THE DECEPTION OF THE WORLD (Part 3) – Hazrat Maulana Thanvi رحمه الله
Hakeemul Ummah Hazrat Moulana Ashraf Ali Thaanwi Sahib رحمه الله has advised that ‘do not consider the world your home’ is that in reality, do not regard your home to be your home; do not consider your wealth to be your wealth; do not consider your honour to be your honour; do not consider your children to be your children; and do not consider your wife as your wife. If we carefully examine the underlying message, every conceivable thing where the heart develops an inclination and attachment to are included. Hazrat Thaanwi رحمه الله says that it is as if the meaning of the admonition of Sayyidina Rasoolullah صلى الله عليه وسلم is, “To what extent do I go on enumerating all such entities.”
Very simply is that we never consider anything as belonging to us. Sheikhul Hadith Hazrat Moulana Muhammad Zakariyya Sahib رحمه الله mentions a Hadith:
من احب دنياه أضر باخرته ومن احب أخرته أضر بدنياه فأثروا ما يبقى على يفنى
‘He who loves this world, does harm to his Aakhirah; and he who loves his Aakhirah does (seem to) harm his worldly interests. So give preference to what is everlasting over that which is short-lived.’ (Mishkāt)
Hazrat Sheikh رحمه الله comments that irrespective of how long a man may live, his life must inevitably end and however massive a person’s fortune may be, he will have to lose it one day. It will either be spent and wasted during his life or he will die leaving it behind. The Aakhirah is everlasting and the bounties are eternal. Therefore, if man has a little sense, he should prefer the eternal to that which is short-lived.
(To be continued ان شاء الله)
