Reflections on the Eternal in Islam

In Islam, there rests a sacred reminder that the world is not a home but a passage, a bridge that leads from the cradle of dust to the eternity of the unseen. Every possession that dazzles our eyes, every title that crowns our name, and every strength that pulses in our veins belongs not to us but is entrusted to us for a brief moment in time.

The Qur’an unveils the nature of this world with piercing clarity, calling it mataa‘ul-ghurūr, a deceptive enjoyment, a fleeting ornament that shines for an instant before dissolving into shadows. The deception is not in its beauty but in the illusion that it will last, for the world is like a mirage in the desert: it promises water, yet when approached, it vanishes into dust.

And yet, within this transient existence, faith emerges as a jewel that cannot be shattered, a wealth that no thief can plunder and no ruler can confiscate. The believer may lose everything that can be measured in gold or stone, but what resides in his heart remains untouched, for faith is anchored in the unseen, and righteous deeds are sealed for eternity.

It was for this reason that the Prophet ﷺ taught us with clarity beyond doubt: 

إِنَّ اللَّهَ لاَ يَنْظُرُ إِلَى أَجْسَادِكُمْ وَلاَ إِلَى صُوَرِكُمْ وَلَكِنْ يَنْظُرُ إِلَى قُلُوبِكُمْ

“Verily Allah does not look to your bodies nor to your faces but He looks to your hearts.” [Sahih Muslim] 

These words strip away the illusions that society weaves, for the worth of a soul is not written in silk garments or carved in marble palaces, but in the sincerity that stirs unseen and the actions that flow from it. What is beauty in the eyes of men if the heart is corroded by arrogance? What is wealth if it weighs down the conscience with greed?

In the silence of night, when all masks are lowered, only the heart speaks truth, and the heart is the very place that Allah gazes upon. Thus, the believer learns to live in the world without belonging to it, to walk through its markets without being sold to its illusions, and to taste its sweetness without being enslaved by it. He knows that life is a journey upon borrowed time, and every breath is a coin spent from a purse that grows lighter with each passing hour. Yet he also knows that every act of goodness, every whispered prayer, every step taken in patience is preserved in the record of the eternal, a treasure that will never fade. This is why contentment blossoms not in the abundance of possessions but in the richness of faith, for what the world withholds, Allah compensates with serenity.

The world dazzles with its constant parade, but behind its glitter lies emptiness, while faith nourishes the soul with a peace that no currency can buy. And so the question rises gently but firmly: upon what do we anchor our lives? Do we root them in what will perish, or in what will endure beyond the grave?

If we build our identity upon shifting sands, it will crumble when the storm arrives, but if we ground it upon faith, no tide can wash it away.

The believer’s heart becomes a fortress not because of stone walls or iron gates, but because of trust in Allah, the unshakable foundation.

When trials strike, he does not collapse, for he knows that storms cleanse as much as they break, and every hardship is but a call to lean upon the All-Eternal. The world whispers promises of permanence, but its promises are hollow; only Allah’s word stands firm, unbroken across the ages. Thus, the believer sees wealth as a trust, not a trophy; power as a responsibility, not a crown; and life itself as a chance, not a guarantee.

Every moment is a page, and every action is an ink stroke upon the story that shall be read aloud on the Day of Judgement. What honour can compare to having deeds carried in light before the Throne, when all else—titles, fortunes, reputations—are scattered like dust before the wind?

Therefore, the wise live with two eyes: one upon the present, using the blessings of the world with gratitude, and the other upon the eternal, preparing provisions for the endless journey. For the grave will not ask what clothes we wore, nor what cars we drove, but what prayers we offered, what hearts we healed, and what burdens we lifted.

It is in this realisation that humility is born, for no crown can adorn the head of one who lies in the dust, and no treasure can buy a soul its salvation. Yet faith adorns the poorest with dignity, and righteous deeds elevate the weakest beyond kings. The world may laugh at simplicity, but the heavens rejoice at sincerity, and Allah weighs the unseen with scales that never err.

So let us not chase after shadows while neglecting the light, nor spend our lives polishing mirrors that shatter at the first touch of eternity. The believer is like a traveller who rests under the shade of a tree, knowing it is not his home but a momentary shelter before the road resumes. He takes from the world what he needs, thanks for it, and moves on, leaving behind not footprints of greed but traces of remembrance. For the world will outlive us, but it will not accompany us; only faith and deeds walk beside us into the silence of the grave.

And when the trumpet is blown and all illusions are torn away, it will not be the crowns of rulers or the treasures of merchants that stand, but the records of hearts. Then shall be revealed the truth of the Prophet’s words—that Allah does not gaze upon what deceives men, but upon what defines them in truth. What comfort lies in knowing that even the smallest deed, if done sincerely, is eternal, while even the grandest display, if hollow, is dust. Thus, every smile shared, every injustice endured with patience, every tear shed in prayer becomes a jewel placed in the treasury of the eternal. And so the believer walks with a lightness unknown to those chained by possessions, for he carries in his heart a wealth that does not diminish.

The secret of strength is not in what is grasped, but in what is entrusted to Allah, for the one who lets go of the world is held by the Creator of worlds. Therefore, let us reflect: do we chase the applause of men, which fades like echoes, or the pleasure of Allah, which abides forever? Do we measure ourselves by what rusts and rots, or by what shines in eternity?

The answer is found not in words but in choices, for every day we write with our actions what our hearts truly believe.

And the believer writes not for history but for destiny, not for memory but for eternity. In this, lies the mercy of Islam: that even the briefest life can hold infinite worth if lived with faith and righteous deeds. For the soul will one day stand alone, stripped of all pretence, and only the light it carried within shall remain.

What we keep for ourselves dies with us, but what we give for Allah endures beyond the grave. Thus, life is not a race to gather but a chance to surrender, not a pursuit of permanence in dust but a preparation for permanence in light.

The believer smiles at loss, for he knows nothing is truly lost if given in the path of Allah; it is merely transferred from the hand to the eternal ledger. And he smiles at hardship, for he knows every thorn upon the road is counted, and every step endured is a bridge built in paradise.

The world is but a shadow of eternity, and eternity is the true sunrise; the wise do not chase shadows but walk toward the light. So let us awaken before the curtain falls, before the mirage dissolves, before the heart is sealed. Let us anchor our worth not in what fades, but in what remains, not in dust but in spirit, not in illusion but in truth. And when the final breath escapes our lips, may our records shine with the deeds of faith, so that what was temporary becomes a path to what is eternal. For in the end, the world will depart, but what we have done sincerely for Allah will walk beside us forever.

The earlier reflections unfolded the truth that the world is but a fleeting shadow and that the true wealth of a believer lies in faith and righteous deeds, while the later meditations on the final prayer of Surah Al-Baqarah revealed how that same faith takes form in supplication, in the humility of acknowledging weakness, and in the strength of seeking Allah’s mercy. Between these two journeys lies a golden thread: the heart that knows the world will slip away is the same heart that bends in prayer, entrusting its burdens to the One whose mercy never fades. Thus the lessons of impermanence and the words of divine supplication do not stand apart, but rather embrace each other, forming a single path of remembrance that guides the believer from awareness of the world’s vanity to the serenity of divine protection.

اللَّهُمَّ لَا تُؤَاخِذْنَا إِن نَّسِينَا أَوْ أَخْطَأْنَا ۚ رَبَّنَا وَلَا تَحْمِلْ عَلَيْنَا إِصْرًا كَمَا حَمَلْتَهُ عَلَى الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِنَا ۚ رَبَّنَا وَلَا تُحَمِّلْنَا مَا لَا طَاقَةَ لَنَا بِهِ ۖ وَاعْفُ عَنَّا وَاغْفِرْ لَنَا وَارْحَمْنَا ۚ أَنتَ مَوْلَانَا فَانصُرْنَا عَلَى الْقَوْمِ الْكَافِرِينَ

O Allah, Most Compassionate, who never forgets nor forsakes, do not hold us to account when our memory falters, when our steps slip, or when our hearts stray from Your light.

Our Lord, lay not upon us the weight that crushes the spirit, as You placed upon the nations before us.

Our Lord, burden us not with what we have no strength to carry, nor with trials that shatter hope and dim our resolve.

Forgive us our manifest sins, pardon our hidden faults, and envelop us in the mercy that stretches wider than the heavens and the earth, so our hearts may find rest beneath the shade of Your love.

You are our Protector, our shield when we are frail, our light when the path grows dark. So strengthen us, O Lord, and grant us triumph over those who turn away from Your truth.

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