Opening verse
هُوَ الَّذِي جَعَلَ لَكُمُ الْأَرْضَ ذَلُولًا فَامْشُوا فِي مَنَاكِبِهَا وَكُلُوا مِن رِّزْقِهِ ۖ وَإِلَيْهِ النُّشُورُ
Meaning: It is He who made the earth easy (to live on) for you; so walk through its regions and eat of His provision; and to Him is the resurrection. (67 Al-Mulk: 15)
1️⃣ Why is this view necessary?
- A clear view of worldly life → keeps worldly life on the right path and guides to salvation in the Hereafter.
- A wrong understanding → an obstacle to the ideal life of a Muslim.
2️⃣ Three views
| View | Idea |
|---|---|
| Renunciation (monasticism) | Salvation comes only by completely renouncing the world |
| Total enjoyment | Worldly life is a single chance that will not come again; it must be enjoyed to the full; holding back is foolish |
| Islam – the middle way | One must neither renounce the world nor drown in it; nor must one separate worldly life from the life of the Hereafter |
- Salvation in the Hereafter is the basic goal; but Islam does not forbid working for progress in this world – it regards it as 'ibadah.
- Developing the world through agriculture, science, industry and invention is good work.
- This belongs to the task of "'imarah" (العمارة – developing the earth), one of the three great tasks placed on human beings.
- Key terms of the lesson: العبادة ('ibadah) • العمارة ('imarah) • الخلافة (khilafah).
- A Muslim cannot live, and must not live, renouncing the world.
3️⃣ The incident of the three Companions (Bukhari)
| Companion | Resolution |
|---|---|
| The first | I will stand in prayer all night, every night |
| The second | I will fast for ever |
| The third | I will keep away from my wife |
The Prophet's ﷺ reply: I, who fear Allah most among you, sleep and also pray at night; I fast and also leave voluntary fasts; and I marry.
- "Whoever turns away from my way (Sunnah) is not of me."
- "There is no monasticism in Islam" (Ahmad).
Note: "Whoever turns away from my Sunnah is not of me" is authentic (Bukhari). The exact wording "there is no monasticism in Islam" is not found with a sound chain in the hadith collections, though its meaning is supported by other reports. The textbook cites Ahmad – confirm with your teacher.
4️⃣ Two kinds of verses about the world
(a) Worldly life is trivial, deceptive and a test
| Verse | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 6 Al-An'am: 32 | The life of this world is only play and amusement; the Hereafter is what lasts |
| 18 Al-Kahf: 46 | Wealth and children are the adornments of the life of this world |
| 64 At-Taghabun: 15 | Your wealth and your children are only a test |
(b) Worldly life is valuable; it has been made subject to human beings
| Verse | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 67 Al-Mulk: 15 | He made the earth easy for you; travel through its regions and eat of what He has provided |
| 16 An-Nahl | Horses, mules and donkeys – He created them for riding and as adornment |
- The textbook gives the verse about horses and mules as (16 An-Nahl: 80); this meaning is in 16 An-Nahl: 8 – confirm with your teacher.
The clear conclusion
- Compared with the lasting joy of the Hereafter, this world is trivial.
- Seen as the way to success in the Hereafter, this world is important – one cannot succeed in the Hereafter by ignoring or renouncing it.
5️⃣ Two kinds of people and their prayers
| Group | Prayer | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Whose whole attention is the world | "Our Lord! Give us (what we want) in this world!" | They may get a share in this world; they have no share in the Hereafter |
| With broad vision and clear sight | "Our Lord! Give us good in this world and good in the Hereafter, and protect us from the punishment of the Fire!" (2 Al-Baqarah: 201) | Success in both worlds |
رَبَّنَا آتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَفِي الْآخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ
- The Quran condemns those whose only goal is the world, and praises those who see the two together.
- Allah does not like the group who seek monasticism, looking only to the Hereafter; such a life is also not practically possible.
Memory tip
"No renouncing, no drowning – Islam is the middle path." The world is like a field for the Hereafter – only what is sown here is harvested there.
Quick revision
- 67:15 – the earth has been made subject to you; walk in it and eat.
- Islam = the middle way: neither renounce nor drown.
- Developing the world = 'imarah = 'ibadah.
- The three Companions → "Whoever turns away from my way is not of me" (Bukhari).
- "There is no monasticism in Islam" (Ahmad).
- 6:32, 18:46, 64:15 – the world as trivial, an adornment, a test.
- 2:201 – the prayer for good in both worlds.