How often has anyone imagined himself the seconds before his eyes would close for the very last time- that moment when his existence in this world would come to an end. Fortunate are those who would be able to visualize this as only then they can think of the very next thought that would strike them. A thought of what more could they do in this world? For most of the people it will be a feeling of remorse- a feeling of regret. For very few it would be a feeling of peace and satisfaction.
Allah gives us a very vivid image of what will happen on the day of judgement when the trumpets would be blown and the souls will be assembled: “It’s at the moment when hellfire is brought forth, that everyone suddenly remembers all of the sins they have committed (Surah Al-Fajar 89:23). But what’s the point of remembering then? Wont it be too late then? The man will say: “I wish I had sent forth something good for my life (Surah Al-Fajar 89: 24). As this reality will hit him hard, he will be left to say; If only I did more in life. If only I spent my time wisely. If only I was willing to do more good. If only…. if only…..if only….. but no matter how many times one regrets for not doing enough, it will do him no good.
It’s important to realize that the time to start is just now, not tomorrow, not next week, not next year. Only if the man comes to know that he has no single moment to lose. With each passing moment, being unaware the man is continuously losing the priceless jewel of time. Allah says in Quran “Consider the flight of time!” (Surah Al-Asr 103:1). If this time is wasted, or expended in wrong pursuits then the man is bound to lose himself. “Verily, man is bound to lose himself” (Surah Al-Asr 103:2). This makes one think that no doubt time is freely given to every single individual to work in this world but once it is gone, it can never be taken back- not even a single moment. Every moment, when it has passed, becomes past, and every moment of the future, when it is passing, becomes present, and when it has passed, becomes past. However, the one who can snatch, seize and make use of these passing moment in the right way, can earn infinite pleasures in this finite life time. And that is somewhat the only wise way of living life in this world. The one who clings onto faith in Allah, thus part himself from plunging into any disobedience. As faith is not a mere single thought or belief in the mind so once it gets settled deeply in the soul of a person, it changes the whole entity of a man. It perfects a man’s behavior, as it does so many other traits. The one who constantly heeds his conscience as required by religious moral values thus behave in the best, most considerate, trust-inspiring and tolerant manner in every passing moment. This not only saves him from regrets but also makes him eligible for immense rewards.
Everyone operates differently, some might get motivated by hope, while the others by fear. One needs to see in which category he or she falls. While the fear of regret can easily push him to stay away from sin, it can be empowering with the right mind set. The Prophet (Pbuh) said, “The one who was devoted to the Quran will be told on the day of resurrection “Recite and ascend in ranks as you used to recite when you were in the world. Your rank will be at the last ayah you recite”. If one developed a habit of reading Quran in this life, then on the day of judgement, for every single ayah that he recited, he will rise in his ranks in Jannah. What if one uses this hadith out of motivation with the hope of achieving higher ranks, that will urge him not to stop reciting, but rather keep going while he visualizes himself far above the others. Isn’t this realization strong enough to let him adopt the most life changing habits that will promise him greater rewards. How many would have ever imagined or visualized themselves rising in ranks in Jannah while reciting Quran in this life? If one could ever do that, one might never want to stop reciting this glorious Quran. Here the hope of achieving higher ranks somewhat will keep him motivated and will let him do more and more good.
Moreover, if one just imagines the regret of the hereafter when he would realize that he too could have ascended hundreds and thousands of ranks, only if he would have read a few more verses of this Quran every day in this world. This imagination might force one not to miss the opportunity of reciting Quran in this life. So sometimes the hope keeps one moving and sometimes the fear of regret drags one towards good.
The Prophet (Pbuh) guided the mankind on how to score big in the next life. The deeds carried out in this world are the only common thread between the here and the hereafter. Simply glorifying Allah would become a mean of immense rewards in Jannah. If one reflects deeply how such a small saying can go so far, how can one not help but feel the need to be on auto repeat glorifying Allah. If one comes to know that all his deeds will be judged by Him on the day of judgment, then one should first start judging himself today. Even if the deed is small and insignificant but if done with sincerity, it will weigh heavy on that day, and will save him from the sad ending. Once a man gets equipped with this kind of realization, he can strive to do more good during his stay in this world, so that when he enters the next life he has less to regret. Because even the most righteous of people will have wanted to squeeze in just one more repentance, one more verse of Quran, one more good deed pleasing to Allah. Until then one has got to put in his best effort to maximize his reward. And there’s no better way to do so then revolving his days around good habits.
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