Making the Hereafter your Goal increases your Provisions

Making the Hereafter your Goal increases your Provisions

Allah said: But of mankind there are some who say: “Our Lord! Give us (Your Bounties) in this world!” and for such there will be no portion in the Hereafter.

 And of them there are some who say: “Our Lord! Give us in this world that which is good and in the Hereafter that which is good, and save us from the torment of the Fire!” [ Al-Baqarah 200-201]

عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ “‏ مَنْ كَانَتِ الآخِرَةُ هَمَّهُ جَعَلَ الله غِنَاهُ فِي قَلْبِهِ وَجَمَعَ لَهُ شَمْلَهُ وَأَتَتْهُ الدُّنْيَا وَهِيَ رَاغِمَةٌ وَمَنْ كَانَتِ الدُّنْيَا هَمَّهُ جَعَلَ الله فَقْرَهُ بَيْنَ عَيْنَيْهِ وَفَرَّقَ عَلَيْهِ شَمْلَهَ وَلَمْ يَأْتِهِ مِنَ الدُّنْيَا إِلاَّ مَا قُدِّرَ لَهُ ‏”‏ ‏

Anas bin Malik narrated that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:

“Whoever makes the Hereafter his goal, Allah makes his heart rich, and organizes his affairs, and the world comes to him whether it wants to or not. And whoever makes the world his goal, Allah puts his poverty right before his eyes, and disorganizes his affairs, and the world does not come to him, except what has been decreed for him.”[1]

Benefits for this topic:

• Our Lord! Give us (Your Bounties) in this world!” and for such there will be no portion in the Hereafter.

• Our Lord! Give us in this world that which is good and in the Hereafter that which is good, and save us from the torment of the Fire!

• Al-Alamah Ash-Shaykh Abdur Rahman As-Sa’dee commented on the aforementioned verses, he said: Allah mentioned the conditions of the creation and that everyone asks Him for their needs and requests Him to repel harm against them, however each person’s requests varies. Some say:” Our Lord Give us (Your Bounties) in this world.” This means they request the Dunya with all its glitter and gold and have no share of fortune in the next life since they turned away from it in this life, and only chased behind this World.

Meanwhile there are other people who ask Allah for the best of both worlds. They rely soley on Allah for their  important worldly affairs and religious duties. These kinds of slaves of The Bestower have the share of earnings from their actions and Allah will reward them based on the quality of their deeds.[2]

• Imam Abu Bakr Al-Bukhari Al-Hanafi (384H) said: There are two meanings for this hadith;

A: It awakens a person’s desire to abstain from chasing this World of pomp and glitter and to seek out the Hereafter by heartening the slave to spend his wealth.

B: It’s a warning with spiritual guidance to draw closer to Allah; as He can make things easy; since He owns and possesses everything.

Anyone that Allah makes content with the life of this World by not constantly pursing it, the next life becomes his aim. The human-being is greedy and the soul desires either this life or the next one, so when the spirit is concealed from the Dunya it becomes averse towards it, therefore its satisfied with what it has and pursues the Akhira(Jannah).[3]

• Ustadh Dr. Ash-Shaykh Sulayman Ar-Ruhayli (حفظه الله) said:( Whoever makes the Hereafter his goal…) this wording has been narrated in the collections of hadith, and with other phrases,” Seeking the Hereafter and proceeding towards it Allah will  suffice him and place richness in his heart.” Hence he’s at ease and whatever comes to him he’s happy with it, so he says, “Praises to Allah Who provides an abundance of good.” This satisfied servant doesn’t look at what other people have. Looking at the possessions of others causes unhappiness and pain to a person. For instance someone owns a car that takes him to the masjid comfortably, but when he passes by his neighbors he’s notices their cars are better than his ,so he smacks the steering wheel and says,” These cars !”.Those cars go by, but the distastefulness of misery remains in the heart.

• The Prophet (ﷺ) said (“Whoever makes the Hereafter his goal, Allah makes his heart rich…), consequently everything he receives he’s pleased with and believes that he’s been given a great blessing.

• (organizes his affairs…) Since he has a bed to sleep in his heart doesn’t feel torn and split.

• (and the world comes to him whether it wants to or not.) Everything that’s been written for the Son of Adam will come to him whether he’s righteous or not. The pious servant is happy with the provisions he receives and surrenders to his Lord.

• (And whoever makes the world his goal…) The means the person makes attaining this world his goal and objective so, Allah places his poverty in front of his eyes, unlike the person who makes the Paradise his goal. This person feels comfortable in his chest when he makes the rewards of the next life his target, nothing like the person making this lowly world his end. Whatever he looks at he only sees his insufficiency. Moreover he never feels delighted with what he’s been given and constantly looks at what other people have, while not enjoying the things he has. Any time a person has belongings and doesn’t take pleasure in them, and at the same time he tries to get things he can’t, this is a terrible misfortune.

There are some rich people who are unable to have a restful sleep at night with the riches Allah favored them. The one Allah blessed with provisions and runs after the Paradise Allah gives him the best of both Worlds. My words don’t mean being rich is blameworthy or the rich behave in this manner generally, conversely, I was referring to people who only go after the Dunya and don’t pursue the Akhira. There are many rich people that sponsor numerous students of knowledge, give charity and aid the Dawah.[4]

• Al-Imam Al-‘Alamah Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyah(751H) said: Whenever a person wakes up in the morning or goes out in the evening making Allah’s Pleasure his goal, Allah facilitates his needs and takes cares of everything he wants. The servant who places love for Allah in his heart, His remembrance on his tongue and obedience to Him on his body parts day and night Allah takes care of his wants and wishes.

On the other hand, when the person makes the Dunya his aspiration, day and night, Allah leaves him to feel the grief, the stress and the anxiety of this World.  Allah The Most Wise entrusts this person to run his own affairs so, his heart becomes occupied with the love for people and status instead of the love for Allah, the words from his mouth are about those people he admires in place of the remembrance of The All Praiseworthy, and his actions are done to serve and please the public in exchange for worshiping The All Aware. He slaves and works hard to earn the public’s pleasure, similar to a blacksmiths bellows that pump air into his stomach while his ribs are squeezed in order to benefit others![5]

Everyone that turns away from worshiping Allah, obeying Him and loving Him is afflicted with devotion towards creation, revering them, and serving their needs. Allah said:  And whosoever turns away (blinds himself) from the remembrance of the Most Beneficent (Allah) (i.e. this Qur’an and worship of Allah), We appoint for him Shaitan (Satan – devil) to be a Qarin (an intimate companion) to him.[ Az-Zukhruf/36][6]

Summary of Reminders for this topic

1. We should constantly ask Allah to fulfill our needs.
2. Remembering Allah relieves stress and grants comfort.
3. We should always be grateful for what we have as some people have less.
4. Everyone gets their allotted share of livelihood
5. We should start our mornings and evening with the legislated supplications to Allah.[7]
6. Allah said in chapter 28 verse 60
   “And whatever you have been given is an enjoyment of the life of (this) world and its adornment, and that (Hereafter) which is with Allah is better and will remain forever. Have you then no sense?”
7. Exhausting ourselves running behind riches makes us tired and cause stress.

Prepared by the slave in need of Allah’s Mercy

Brother Abu Aaliyah Abdullah ibn Dwight Lamont Battle

PhD student (Hadith and Its Sciences )

Doha, Qatar 1437©

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[1] Collected by At-Tirmithi (2465), Ibn Majah (4105) by way of Anas ibn Malik(Radi Allah anhu), and Ahmed (5/183) by way Zayd ibn Thabit (radi Allahu anhu). Shaykh Al-Albani in Silsilah Saheehah (949) graded it as being Sahih, like Shaykh Muqbil did in (الجامع الصحيح مما ليس في الصحيحين ) ,(1/39).

[2] Tafsir Abdur Rahman As-Sa’dee.

[3] Shaykh Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Abi Ishaq Al-Bukhari Al-Kalabaathi,(384H) some of his books are,(أربعين في الحديث الأشفاع و الأوتار , أمالي في الحيث , معدل الصلاة)

This point of benefit was taken from (بحر الفوائد المشهود بمعاني الأخبار  ) page 333, first edition 1420/1999, Dar Al-Kotob Al-Ilmiyah

[4] شرح الوصية الصغرى لشيخ الإسلام ابن تيمية , page 194-196, 1^st edition 1436/2015, printed by Darul Mirath, Shaykh Sulayman ibn Saleem Allahi Ar-Ruhayli is appointed to issue religious opinions and teaches at the Prophet’s(ﷺ) masjid

[5] i.e He’s doing a strenuous job to only benefit others.

[6] فوائد الفوائد , page 310,

[7] The fortress of the Muslim, by Sh Al-Qahtani, Al-Athkar by Imam An-Nawawi, and others similar which mention the morning and evening thikr are excellent references.