The Blessing of Life
Life is good, and every day the eyes open
to the light of the sun and the moon is a granted blessing — one that must be
thanked for and utilized.
Building strong ties with the world and its
affairs is something a mature Muslim cares about, as long as there is breath in
his chest. His utmost duty is to conduct himself well on this earth, upon which
Allah has made him a vicegerent. Consider these examples from the Sunnah of the
Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him):
The Virtue of Long
Life
Abu Huraira reported: Two men from the
tribe of Quda`a embraced Islam with the Messenger of Allah (peace
be upon him). One of them was martyred, and the other
lived for another year. Talha ibn Ubayd Allah said: I saw the one who lived
longer enter Paradise before the martyr, so I was astonished by that. The next
morning, I mentioned it to the Prophet (peace be upon him), and he said: “Did he not fast another Ramadan
after him, and pray six thousand rak‘ahs, and such and such prayers during that
year? The difference between them is greater than that between the heavens and
the earth.”
See then—living longer and remaining on
this earth is not an evil; rather, it raised a man’s rank above that of a
martyr.
A long life can indeed be a source of
precious good. The claim that life is evil and that leaving it is better than
enduring it is nothing but nonsense — completely disconnected from Islam.
Life as a Chance for
Purification
This meaning is further affirmed in a
narration from `Amir ibn Sa`d ibn Abi Waqqas who said: I heard Sa`d and some
companions of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) say: There were two brothers during the Prophet’s
time, and one of them was better than the other. The better one died first, and
the other lived forty more nights before he died. He was seen in a higher rank
(in Paradise), and that was mentioned to the Messenger of Allah (peace
be upon him). He said: “Did he not pray?” They
said: “Yes, O Messenger of Allah, and there was nothing wrong with him.” The
Prophet (peace
be upon him) said: “How do you know what his prayer
reached? Indeed, prayer is like a deep flowing river at the door of one of you
in which he bathes five times a day — do you see any dirt remaining on him? You
do not know what his prayer has elevated him to.”
Do you perceive the radiant meaning in this
guidance?
Life is an opportunity that must be seized; remaining in it is a means for
greater purity and perfection. Every moment a person spends in this worldly
life is a chance to accomplish something. Therefore, it is not permissible to
frown upon life, to turn away from it, to despair of its means, or to withdraw
from its paths.
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Resource: “How to Understand Islam”
by Mohammed Al-Ghazali
Read Also:
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Daily Muslim Life: Faith, Giving, and Compassion
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Muslims View the Nature of Man, the Purpose of Life
