When it comes to Dunya versus Akhira

Aoudhubillahi min al shaitanir rajeem.

Bismi Allahi Al Rahmani Al Raheemi

Inna Lillahi Wa Inna Ilaihi Rajeun

Ash Shahadu an La Ilaha illa Allah

Wa ash shahadu an Muhammedan Abdul Allah Wa Rasul Allah

As Salaamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatullah Wa Barakatuh my dear respected (believing Muslim friends) brothers and sisters in Al Islam

Hasbuna Lahu Wa Nimal Wakil

When it comes to Dunya versus Akhira, I look at it like the old adage, "Don't put all of your eggs in one basket." Or the analogy (which Allah (swt) has asked us not to do analogies, but) of having one foot in the Dunya and the other foot in the Akhira. Why should the Muslim attempt to stand that way?

My thoughts are that our efforts each day should be 50% for managing affairs of this life and 50% for managing affairs for the next life. When we look at Surah 7 Ayah 169, the last sentence of the Ayah says, "But best for the righteous is the home in the Hereafter. Will ye not understand?" If I just say this to a believing Muslim but I understand what Allah (swt) has said in other places of the Quranul Kareem would I actually be showing care and concern for that believing Muslim? That sentence in isolation would make a person shirk their responsibilities and abandon any previous engagements or obligations. Because that sentence by itself is saying put all of your eggs in the Akhira basket, and since we cannot determine when our life in the Dunya will end some may neglect their duties to take care of themselves properly in this life. And that, in fact, fulfilling obligations and engagements are indeed Commands from Allah (swt0 and thus acts of ibadah (worship) to Him. This then makes managing our affairs of this life properly to be good deeds on our Scales for the next life. Please enlarge the graphic below with the architectural building for evidence (Ayats).

Money is not only required for a lavish or opulent lifestyle. Money is required for a modest or moderate lifestyle as well. Money is required just to maintain whatever quality of life the person has. That would be maintenance without making improvements...it takes money to do that. It takes money to heal properly...to adopt dietary practices that would be a healing for a person that has illnesses. Let's say that I want to plant some herbs in my garden. That takes money: to buy the house with enough lot size to plant an herb garden. But you also need to exercise and sometimes some illnesses must be sweated out of the body. It takes money to get the exercise equipment and or sauna put into the house that you purchased with enough lot size to put in a medicinal herb garden. I cannot clap my hands and make that appear and none of that is lavish or opulence.

Allah (swt) has said that if we are weak and oppressed to move ourselves away from oppression. But we also must not move somewhere where we are substituting one oppression for another. Furthermore He (swt) said that if they do not do this He'll throw them in Hell for not moving away from oppression. So there is a duty to not be poor, weak and oppressed in the land. In addition Allah (swt) said that there will be a people being marched into Hellfire and He will order them to be stopped and will ask them, "What was the matter with you that ye did not help each other?" Hell, for not being of help to one another. Well actually, He said that they were Zalimun but in addition they did not help one another. Sometimes there are some of us that need to either heal or get free from oppression, poverty and/or weakness.

We cannot cultivate desperation, poverty and scarcity. I mentioned below that Allah (swt) will ask a couple of questions through His Angels. 1. What was the matter with you? Why didn't you help one another? 2. What was your plight on Earth? Was not My Earth spacious enough to move yourselves away from evil? Allah (swt) does not want us cultivating evil, wickedness, rebelliousness, desperation, poverty or scarcity. Breeding desperation leads to Zalim (wrongdoing, injustice, oppression, darkness of sin, etc.) And we learned from Nabi Yusuf (epbuh) about warding off scarcity. Nabi Yusuf (epbuh) practicing the avoidance of scarcity in black graphic. So, I have added to this 2 more graphics. 1 on desperation. 2 on harvests for sowing the seeds of injustice (Zilm, zalimat). But also must be careful of the sowing of Tawwakul to an extreme and certainly be careful of excessive Asceticism. Tawwakul is good. Essentially means to ask Allah (swt) for what you need. But it becomes haram or bad if the scholar makes you feel like trade between Muslims is in violation of Tawwakul. Like, "No don't ask anyone for help only ask Allah (swt)." It is True that such a Law does apply for the Wicked in a Proverb or the Rejecters in Ali Imran 56. I will leave those as well.

So when it comes to Akhira versus Dunya we have a duty to be of help to one another's understanding. We have a duty to remind each other of the Holy Verses to be of help to one another. We have a duty to traffic and trade by mutual goodwill between one another. If you are giving some of that money to Armani, Tiffany, Cartier, Bugatti, Rolls Royce, Aston Martin, Ferrari, etc. that is your freedom of choice. We should not compel others unless we want to be compelled ourselves. Thus, we have to leave people their freedom with their own resources so long as they are not harming innocent others. We don't want to cultivate compulsion like we do not want to cultivate possessions by evil principalities.

We know what Allah (swt) is saying, however, in these Ayat below. The duty is there. The sentence is clear. The person is free to do what they desire for themselves but Allah's position on it won't change. Sure there is no compulsion on the rich to be helpful and that same leniency must be shown the poor. If we are hands off when it is beneficial to them then must be hands off when harmful for the poor, oppressed and weak Muslim. The case of the Wrongfully Imprisoned Cat (which does not include those rightfully imprisoned amongst creatures and humans) is an example of oppression through negligence. Without the Dunya how else to stack good deeds to return to the Akhira? Without money how to give in Charity to those who need? Click to enlarge any of these graphics if they are difficult to read.

[7:168]

We broke them up into sections on this earth. There are among them some that are the righteous, and some that are the opposite. We have tried them with both prosperity and adversity: In order that they might turn (to us).

[7:169]

After them succeeded an (evil) generation: They inherited the Book, but they chose (for themselves) the vanities of this world, saying (for excuse): "(Everything) will be forgiven us." (Even so), if similar vanities came their way, they would (again) seize them. Was not the covenant of the Book taken from them, that they would not ascribe to God anything but the truth? and they study what is in the Book. But best for the righteous is the home in the Hereafter. Will ye not understand?

Something that I should remember from Tobit, especially when coming across Catholic friends.

{The New Revised Standard Bible with the Apocrypha has a very difficult story about Tobit and his son's (Tobias') marriage to a girl named Sarah. Powerful help from God (Allah) was needed and given, but, some of the conditions for receiving that powerful help are spelled out in Tobit 13. [Namely (a natural measure of) praising; acknowledging the works of; and glorifying Yahweh (Al Huwa); fasting, almsgiving; righteous efforts towards works.] To Yahweh (Allah) be the glory and the praise. In terms of alsmgiving...1 should not give more than they can afford. And charity can begin at home amongst family and relatives and extend out from there. This is a good passage to remember when I come into contact with some of my Catholic friends. (Sort of common grounds between us...where our paths cross, so to speak.)} It seems to be similar to the instructions from Allah (swt) in Surahtul Rumi (The Romans) of the Holy Quran: [30:14]On the Day that the Hour will be established,- that Day shall (all men) be sorted out.[30:15]Then those who have believed and worked righteous deeds, shall be made happy in a Mead of Delight.[30:16]And those who have rejected Faith and falsely denied our Signs and the meeting of the Hereafter,- such shall be brought forth to Punishment.[30:17]So (give) glory to God, when ye reach eventide and when ye rise in the morning;[30:18]Yea, to Him be praise, in the heavens and on earth; and in the late afternoon and when the day begins to decline.[30:19]It is He Who brings out the living from the dead, and brings out the dead from the living, and Who gives life to the earth after it is dead: and thus shall ye be brought out (from the dead).
Tobit 13
1 When the wedding celebration was ended, Tobit called his son Tobias and said to him, "My child, see to paying the wages of the man who went with you, and give him a bonus as well." 2 He replied, "Father, how much shall I pay him? It would do no harm to give him half of the possessions brought back with me. 3 For he has led me back to you safely, he cured my wife, he brought the money back with me, and he healed you. How much extra shall I give him as a bonus?" 4 Tobit said, "He deserves, my child, to receive half of all that he brought back." 5 So Tobias called him and said, "Take for your wages half of all that you brought back, and farewell." 6 Then Raphael called the two of them privately and said to them, "Bless God and acknowledge him in the presence of all the living for the good things he has done for you. Bless and sing praise to his name. With fitting honor declare to all people the deeds of God. Do not be slow to acknowledge him. 7 It is good to conceal the secret of a king, but to acknowledge and reveal the works of God, and with fitting honor to acknowledge him. Do good and evil will not overtake you. 8 Prayer with fasting is good, but better than both is almsgiving with righteousness. A little with righteousness is better than wealth with wrongdoing. It is better to give alms than to lay up gold. 9 For almsgiving saves from death and purges away every sin. Those who give alms will enjoy a full life, 10 but those who commit sin and do wrong are their own worst enemies. 11 "I will now declare the whole truth to you and will conceal nothing from you. Already I have declared it to you when I said, "It is good to conceal the secret of a king, but to reveal with due honor the works of God.' 12 So now when you and Sarah prayed, it was I who brought and read the record of your prayer before the glory of the Lord, and likewise whenever you would bury the dead. 13 And that time when you did not hesitate to get up and leave your dinner to go and bury the dead, 14 I was sent to you to test you. And at the same time God sent me to heal you and Sarah your daughter-in-law. 15 I am Raphael, one of the seven angels who stand ready and enter before the glory of the Lord." 16 The two of them were shaken; they fell face down, for they were afraid. 17 But he said to them, "Do not be afraid; peace be with you. Bless God forevermore. 18 As for me, when I was with you, I was not acting on my own will, but by the will of God. Bless him each and every day; sing his praises. 19 Although you were watching me, I really did not eat or drink anything—but what you saw was a vision. 20 So now get up from the ground, and acknowledge God. See, I am ascending to him who sent me. Write down all these things that have happened to you." And he ascended. 21 Then they stood up, and could see him no more. 22 They kept blessing God and singing his praises, and they acknowledged God for these marvelous deeds of his, when an angel of God had appeared to them.