Teachings and Commentary
If we look around, people are busy pursuing the maximization of whatever they cherish: wealth, power, influence, fame, fun, enjoyment, instant gratification of desires and things that lead to what they cherish. People have their own passions and preferences that they pursue and are preoccupied with. Not only do they want what they cherish but they want it to be more than what anyone else may have and without limits to how much they need to have. And this greed is insatiable. Even a billionaire wants to have another billion and another billion and another billion; the powerful want to become the most powerful in the world even if they have to acquire and use the most lethal weapons of mass destruction, and so on and so forth. This greed, zeal and preoccupation create all the discord, injustice, and turmoil in the world. It also keeps people preoccupied and indulged in these matters so much that they completely forget about their accountability to Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta`aala and the life Hereafter. They do not have time even to think about it or reflect about what is going to happen to them. Even if it ever occurs to them, they are too busy to pay any due attention to this serious matter that is going to determine their eternal future. They remain busy and preoccupied in that manner until they die. This soorah begins with describing this reality of people in general. It mentions abundance in general terms because different people chase different kinds of abundances that they want to maximize in comparison to others.
1 Competing for attaining more abundance than others preoccupies you, 2 until you reach the graves. 3 But nay, you shall know soon. 4 Again, you shall know soon. 5 Nay, (vying for worldly abundance would not have been your pre-occupation, ) had you known with a sure knowledge 6 that you would certainly see Hell-Fire; 7 that you shall most surely see it with the eye of certainty; 8 and then, on that day, you shall most certainly be questioned about the pleasures (of this world).
Currently the Hereafter seems like an improbable thing that does not deserve much of their attention while the worldly attractions seem so real, permanent and deserving full attention. But soon the Hereafter will be right there in front of them and they will see it with certainty, without any doubt. The reality will start appearing to them as soon as they reach their graves when they will realize that all that they had maximized has been left behind and they have come to the Hereafter empty handed. They concentrated on their temporary life while neglecting their eternal life. They spent their God-given life and resources in disobedience of Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta`aala, rather than seeking His pleasure. Now they would have to account for why they did so and suffer the consequence in hell forever. Had they realized the reality of the Hereafter in this world, their attitude would have been different. They would have prepared for the Hereafter by obeying Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta`aala and doing good deeds. They would have maximized the pleasure of Allaah rather than maximizing the pursuit and enjoyment of worldly gains. By concentrating on the attractions of the world, they assumed that they were attaining success, but soon they will realize that they were the utter losers. But alas, it would be too late to benefit from this realization at that time.
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