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They tum people away from the Hereafter and ruin them, except for those whom Allah wills.2 The Prophet (peace be upon him) also said, 1 Implying, before all of the oil money and other riches that have come to the Muslim world in recent decades. 2 Ibn Uthaimeen, Sharh Riyaadh, vol. 6, pp. 14-15. Commentary on the Forty Hadith of al-Nawawi }. J ,,,. ,,. ,,,. J ,,. J ,,. J. J l!P $ ,. ,_ J. $ Ll'::UI I -ഹ\.j 0 .\୰ :ୱ ୲ 4).?3-, 1-:. ȼ 0 / > ,,,,_ cw1 1yt1) , , "Verily, the world is sweet and green [appealing]. And verily Allah has placed you as successors in it. And He sees how you act, so beware of the world and beware of women." (Recorded by Muslim.) The Prophet (peace be upon him) also described how the believers and how the disbelievers feel about this world. In a hadith, he stated, "This world is a prison for the believer and a paradise for the disbeliever." (Recorded by Muslim.) This world can be very alluring, as all of the above make clear. For that reason, Allah even warned the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) about being with those people who are seeking only this world. The Prophet (peace be upon him)- and therefore all believerswas told to seek the company of those people who are working for the Hereafter. He should be with them and face with patience the trials, sacrifices and difficulties of this world. The truth is from Allah and that truth states that the real life is the life of the Hereafter; those who only work for this life and follow their lusts and desires herein will be in great loss. Allah says, Ji. ., ., / J୐j wъ; ;_s.! -.1\j 6JIJ /sK!) 0Źź w:JI 2 .!r. L љj ., / .!... ti "" ., ,., 1 ੧1 Ui :; l'; '9j L)..u 1 ¸ 1 ॠJ ф-? 1: '6 ୯c. ' '. :c. J;_; '9j j .\ /j Q ଡ଼ J±ࢫf 0tbj ࢬࢭ t:'.0;\j Gf̨ J J¯ - .i '! "And keep yourself (0 Muhammad) patiently with those who call on their Lord morning and afternoon, seeking His countenance, and let not your eyes overlook them, desiring the pomp and glitter of the life of the world; and obey not him whose heart We have made heedless of Our remembrance, one who follows his own lusts and whose affair has been lost. And say: The truth is from your Lord. Then whosoever wills, let him believe. And whosoever wills, let him disbelieve" (al-Kahf 28-29). After all of the above has been said, the following points made by Ahinad Fareed must also be made: Hadith #40: "Be in the World Like a Stranger. . . " The censuring of this world is not with respect to the place of the world, which is the Earth, or what is placed in it of mountains, rivers and mines. All of that is part of the bounties of Allah upon His servants as they contain many beneficial things for them. They are aspects for reflection and indicators of the oneness of the Creator and of His power and greatness. The censuring and the blame is with respect to the acts that humans do in the world as most of those acts are not done in the proper fashion that leads to praiseworthy results ... With respect to the world, humans are divided into two categories. First are those who reject the idea that for the humans there is an abode after this world for reward and punishment... The only concern for those people is enjoying this world and taking advantage of its pleasure before they die, as Allah has said, "Those who disbelieve enjoy themselves and eat as grazing livestock eat, and the Fire will be a residence for them" (Muhammad 12). The second category of people are those who recognize that there is an abode after death for reward and punishment. These are those who follow the messengers. These people are also subdivided into three subcategories: the one who wrongs himself, the moderate one and the one who races forward to good deeds by the permission of Allah. As for those who wrong themselves: these are the majority. Most of them look at the glitter and beauty of this world and take it in an improper fashion and use it in an improper way. This world becomes their greatest concern. It is by this world that they become pleased; it is due to it that they become angry; it is according to it that they make alliances with others or oppose others. These are the people of play, diversion and attraction. Although they do believe in the Hereafter on a general level, they do not recognize what is the purpose of this world. They do not recognize that it is a place for them to get provisions for what is after it.