The ideal of the Qur'an is to develop a healthy social...

The ideal of the Qur'an is to develop a healthy social organization which traverses the middle path of rectitude avoiding all forms of extreme.[^5] People are to partake of the good things of the world[^6] and wear beautiful apparel, to eat and drink without going to excess,[^7] and for this reason monasticism which implies denial of life on this earth is condemned as being incompatible with human nature.[^8] Man is advised not to forget his portion in the life of this world.[^9] Wealth and property are good things to be enjoyed and appreciated and are blessings of God[^10] which make life smooth and comfortable.[^11] The life of the present world is no doubt significant and purposive,[^12] but it’s purposes are directed towards the good of future life, for the real abode of life is in the hereafter.[^13] God created life and death to test which of the people are best in point of deed.[^14] The present world is a place of sojourn and a place of departure;[^15] its enjoyments are short[^16] and comforts are few,[^17] while as compared with these the life in the hereafter is better and more enduring.[^18] It is best for the righteous[^19] and will last forever.[^20] The present life and the future life, however, are to be viewed as a unity, for man's creation here and his resurrection later on are events related to an individual soul.[^21] In fact, life on this earth is a preparation for the life hereafter.[^22] The good works that we do here in this life will run before us to illumine our path in the here­after[^23] where we shall have full opportunity to develop our spiritual light to ever greater perfection.[^24] Eternity This attribute in its fullness is exclusively God's and man is created within time for a stated term;[^25] yet he has within himself a deep craving for eternity and for a kingdom that never fails or ends.[^26] Though finite and temporal, man does not and cannot rest content with that.