 Bismillahirrahmanirrahim, Alhamdulillahirrahmanirrahim. Wassalamu ala Sayyidi al-Mursaleen, Sayyidi al-Muhammad, wa ala alihi wa sahbihi wa salim tastiman kathirah. Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu. This is Imam Zayi Shaqir and I'm here to introduce you to this program. This program is a four-part series which we're entitling the purpose of life. We're going to examine just some of the basic fundamental knowledge associated with understanding what it means to live in this world, whether the implications of living in this world, what is the purpose for living in this world, and what is our ultimate destination. Is this world indeed our final destination or is this deed a way station on our way to our final destination? What is the nature of our relationship with others, with ourselves, with our Lord, with other denizens of this place? These are issues we wish to explore and ultimately really focusing and honing in on the fact that this world is the abode of trials and tribulations and that this is the nature of the place. Imam Ali, radi Allahu anhu, karram, Allahu wajah, is reported to have said, man arafat dunya hanat alih al musribat. One who understands or knows the nature of this world, calamities become easy to deal with. And so we're going to try to examine what is the nature of this world, what is the nature of our relationship with this world, and what should we be focusing on. So today we want to start with examining two things. Examining the characteristics of this world and the characteristics of the akhira. Why is that brothers and sisters? We start here because we live in this world undeniably and in this phase of our human development it was preceded by another phase in the womb which was preceded by the the genetic phase and the genetic makeup of our forebears all the way back to Adam alaihi salam. And there's a phase after this world but in this phase we live in this world but we live for the next. We live for the akhira. We live for the unseen world. Sometimes this world is called ad-dunya because it's low and accessible. Allah Ta'ala describes the fruits of jannah. That the clusters of fruit will be hanging low, easy to access, easy to pluck, easy to enjoy. And so this world is readily accessible through our senses. We can touch it, we can see it, we can feel it, we can smell it, we can hear it, we can taste it. So it's readily accessible. We cannot do any of that for the akhira. And so it's called the akhira. That which will come later, that which comes at the end. If that which succeeds our life in this world. Sometimes this world is called the ajila. Excuse me, the ajila. The ajila, that which is quick. It comes quick, as we said, it's readily accessible. And the hereafter is called the ajila. That which is delayed or deferred. And so that, this is where we're starting today. And as this is Ramadan, shah Ramadan, alladi unzila fiha Quran, we want to know what we say in the Quran. So we want to examine or look at some of the characteristics of the world from the Quran. So the first characteristic is that this world is brief. This worldly life is brief. When the hour is established, the criminals will swear. The wrong doors will swear that we only tarried in this world. We only lingered in this world for a brief moment. Thus are they, thus were they deceived or thus were they deluded concerning their life in the world, which preceded the day of judgment. And so the the idea of brevity, this world is brief. As one of our forebears says, forebears mentioned at dunya sa'a faj'alha ta'a, when nafsut ta'a me'a ad-namha qanaa, that the this world is but a moment. Fill that moment with the obedience to Allah ta'ala. And the nafs is covetous, is greedy. Teach it contentment, to be content with what it has. Alhamdulillah. But what preceded this world as we said, from our coming out of the womb of our mother to pre-eternity, back to pre-eternity. How much time was that compared to this world? And what comes after this world? To eternity. Khalidina fiha abedah, dwelling therein. And we pray everyone will dwell permanently in heaven at the end of our affair. But how much is, how much time preceded us and how much time comes after us compared to our time in this world? Our time in this world is very very brief brothers and sisters. Fill that moment with the obedience to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. The second description is the world is the abode of sport, amusement, play, frivolities, adornment, boasting between ourselves as Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala mentions in the Quran. And the verse goes on. But the relevant points here, you should know that this worldly life is sport and play, amusement, adornment, mutual boasting between yourself and piling up wealth and children. That's the life of this world for those who don't truly understand it. But the hereafter is the real life and we'll come to that momentarily inshaAllah ta'ala. And so brothers and sisters don't be obsessed with those things. Don't be obsessed with those things. The world is an abode of deception. We're deluded, we're deceived, we misperceive because of the nature of the world. Allah ta'ala says in that regard. So Allah ta'ala says, oh people, humanity, addressing all of us Muslims, Jews, Christians, atheists, Buddhists, Hindus, you name it. All of us are being addressed. Oh humanity, humankind, you should know that the promise of Allah is true. That promise of Allah doesn't just pertain to Muslims. The promise of Allah pertains to all of humanity. The threat of Allah doesn't just pertain to Muslims. The threat of Allah pertains to all of humanity. Muslims are threatened in particular ways. Those who are scholars are threatened in particular enhanced ways because they should know better in terms of what sort of life they should be living, what sort of sins they should be avoiding. But he says, as the Wajjal, Mahdi, and Majestic is he, oh humanity, verily the promise of Allah's truth, true, so do not be deceived by the life of this world, this worldly life, and do not be do not be deceived concerning Allah by the great deceiver, shaytan, satan. The life of this world is in a boat of straying and tyranny. Allah ta'ala says, those who are strayed, who's striving in this world is astray and all the while they think that they're doing good. They're deceived. They think that their straying is guidance and how many people in our time and our day and time are afflicted with that disease of the heart. Being deceived, thinking that things that this ummah, this community of Muslims throughout its entire history has declared to be unlawful or forbidden or sinful are deceived and to believing is totally fine. It's all right. Don't be deceived, brothers and sisters, by the life of this world. The life of this world, we mentioned, is tyranny. As for one, who, Allahumma sallahu wa sallam, one who behaves tyrannically and prefers the life of this world verily hellfire will be his or her final boat. Don't be deceived, brothers and sisters, by this world. Don't behave tyrannically in this world. Allah ta'ala has made the akhirah for those who humble themselves, for those who do not desire to exalt themselves in the world. And in the verse that mentions these three realities, the end is for those the righteous. The righteous are those who do not desire to exalt themselves in the world nor to work corruption therein. The implication of that, those who desire to exalt themselves in the world, they do the lion share of the corruption and putting things out of their proper balance. And this is coming in the description of the akhirah. This is the home of the hereafter. We may for those who don't desire to exalt themselves in the earth nor to work corruption therein and the end will be for the righteous. So the ones who behave tyrannically, they are succumbing to the enticement of the world, the enticement of the world giving the impression that a false power. And look at how Allah ta'ala destroys that perception. There are those boasting. We have the greatest economy in human history as if that was their doing and not a test from Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. Two weeks later, three weeks later, 30 million people filing for unemployment. That greatest economy in human history totally undone. Totally undone. Because of something microscopic, we can't even see it with the naked eye. We cannot see this coronavirus with the naked eye. Mahallah. Don't be deceived. Don't behave tyrannical, tyrannically. The servants of Allah, of the merciful are those who walk humbly in the earth. They walk humbly in the earth. May Allah give us ta'afiq and tasir and qabool. The nature of this world is that it's an abode for debasement for those who don't do righteousness, who don't work righteousness, who don't commit themselves to caring and sharing, caring for and sharing with their fellow human beings and the other creatures that they share this earth with. Allah ta'ala says in that regard, أأوذ بالله من الشيطان والرجين فهداقهم الله الخجة في الحياة الدنيا والعداب الآخرة أكبر لو كانوا يعلمون. And so Allah gave them the taste of humiliation in this world. A taste because what they will experience in the akhirah will be the full course meal. And no matter how debasing their punishment, no matter how painful their punishment in this world, if Allah chooses to begin their punishment in this world, what they will experience in the akhirah cannot be compared in terms of this severity and intensity. So Allah says, and the torment, the punishment of the hereafter is greater if they only knew. Why? If they only knew, it would be a check on their actions. Brothers and sisters, this is not the adventures of Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer. This is not adventure. The Quran is not adventure literature. It's not the Iliad and the Odyssey. It's not a novel. It is guidance from the Lord of the world that we as believers are obliged to follow. And if we follow it, we won't be humiliated in this world. We will be elevated not because of our own ego's desire, illusion of strength of power, but be owing to the mercy and the grace of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. This world is the abode of Allahumma Sallallahu Rasulillah, of earning good. So this world, brothers and sisters, understand this. What we get from the world is intricately associated with how we approach the world. So our Prophet, Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam, he says, The world is cursed. He says, The world is a source of benefit. So which is it? It's up to us. If we violate the commandments of Allah in the world, if we worship the world, if we are obsessed with the wherewithal of the world, if we don't give the rights that we owe to others in the world, then the world is cursed. But if we use the world, the second reference, part of a brief hadith, where our Prophet, Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam, he says, The world is a source of benefit, and the most beneficial thing in it is a virtuous spouse. And so if we work together with our spouses to assist each other in our journey to the akhirah, the world is a source of benefit. So rather it's cursed, so there's no contradiction. Someone says, Oh, Al Dunya Mal'una, Mal'una Ma Fiha Al Adhikrullah Manwala, Okay Maqal. So we say, Oh, it's cursed. It's a benefit. There's a contradiction. There's no contradiction. It depends on how we approach it. If we approach it in the wrong way, it's cursed. And if we approach it properly, it's a source of great benefit. Nanhella Allah. So Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala says in terms of accruing benefit, So Allah Ta'ala says, Say to my servants who believe, Be mindful of your Lord. For those who do good in this world, they will have good. And the earth of Allah is spacious. And rather the patient ones are giving their reward with no numerical limits. Be laity He said. And so Allah Ta'ala reminds us that this world is a source of good for us if we approach it the right way. And that the earth of Allah is spacious, meaning what? If we can't do good over here, then we move over there to do good. If you can't do good in America, I'm in America so much pressure, except especially of the coronavirus. How am I supposed to focus on Allah? How can I even pray? I'm constantly distracted. Where is Allah whom we need him? If that's what your state is, you need to go somewhere else where people are not in that state and join them in the worship of Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala, as was the case of the man who killed the 99 people. He immediately took the advice of the scholar and tried to go to the land where there were good people to worship Allah with them. Ardu Allahi wa Asyaa. In another verse, Ardu Allahi wa Asyaa, فَتُحَاجِرُوا فيهاَ Allah's earth is spacious, migrate therein. There is no excuse not to do good. And Alhamdulillah, we can do much good here in America. We have an incredible opportunity to live a righteous life. You might not find this in Europe. There's a lot of anti-Muslim pressure in Europe. Someone say, there's a lot here but there's no comparison, my brothers and sisters, where the laws that are being legislated, where they have a laicism as opposed to secularism. So secularism, no religion in the public space, laicism, no religion at all. Anti-religious. So may Allah Ta'ala give us, توفيق تسير القبول. And finally, and I'll stop here because I took more time than I anticipated. The next section, well let me see the time here. Yes, took more time. But this is the most important one, because this is the one after we deal with the characteristics of the Akhira in the next section, we're going to focus on the trials, the nature of the world in terms of it being the abode of trials and tribulations. So the final thing mentioned here, and I'm going through this based on the arrangement of a text called, نَضْرَطَلْلَعِيمَ في مكارن الأخلاك الرسول الكريم. So the glow of the garden concerning the beautiful characteristic of the noble prophet. And so the final one mentioned here, it's the abode of trials and tribulations. So Allah Ta'ala says in that regard, وَهُوَا عَلَا كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرَ اللَّذِ يُخَلَقَ الْمَوتَ وَالْحَيَاتَ لِيَبَلْوَقُمْ اَيُّقُمْ اَحْسُنُ عَمَلَا وَهُوَ الْعَزِيزُ وَالْلُنْغَافُورَ So blessed is the one in whose hand is the the the dominion of all things and he over all things has power. The one who has created death and life to test you, which of you are best indeed and he is the mighty, the forgiving. Death is mentioned first here because death is probably the greatest tribulation in this life. Created death and life and the tribulations of life that precede death are far less are lesser than death. يَبَلُوَقُمْ اَيُّقُمْ اَحْسُنُ عَمَلَا To test you and try you which of you are best indeed. So that's the nature of the world. There are many verses in this regard but we'll come to those after we deal with the characteristics of the Akhir on our next session. So in conclusion brothers and sisters that remind you and remind myself as we started, we live in the world but we live for the Akhirah and we open with the saying of Imam Ali and عرفة الدنيا هانت عليه المصريبات and we'll conclude with the saying sometimes attributed to Imam Ali also رضي الله عنه كرم الله وجهة ارتلحت الدنيا وراءكم مدبرة ورتلحت الاخيرة امامك مقبلة ولكل منهما ابناءها فكونوا من ابناء الآخر ولا تكونوا من ابناء الدنيا So the world is behind you moving away from you and so that's the nature of the world and you notice most of these very few in terms of the world. There were disincentives it was ترهيب, encouraging us not to be amongst the criminal wrongdoers, encouraging us not to be deceived, encouraging us so it's warning against the negative impact the world can have. Why? Because it's moving away it's moving away which means what we will never catch it so الله تعالى is trying to warn us don't be obsessed with chasing something you will never catch don't be obsessed with chasing something you will never catch وَرْتَحَلَة الْاخِيرُ تُوْمَامَكَ مُقبِّلَةً and the Akhirah is in front of you moving towards you meaning you will never escape it and so the Akhirah when we get to that in the next section you'll see most of the verses are encouragements, ترهيب, encouraging us too long for the Akhirah why because it will we're not going to escape it so as opposed to running away from the Akhirah and running towards the world which is insanity because we'll never catch the world no matter how hard we try no matter how fast we run and we'll never escape the Akhirah and so we are discouraged from chasing the world and so most of the verses we went over today are ترهيب and we're encouraged to look forward to and be open to an approach and run to the Akhirah. فَفْيُرُوا إِنَ الْلَى فْلِيْتُوا الْلَى that's the nature of things brothers and sisters don't be deceived at too much time. Now Allah bless you bless all of you this is Imam Zayn Shah here the first installment of this class the purpose of life جزاكم الله خيرا بارك الله فيكم ويتقبل منكم السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته