived nearby. I swear by Allah, before that he did not give us anything, but today he brought us a goat. And Aisha said: O Barira! Isn't a goat better than a handful of barley you had!? And then Aisha said what really says about the iman of these people: She said: By Allah, none of you will truly believe until he believes in Allah more than what is in the palm of his hand. What's in your palm, you see it. But your faith in Allah is stronger than what you hold in your hands. And we see worldly life. And may Allah make our faith in eternal life stronger than in this life on earth. May Allah grant us the faith that will make us aware of the error and deceit of worldly life.

worldly life

Gampopa was born in a small village in Tibet, in the southern region of Dagpo (Dvags-po) on the border with Nepal. His father was a very famous doctor in this village. The eldest of two sons, Gampopa grew up as an extremely intelligent child. He learned his father's profession and also became a great doctor. By the age of fifteen, he had studied many Nyingma scriptures and had a deep knowledge of the Nyingma tradition. Gampopa continued to devote much time to the study of the Dharma, and when he was twenty-two years old, he married Chogma (mChog-med), the daughter of a very wealthy family from a nearby village. They had a son and a daughter.

A few years later, his son died suddenly. Gampopa took his son's body to the cemetery and buried him in accordance with local customs. Returning home, he found dead and daughter. Shortly after the death of his daughter, his wife fell ill with many illnesses. Being a doctor, Gampopa gave her various medicines, consulted with other doctors and tried various pujas for her recovery, but nothing helped. She got worse and worse, and they completely lost hope. Finally, Gampopa sat by his wife's bedside and recited to her a sutra on preparing for death. But she didn't die.

Gampopa wondered why she couldn't die, what kept her from dying? Why could she not part with this life - a life without hope, which foreshadowed only constant pain and suffering? Sympathizing with his sick wife, Gampopa gently asked her, “I did my best to heal you. I have invited many doctors, tried all kinds of means, prayers and rituals for your recovery, but they have all failed. They didn't help because of your own previous actions. You and I are united by the karmic forces and prayers of our former lives. But now, despite the great affection and love for you, I must ask - what keeps you here? If you are strongly attached to any wealth that is in the house, or to any of the property we have accumulated, I will get rid of them: I will sell them or give them as an offering to the monastery or distribute them to the poor. I will get rid of everything that could keep you from death, I will do whatever you want.

Chogme replied, “I am not attached to wealth or anything in the house. It's not what keeps me going. I am very worried about your future and therefore I cannot die. After my death, you will easily be able to remarry, in which many daughters and sons will be born, more than we had. However, I see that such a life is meaningless for you. That's why I'm so worried about you. If you promise me that you will not lead such a life, but become a practitioner, devote yourself to the Dharma, because this is the easiest way to achieve your own happiness and bring happiness to all sentient beings, then I can calmly leave this life. Otherwise, I will suffer like this for a very long time.”

“If this is so,” Gampopa said, “then I will give you my word of honor that I will give up this way of life at all costs and become a practitioner dedicated to the Dharma.”

Chogme replied, "Although I trust you, but in order to make me completely happy and confident in your promise, please bring a witness."

Gampopa asked his uncle to witness the vow. Standing before his beloved wife, next to his witness uncle, Gampopa made a promise to dedicate his life to the Dharma. Chogme was very happy. “Even in death, I will take care of you,” she said. And, holding Gampopa by the hand, all in tears, she died.

He prepared an elaborate funeral rite for his wife's cremation. From ashes, bones and clay, Gampopa made many votive tablets with imprints of statues of enlightened beings. In her honor, he built the Chogme Stupa (mChog-med mchod-rten), which still stands in Tibet to this day.

Now that Gampopa was left alone, he divided all his wealth into two equal parts. With the proceeds from the sale of one piece, he made offerings to the Three Jewels and donations to the poor and needy. The second part he kept to support his life and religious practices.

One day, Gampopa's uncle, who witnessed him making a promise to Chogme, visited him, expecting him to be in deep mourning for his beloved wife. He came to give him advice, to tell him that there was no need to worry, to console him by explaining his situation in the light of the law of karma.

Gampopa replied that he was not worried at all. On the contrary, he is quite happy that she is dead. Hearing this, the uncle became furious and, taking a handful of dust, threw it in Gampopa's face. "What do you mean?" he shouted. “You couldn’t find a better wife, such a wonderful person!”

Surprised at his uncle's outburst of anger, Gampopa asked him, “What kind of witness are you? Weren't you there when I promised to follow Dharma practice? Haven't you heard? Greatly ashamed, the uncle said, “It is true. Although I am an old man, I forget to practice the Dharma, and you, being so young, follow the spiritual path courageously. I would be happy if I could help you in any way."

author Tolstoy Lev Nikolaevich

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From the book Hurry to follow Christ! Collection of sermons. author (Voino-Yasenetsky) Archbishop Luke

Sorrow even according to Bose and sorrow of the world 1946. Sorrow even according to Bose does repentance unrepentantly for salvation, but makes sorrow the death of the world "(2 Cor. 7, 10). These are deep, deep words of the holy Apostle Paul from his Second Epistle to the Corinthians You need to delve into these words: what

From the book Holy Mountain Fathers and Holy Mountain Stories author Elder Paisios the Holy Mountaineer

Worldly logic brings spiritual ruin When a monk first brought chickens to the Holy Mountain, the Mother of God appeared to him and said: “Have you come here to ruin My garden?” Also, when another elder from the skete of St. Anna brought a goat so that his sick novice could drink

From the book Being Honest Before God author Robinson John

From the book of Proverbs and History, Volume 1 author Baba Sri Sathya Sai

73. Worldly love and attachment are responsible for all joys and sorrows Moha (delusion, illusion) expresses itself in attachment to things. Desires are constantly multiplying. Moha can be compared to water that fills a lake. I'll give you an example. A girl lived in a house

From the book Explanatory Bible. Volume 10 author Lopukhin Alexander

24. Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears my word and believes in him who sent me has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life. The resurrection of the dead is partly performed by Christ even now. There are many spiritually dead people (Matt. 8:22; Rev. 3:1). About them

From the book Jaiva-dharma (volume 1) of the author

39. Search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; but they testify of me. 40. But you do not want to come to Me to have life. The Jews read the Scriptures, and very carefully (to see in the expression ???????? the indicative mood, and not the imperative, as in Russian

From the book of the Bible. New Russian translation (NRT, RSJ, Biblica) author bible

8. Eternal Religion and Worldly Activities One afternoon, after honoring prasadam, the Vaisnavas of Sri Godruma gathered in a remote grove on the northeastern shore of Lake Sri Gaura. Lahiri Mahasaya sang a song to the audience, which awakened in them the ecstatic love of Vraja. In this song

From the book of teaching author Kavsokalivit Porfiry

The old life and the new life 17 Therefore, I declare and insist for the Lord's sake: stop living like pagans whose thoughts are empty, 18 because their consciousness is darkened. They are alienated from the life that God gives because of their spiritual blindness, due to the hardness of their hearts. 19 Lost

From the book Man and the Church. The path of freedom and love author Chalandzia Eteri Omarovna

The monastic life is a life filled with poetry (poetics) A great thing is the monastic life! Very great. Great, lofty life, Divine life... The monastic life is a life filled with poetry (poetics). It is an amazing life. A monk can live on earth, but

From the book On Russian History and Culture author Panchenko Alexander Mikhailovich

From the book Letters (issues 1-8) author Theophan the Recluse

THE RUSSIAN POET, OR WORLDLY HOLINESS AS A RELIGIOUS-CULTURAL PROBLEM The poet (regardless of whether he writes in verse or prose) is an eternal Russian problem. Nowhere are poets so tormented during their lifetime and so revered after death as in Russia. We resort to them with today's worries,

From the book Soulful Teachings author Optina Macarius

385. Upon receipt of the returned necessary books. About the change of residence in relation to the spiritual life. The meaning of the words: world, worldly life, layman God's mercy be with you! Received the books you returned. Thank you for being serviceable, so as not to revolt the souls

From the author's book

THE LIFE OF THE MONENCH AND PEACELY True monastic life is a daily cross. The infirmities and uncorrections that you mention in your letters are the only cure: there is no need to despair at all, but to repent, to humble yourself and reproach yourself for everything; and so on every day to suppose

In the name of Allah, the Merciful, the Merciful!

Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds, who warned us against the seduction of this world and ordered us to prepare for the abode of permanent residence. I testify that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah, He has no partners, He is the Only, All-Subduing. I testify that Muhammad is His slave and chosen messenger, may Allah send peace and blessings to him, as well as to his family and righteous companions, Muhajirs and Ansar.

O people, be pious and do not be deceived by your worldly life, because Allah and His Messenger strongly admonished us not to succumb to the temptation of this world. There are a lot of verses and examples in the Qur'an that warn against being seduced by the pleasures of this life and encourage abstinence. Allah Almighty said:

يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّاسُ إِنَّ وَعۡدَ ٱللَّهِ حَقّٞۖ فَلَا تَغُرَّنَّكُمُ ٱلۡحَيَوٰةُ ٱلدُّنۡيَا وَلَا يَغُرَّنَّكُم بِٱللَّهِ ٱلۡغَرُورُ

“O people! Indeed, the promise of Allah is true. Let not the worldly life deceive you, and let not the seducer (Satan) deceive you concerning Allah.” (Quran, 35:5).

وَمَا ٱلۡحَيَوٰةُ ٱلدُّنۡيَآ إِلَّا مَتَٰعُ ٱلۡغُرُورِ

"Earthly life is but the enjoyment of seduction" (Quran, 3:185).

(Quran, 53:29-30).

Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: “Once the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) took me by the shoulder and said:

كن في الدنيا كأنك غريب ، أو عابر سبيل

"Be in this world as a stranger or a traveler" .

Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “If evening comes, then do not wait for morning to come; if morning comes, then do not wait for evening to come. While in health, do what is useful to you in illness, and while in life, do what is useful to you after death..

This hadeeth tells us not to put high hopes on this world. It is not befitting for a believer to make this life his homeland and perceive it as a permanent place of residence. The believer should feel like a traveler, whose only desire is to gather and prepare for this transition as best as possible. This was the covenant of all the prophets and their companions. Allah Almighty brought to us in the Qur'an the words spoken by one believer who was a relative of the pharaoh. He said:

يَٰقَوۡمِ إِنَّمَا هَٰذِهِ ٱلۡحَيَوٰةُ ٱلدُّنۡيَا مَتَٰعٞ وَإِنَّ ٱلۡأٓخِرَةَ هِيَ دَارُ ٱلۡقَرَارِ

"O my people! Worldly life is nothing but an object of use, and the Hereafter is the Abode of permanent residence. (Quran, 40:39).

Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:

مَالِي وَلِلدُّنْيَا , إِنَّمَا مَثَلِي وَمَثَلُ الدُّنْيَا كَمَثَلِ رَاكِبٍ قَالَ فِي ظِلِّ شَجَرَةٍ , ثُمَّ رَاحَ وَتَرَكَهَا

“What do I care about this world. I and this world are like a rider who rests in the shade of a tree, who then goes on, leaving the tree.” .

One of the instructions of Masih ʻIsa (Messiah Jesus), which he did to his apostles, were the following words: "Go through this life and don't settle down in it" He is also reported to have said: “Who builds his house on the crest of a sea wave!? This is the near life, do not make it a place of permanent residence. .

Ibn Abu ad-Dunya reported with a weak chain of narrators coming from al-Hasan that he said: “I have come to know that the Messenger Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said to his companions: “Verily, I, you and this world are like a tribe that walked on a dusty road, they did not know whether they had passed most of the road or most of the way was still ahead. They have used up all their supplies, lost all their pack animals, and are left in this position, with only the road ahead of them. They had neither provisions nor beasts of burden left, and they realized that death awaited them. And while they were in this position, a man in ornaments came to them, and drops of water fell from his head. The people said, "This man has obviously been in the village recently, there is no doubt that he came from a place nearby." When the man approached them, he asked, “Hey you, how are you?” They replied, "As you can see." The man asked: “And if I take you to the water and green gardens, what will you give me for this?” The people said, "Then we will not disobey you in anything." The man said: “Give me your promises and assurances in the name of Allah”, and they gave him promises and assured him in the name of Allah that they would obey him. Then he led them to water and green gardens, and they stayed there for as long as Allah wished, then the man said to them: “O people, we are going on a journey”, they asked: “Where?”. The man said, "To water that is not like your water, and to gardens that are not like your gardens." Then the bulk of the people, most of them, said: “By Allah, we found this place only after we lost hope of finding it, we do not need a better life than this! Then a group of people, who were a minority, said: “Have you not given this man your promises and assurances in the name of Allah that you will not disobey him in anything? He was already honest when he spoke the first time - we swear by Allah - he will be honest this time too. Then the man left with those who followed them, and the rest remained. Soon, the enemies attacked those who remained [and disobeyed], some of them were captured, and some were killed. .

This parable is the best way to describe the relationship of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) with his community. He came to the people at a time when the Arabs were the most powerless and the smallest people, the most miserable, both in this world and the next. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) called to embark on the path of salvation, and the signs of his truthfulness were revealed to people, as well as the people from the parable, who were convinced of the truthfulness of the person they met on the road. The parable told that they lost water, and their animals died, and a man showed them the way to water and rich gardens. People, in turn, by the appearance, beauty and general position of a person determined that he was telling the truth and followed him. Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) promised those who followed him that they would conquer Persia, Byzantium and take their treasures. He also warned people against being seduced by these riches and from stopping there. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) ordered us in this world to bring the truth to people, to be serious in our affairs, to be diligent, striving and preparing for the Next Life. The Muslims saw that everything promised by the Prophet was the pure truth. When this world opened up before them, as promised by the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), most people took up hoarding, acquisitiveness and competition in the possession of worldly goods. They were satisfied with the worldly life, enjoying its embellishments, stopped preparing for the Next Life, for which they were ordered to strive with diligence and diligence. Only a small group of people accepted the covenant of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), in which there was a command to strive on the path to prosperity in the Hereafter and prepare for it. This small group will be saved and will be together with their Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) in Paradise, because they followed the path indicated by him in this world, accepted his instructions and fulfilled his precepts. The majority of people are intoxicated by the temptations of the near world, they are carried away by hoarding, this distracts them from the Coming Life, until the moment when death puts an end to their work, then they will perish, "Some will be captured and some will be killed."

In one of the hadiths, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) gave us an example that best describes worldly life. Abu Said al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: “Once the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) stood up and addressed the people with a sermon in which he said: “No, by Allah, I fear nothing for you but the flower of worldly life which Allah will give you.”. A man asked: "O Messenger of Allah, does good come with evil?" The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was silent for a long time, then asked: "As you said?", the man repeated: “O Messenger of Allah, does good come with evil?” Then the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Verily, good comes only with good, but, verily, spring brings forth that from which [animals] swell their stomachs, and they are afflicted with diseases except for an animal that eats grass, while it does not round its sides, then it turns to the sun and defecates or urinates, then continues on its way, comes back and eats again. Whoever takes property by right, for him it will be blessed, and whoever takes it not by right, he is like a man who eats, but is not satisfied. .

The Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) expressed his fears for the Muslims regarding the temptation of worldly life. He called worldly pleasures a flower to indicate their similarity with flowers, they have a pleasant smell, beautiful appearance, and they are also short-lived, and after flowers, plants have fruits that are better, healthier and more durable for humans. The Prophet said: "... verily, spring brings forth that from which bellies swell and infect diseases ”, with these words he warned people against immersion in worldly life, from being busy with continuous accumulation, as an animal does, which, carried away by the abundance of spring pastures, eats without knowing the measure, from which its stomach swells and it dies. Also, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) warned against greed and the desire to accumulate wealth, as this kills a person. The Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) compared a person who takes from this world as needed, with an animal that eats as much spring grass as it needs, but when its belly is full, it stops eating, goes towards the sun and empties, throwing out anything that could be harmful. At the same time, the animal exposes its sides to the rays of the sun, so that in the heat everything eaten is processed in the best possible way, and everything that is worked out easily comes out. The animal removes all impure things, feces and urine from its body, after which its body rests, and if it remained inside the body, it would harm it. A person who accumulates wealth should follow the example of such an animal. Let him take from this world as needed and try to extract the maximum benefit from the available property, and then let him get rid of the excess, spending on good deeds.

O slaves of Allah! This world in itself is not something bad, but certain actions of people that they commit in this world are bad. Worldly life is a bridge that serves to pass either to Heaven or Hell. Also, this life is an arable land for the World of the Future, on this arable land a person grows and prepares for himself a road supply to Paradise. Gracious life and pleasures in Paradise will be granted to the inhabitants of the Gardens of Eden thanks to the deeds that they performed in this life. Allah Almighty said:

كُلُواْ وَٱشۡرَبُواْ هَنِيٓ‍ا بِمَآ أَسۡلَفۡتُمۡ فِي ٱلۡأَيَّامِ ٱلۡخَالِيَةِ

“Eat and drink in health for what you have done in days gone by!” (Quran, 69:24).

Ali ibn Abu Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “This world is the abode of honesty for those who have been honest with it. This world is the abode of well-being for those who understand it. In this world there are places of worship of the prophets of Allah, places where His Revelation was sent down, and where His angels prayed, in this world His righteous live and conduct their business, in it they find the Mercy of Allah and in it they deserve forgiveness. This world is scolded by those who will regret tomorrow. But other people praise him because he reminds them and they remember, he instructs them and they are instructed. I appeal to the one who scolds this world, to the one who was seduced by its temptations, tell me: when and how did he deserve your reproaches? Or rather tell me: when and with what did he seduce you? Maybe the graves of your fathers in his land? Or the beds of your mothers in its bowels? How many heirs have you seen after the dead? How many sick people you tried to treat with your own hands, how many sick people you served, wishing them to be healed, inviting doctors to them, and how many of them died. Your intercession did not help them, your diligence did not benefit them! Thus, life gives you an example and edification. The death of people reminds you of your death. The bed of earth on which they are laid reminds you of your future bed..

Islam expresses its censure and threat only to those who preferred the worldly life to the Future, to those who made this life their biggest concern and the limit of their knowledge. Allah Almighty said:

فَأَمَّا مَن طَغَىٰ ٣٧ وَءَاثَرَ ٱلۡحَيَوٰةَ ٱلدُّنۡيَا ٣٨ فَإِنَّ ٱلۡجَحِيمَ هِيَ ٱلۡمَأۡوَىٰ

“To the one who transgressed the boundaries of what was permitted and gave preference to worldly life, Hell will be a haven" (Quran, 79:37-39).

فَأَعۡرِضۡ عَن مَّن تَوَلَّىٰ عَن ذِكۡرِنَا وَلَمۡ يُرِدۡ إِلَّا ٱلۡحَيَوٰةَ ٱلدُّنۡيَا ٢٩ ذَٰلِكَ مَبۡلَغُهُم مِّنَ ٱلۡعِلۡمِۚ

“Turn away from the one who turned away from Our Reminder and did not desire anything but worldly life. That is the extent of their knowledge." (Quran, 53:29-30).

If a person, being obedient to Allah, takes from life what He has permitted, enjoys the favors of his Lord and thanks Him, then this deserves praise. Allah Almighty said:

وَٱبۡتَغِ فِيمَآ ءَاتَىٰكَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلدَّارَ ٱلۡأٓخِرَةَۖ وَلَا تَنسَ نَصِيبَكَ مِنَ ٱلدُّنۡيَاۖ وَأَحۡسِن كَمَآ أَحۡسَنَ ٱللَّهُ إِلَيۡكَۖ وَلَا تَبۡغِ ٱلۡفَسَادَ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِۖ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يُحِبُّ ٱلۡمُفۡسِدِينَ

“Through what Allah has given you, strive for the Last Abode, but do not forget about your share in this world! Do good, just as Allah did good for you, and do not seek to spread wickedness on earth, for Allah does not love those who spread wickedness. (Quran, 28:77).

فَمِنَ ٱلنَّاسِ مَن يَقُولُ رَبَّنَآ ءَاتِنَا فِي ٱلدُّنۡيَا وَمَا لَهُۥ فِي ٱلۡأٓخِرَةِ مِنۡ خَلَٰقٖ ٢٠٠ وَمِنۡهُم مَّن يَقُولُ رَبَّنَآ ءَاتِنَا فِي ٱلدُّنۡيَا حَسَنَةٗ وَفِي ٱلۡأٓخِرَةِ حَسَنَةٗ وَقِنَا عَذَابَ ٱلنَّارِ ٢٠١ أُوْلَٰٓئِكَ لَهُمۡ نَصِيبٞ مِّمَّا كَسَبُواْۚ وَٱللَّهُ سَرِيعُ ٱلۡحِسَابِ

“Among the people there are those who say: “Our Lord! Grant us in this world!” But they have no share in the Hereafter. But among them there are those who say: “Our Lord! Grant us good things in this world and good things in the Hereafter, and protect us from the torment of the Fire.” They have a portion for what they have gained. Allah is swift in reckoning" (Quran, 2:200-202).

There are many texts in the Quran and the Sunnah that indicate the need to earn money and find ways to live, while this instruction is always associated with the urge to fear Allah and do righteous deeds. Allah Almighty said:

ا فَٱبۡتَغُواْ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرِّزۡقَ وَٱعۡبُدُوهُ وَٱشۡكُرُواْ لَهُۥ

“Seek sustenance from Allah, worship Him and give thanks to Him” (Quran, 29:17).

فَإِذَا قُضِيَتِ ٱلصَّلَوٰةُ فَٱنتَشِرُواْ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَٱبۡتَغُواْ مِن فَضۡلِ ٱللَّهِ وَٱذۡكُرُواْ ٱللَّهَ كَثِيرٗا لَّعَلَّكُمۡ تُفۡلِحُونَ

“When the prayer is over, then disperse over the earth, seek the mercy of Allah and often remember Him, so that you may succeed.” (Quran, 62:10).

The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:

احرص على ما ينفعك واستعن بالله ولا تعجز

"Strive for what benefits you, seek help from Allah and do not be weak (do not give up)."

A person is required to maintain a balance between the deeds of this world and the deeds done for the sake of the Next Life. He should not be completely carried away by this world, leaving the World to Come. Also, he should not completely withdraw from worldly affairs, because by doing so he will harm himself and those whom he is obliged to support and himself will become a burden to other people.

In conclusion, once again I urge you to be God-fearing in everything that concerns this world and the Future, and you will succeed. Allah Almighty said:

إِنَّمَا مَثَلُ ٱلۡحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنۡيَا كَمَآءٍ أَنزَلۡنَٰهُ مِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ فَٱخۡتَلَطَ بِهِۦ نَبَاتُ ٱلۡأَرۡضِ مِمَّا يَأۡكُلُ ٱلنَّاسُ وَٱلۡأَنۡعَٰمُ حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَآ أَخَذَتِ ٱلۡأَرۡضُ زُخۡرُفَهَا وَٱزَّيَّنَتۡ وَظَنَّ أَهۡلُهَآ أَنَّهُمۡ قَٰدِرُونَ عَلَيۡهَآ أَتَىٰهَآ أَمۡرُنَا لَيۡلًا أَوۡ نَهَارٗا فَجَعَلۡنَٰهَا حَصِيدٗا كَأَن لَّمۡ تَغۡنَ بِٱلۡأَمۡسِۚ كَذَٰلِكَ نُفَصِّلُ ٱلۡأٓيَٰتِ لِقَوۡمٖ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ ٢٤ وَٱللَّهُ يَدۡعُوٓاْ إِلَىٰ دَارِ ٱلسَّلَٰمِ وَيَهۡدِي مَن يَشَآءُ إِلَىٰ صِرَٰطٖ مُّسۡتَقِيم

“Worldly life is like water, which We send down from the sky and through which the earthly plants are mixed, which are food for people and animals. But when the land is adorned and adorned, and its inhabitants think that they have power over it, Our command overtakes it by night or by day. We turn it into stubble, as if yesterday it did not abound. Thus We explain the signs for people who think. Allah calls to the Abode of peace and prosperity and guides those whom He wishes to the straight path. (Quran, 10:24-25).

From the book: "al-Khutab al-minbariya
fi al-munasabat al-asriyya"
Translation: Abu Yasin Ruslan Malikov

The explanatory dictionary of the Russian language in the third paragraph of the meanings of this word writes: “Life is the fullness of the manifestation of physical and spiritual forces”, and in the fourth - “the period of existence of someone from birth to death”.

Now let's see how it (life) was interpreted, felt, understood by the sages and individual pundits of human history. For example:

“Our whole life is spent on learning how to use it” (P. Buast).

“What we get from life is in direct proportion (proportionate) to what we put into life” (G. Leman).

“Life is easier than it seems; you just need to accept the impossible, do without the necessary and endure the unbearable " (K. Norris).

Life is not given forever

Life is a one-time miracle.

We are all here

To get away from here forever.

V. Shefner

"Life doesn't stop being funny when we die, and doesn't stop being serious when we laugh" (B. Shaw).

And now let's try to look at the essence of life, worldly existence through the prism of the Holy Quran, but only on one of its facets (one of its main meanings), without spreading over much. After all, it is better to learn and appropriately apply one thing than to scoop up information from tons of pages without projecting a single line onto real life.

“Worldly life is nothing but a game and fun [frivolous seriousness, it is not as complicated and scary as we sometimes imagine, and it is fickle. This is a game at the cost of eternal life]. The eternal abode is the best [there actually a life with all the joys and comforts that people strive for] for those who are pious [who carried the postulates of faith and were active in the righteous, who left behind a good legacy in the worldly. For those who understood and found harmony between the earthly and the eternal, becoming happy in both worlds. Indeed, through correctness in worldly things one goes to well-being in the eternal.] Can't you understand this (clear it out for yourself)?!" (Holy Quran, 6:32).

“Worldly life is nothing but fun and play [is such in its essence, especially when a person is limited by it in thoughts, aspirations and deeds. Compared to eternity, it is not serious. Given its perishability and transience, it should be approached thoroughly and skillfully in order to win a chance for earthly and eternal happiness]. But the eternal [paradise] abode is, verily, a life[constant, full, with a feeling of that comfort and tranquility, which are so lacking here on earth]. If only people knew! [How beneficial it would be for them if they realized this, correctly building the proportions of the mundane and the eternal in their attitude to what is happening, desires and efforts!]” (Holy Quran, 29:64).

"Indeed, worldly life - a game(entertainment, exercise) [it is like a game of chess, where you have to think through everything a few steps ahead, and if you make a wrong move, distracting from a complex intellectual process, you can lose] and fun[for those who are frivolous in their attitude towards her; in their case, it looks like a passion that quickly passes, leaving behind an oppressive feeling of confusion, regret about the wrongly realized forces and opportunities]. If you believe [with your heart] and are pious [consciously avoiding obvious sins and crimes], then [the Lord of the worlds] will certainly reward you with [numerous] blessings [in the earthly abode and in the eternal] and will not ask [everything] than you [temporarily] own. [Yes, He obligated you to pay alms (zakat), but does not focus on the wealth and funds He Himself temporarily provided to you, because many of you are very stingy. Understand, He, the Lord of the worlds, never needed and does not need your good deeds and manifestations of generosity! Any of your good deeds, including material costs for the benefit of others, close to you or unfamiliar, for the benefit of yourself - will return in the form of earthly (health, prosperity, mutual understanding with the people you need, etc.) and in the form of eternal blessings (endless grace and splendor of Paradise)]” (Holy Quran, 47:36).

“Know, then, that, verily, the life of the world is (1) a game[where there are rules and where there are winners and losers; there is a lot of empty and useless in it, which is not worth wasting time and effort]; (2) fun(entertainment) [there are many worthless and sometimes sinful things in the worldly abode: gambling houses, drunken feasts, nightclubs, beach romances, senseless and immoral entertainment programs, etc.]; (3) [blinding and deceiving you at times] the beauty[and these are magnificent, but of little use, farce items: rare or racing cars, yachts, private jets with exclusive design; full of luxury and unreasonable abundance of elite apartments and mansions; expensive clothing, etc. Looking through all this, a shrewd person can easily understand and understand the worthlessness of luxury of this level, not to mention the fact that it is often associated with an encroachment on the property and rights of others, with embezzlement and deceit], (4 ) pride(arrogance) in front of each other [when a person acquires this or that expensive thing not for comfort and convenience, but for the sake of boasting, a sense of superiority over others, in order to “wipe the nose” of a neighbor, companion or friend] and (5) hoarding[blind increase] of wealth, as well as [pride] of the large number of children [when parents are proud not of decency, intelligence, education, good breeding, piety and independence of their children, but only that there are many of them].

[And if you imagine worldly life figuratively, then] it is like a plentiful rain (downpour). Unbelievers admire the plants (crops) that grow after it, because everything ripens quickly, but [after a short period of time] immediately begins to turn yellow (turn pale), and then rots (or dries up, turning into useless residues, rubbish, garbage, dust). [“Ripening” worldly “fruits”, opportunities, prosperity, strength must be able to “collect” in time and reasonably, use it, transferring it into something that is useful and profitable in the worldly and in the eternal. But people are often blinded by what is, forgetting that the earthly will soon leave, and will return in the form of a record in a personal file on Judgment Day - either by sins or good deeds.]

In eternity [for sinners and atheists] a severe punishment is provided, [and for someone from among those who believed and pious] - forgiveness from the Lord and contentment.

Worldly life - and there is no doubt about it - is the subject of blindness (self-delusion, vanity, arrogance, pride). [It is that by which you can be deceived, you can be cruelly deceived, buying with blood and sweat millions earned over decades that is not worth a penny. From individual worldly goods and pleasures, a person can gradually go blind, ceasing to see through them penetratingly, losing the ability to analyze what they will turn into in eternity: into heavenly fruits, indescribable in beauty and taste, or into hellish thorns, washed down with boiling water of Hell. It sounds unusual, but one of the two cannot be avoided]” (Holy Quran, 57:20).

So life is a game. But this is essentially not frivolous fun, but a game that requires a balanced, serious approach and relentless training from us. After all, there will be winners and losers. But for our own good, we have no right to lose. The believer approaches life calmly, evenly, energetically, with joy, but the approach is serious and a sense of responsibility is always with him.

You can’t hold anything in your hands forever, except by transferring it to a different category - in the name of Allah (God), doing this or that good deed before Him, the Lord of the worlds, and for the good of oneself (but remembering human gluttony, knowing the measure in one’s own desires and desires), relatives, their people, co-religionists and people in general. Besides, it's all about intentions. Important - purposefulness, attitude and positive, reasonable activity, sometimes - with double effort, perseverance. The matter remains for the small - to live ... to live with dignity. And more at the level of the soul, intentions and actual deeds, rather than masks, scenery and artificial representations; desires or fantasies.

See: Big explanatory dictionary of the Russian language. St. Petersburg: Norint, 2000, p. 306.

“If you [people] do something good, then you do it for yourself [for your own good, worldly and eternal], and if you do something bad, evil [corrupt, sow discord; dare to encroach on the honor, life or property of others], then - against themselves. [You only think that you are helping another, in fact you are helping yourself. And it only seems to you that you are harming others, but in reality only you yourself will suffer, not from human, but from God's justice] ”(see Holy Quran, 17: 7).

"Too many people spend money they don't earn to buy things they don't need to surprise people they don't like" (W. Smith).

“Some think they are buying pleasure, but they themselves are selling themselves into its slavery” (B. Franklin).

Self-delusion is the seduction of oneself with pleasant, but false dreams, hopes. See: Big explanatory dictionary of the Russian language. S. 1144.

More details about the meanings of this verse are given in my lecture “A million for something that is not worth a penny” (14.01..

To be able to live wisely and skillfully, overcoming, achieving, without being deceived and without being blinded, is a difficult skill, but as a result of work on oneself, one acquires a skill. There are different ways to achieve success, bypass deception and maintain sight. The best assistants in this for a person, I think, are faith and intellect.

Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) instructed: “People, you must have a goal (aspiration)! You must have a goal (aspiration) [if you intend to achieve something significant in this earthly life in spiritual, intellectual, physical or material terms! Designate goals and act!] Verily, Allah (God, Lord) will not deprive you of Divine grace (His mercy and blessings) until you “agree” with the feeling of boredom (spiritual languor, do not follow his lead; until you don't get bored with what you're doing). The last part of the hadith, when translated interlinearly, sounds like: “He (the Lord of the worlds) will not get tired (do not get bored) [to help you] until you get tired (do not get bored) [to do your job, not despairing of the help and mercy of the Creator; until you get tired of setting goals and, no matter what, achieve them]”. Hadith from Jabir; St. X. Ibn Maja, Abu Ya'la and Ibn Habbana. See, for example: as-Suyuty J. Al-jami‘ as-sagyr [Small collection]. Beirut: al-Kutub al-‘ilmiyyah, 1990, p. 180, hadith no. 3013, “sahih.”

To understand what it means to “live at the level of the soul”, my book “The World of the Soul”, which is available in book version, in audio format, and also in electronic version, will help you (with the blessing of the Almighty). You can find all this at http://ummastore.ru.