However...

However, no one can avoid his faith in the Hereafter; therefore, the one who spends his life in favor of worldly desires and ignores or totally rejects the Hereafter, will not only be deprived from Paradise but also will be tied up in Hell’s torture forever and meet a double loss (Hūd:22, al-Kahf:104-105, al-Naml:4-5).

This is why the Holy Qur’an, on one hand, refers to the blessings of the Hereafter and warns against being deceived by worldly desires (al-Baqarah:102,200, al- Tawbah:38, al-Rūm:33, Fātir:5, al-Zukhruf:34-35) and, on the other, counts the losses of falling in love with this world and forgetting or rejecting the Hereafter or casting doubt on it.

Such points as the Holy Qur’an emphasises will cause one’s adversity and eternal misfortune (al-Isrā’:10, al-Baqarah:86, al-An’ām:130, Yūnus:7-8, Hūd:15-16, Ibrāhīm:3, al-Nahl:22, Luqmān:4). Therefore, it is unlikely that one who chooses this world over the other will only be deprived from the other world’s rewards; rather in addition to that, such a person will be sentenced to eternal punishment.

The secret behind the above point is that the lover of this world has wasted the talents provided for him by God and has destroyed or changed them for a fruitless tree for example, which could have given the fruit of eternal prosperity. Such a person has not thanked (worshiped) the real provider of such gifts and has wasted His blessings in a way, which has failed to cause His satisfaction. Thus, when he finds the evil results of his choice, he would wish to be mere dust (al-Naba’:40).

Questions 1- Discuss the differences between this world and the Hereafter. 2- Explain the reason why this world is at loss. 3- Describe the failings of falling in love with the material world. 4- Why will disbelief in the Hereafter cause eternal punishment? Previous…