Assalamu’alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh
Bismillahir- Rahmanir-Rahim
1. Opening
Friends whose hearts always long for tranquility,
If we reflect on this life’s journey, we will realize one certainty: the world was never designed to be a place of uninterrupted pleasure. The world is a testing stage [dār al-ibtilā’] deliberately made complex by Allah SWT. This complexity was not created to torment us, but to test how boldly we use the compass of faith in making every decision.The highest wisdom [al-ḥikmah] in a human being is not measured when he is in his comfort zone, but is placed in his courage to always choose what is right even when the path feels hard, looks simple, or yields low material income. At the same time, it is his firmness in avoiding everything that could cause his faith to slip, even if it is very easy to do and promises heaps of wealth. Why? Because he knows this world is only a brief stop, while the Hereafter is the true home of the future.Let us reflect on Allah SWT’s words that expose mankind’s illusion toward the glitter of the world:
بَلْ تُؤْثِرُونَ الْحَيَاةَ الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةُ خَيْرٌ وَأَبْقَىٰ
“But you prefer the worldly life, while the Hereafter is better and more enduring.”[QS. Al-A‘lā: 16-17]
To survive on this complex testing stage, Rasulullah ﷺ gave a scientific remedy that soothes the soul. He taught us to cut through all doubt by choosing the option safest for our religion. He said:
دَعْ مَا يَرِيبُكَ إِلَى مَا لَا يَرِيبُكَ، فَإِنَّ الصِّدْقَ طُمَأْنِينَةٌ وَإِنَّ الْكَذِبَ رِيبَةٌ
“Leave what makes you doubt for what does not make you doubt. Indeed, truthfulness is tranquility and falsehood is doubt. [HR. Tirmidhī]
2. Lessons and Message
The highest moral message from this sunnatullah is: True success is our precision in choosing life’s instruments. On this testing stage, three main pillars determine the safety of our faith: Choose a righteous spouse, for they are your companion on the journey to Paradise. Choose an honest profession, for from it flows blood and flesh that is blessed for the family.Choose an environment that brings you closer to Allah, for environment is the fortress protecting our creed.Never trade any of these three pillars for the fleeting luxuries of the world.
There is a true, soul-stirring story about a young man in a big city. He was faced with an extraordinary life dilemma. He received a job offer with a prestigious position and a salary of tens of millions of rupiah at a large corporation. But the terms were very heavy for his faith: he had to manipulate financial reports, entertain clients with alcohol, and was not allowed to take leave for Friday prayer for the sake of work efficiency.On the other hand, his only other option was to work as a simple delivery courier with his old motorbike, with an income that was barely enough and uncertain. The night before making his decision, this young man prostrated on his worn prayer mat. He wept uncontrollably until his tears soaked the cloth. He whispered softly, “O Allah, I really want to make my mother happy with a lot of money. But I am more afraid that the money will distance me from Your pleasure. I choose You, O Allah, so help me.”The next day, he rejected the luxurious job and chose to remain a delivery courier. His friends mocked him, calling him foolish and without a future. But a few months later, the lavish company that had offered him the job was raided by police for being involved in a massive fraud syndicate, and all its staff were thrown into prison .The courier sat stunned on his old motorbike, tears pouring down in gratitude. Hugging his mother, he said, “Mother, my income may be low, but Allah saved our good name and our faith.” A real proof that choosing the hard path for Allah’s sake always ends in safety.)
Imagine you are a trainee pilot undergoing a test in a flight simulator. The instructor deliberately designs the simulation to be extremely complex: the weather is made into a massive storm, headwinds blow hard, the radar screen is full of distortion, and alarm sirens blare noisily in the cockpit.A foolish pilot will panic, ignore the instructions in the manual, and turn the wheel toward a gap in the clouds that looks bright—though behind it lies a mountain of rock. But a wise pilot remains calm. He does not look at the storm outside the glass; he focuses only on the compass needle and the flight-law indicators in front of him. Even though the route feels heavy and turbulent, he follows the guidance until the simulated plane finally lands safely on the runway.This world is that simulator. Its complexity is deliberately made to see which soul-pilot is most obedient to the guidebook of the Qur’an and Sunnah.
We really are often creatures full of paradox. When we enter a haunted house ride at an amusement park, with its darkness, winding paths, and sudden pop-up fake ghosts, we never protest to the park owner. We never get angry: “What kind of management is this? Getting in here is so complicated, dark, and gives me a heart attack!” No. We actually smile and enjoy the complexity, because we know from the start that the essence of a haunted house is designed to test our guts, and the exit is definitely at the end. But strangely, once we live on this vast world stage, when Allah gives us just a slightly winding road, a somewhat dark economic trial, or bureaucratic life complications, we immediately protest and rage at Allah: “O Allah, why is my life so complicated? Why is my neighbor who never prays having such a smooth path?”Wait, did we forget or black out? This world’s ride is titled “Dār al-Ibtilā’” [House of Testing], not “Dār al-Jannah” [House of Paradise]! If you want a smooth path with no obstacles, no broken AC, and no problems, that place is in Paradise later, not in this world. This world is deliberately made complex so we don’t get too comfortable dating the world, and instead long to return to our true homeland of the Hereafter. So, if life feels complicated, don’t look for a haram “shortcut.” Just enjoy the simulation process, follow the signposts from Heaven, and smile while saying in your heart: “Relax… this is just a test ride, we’ll reach the exit soon!”
3. Conclusion and Closing
Friends, as the closing of our series of wisdom shields, let us take home one conviction that sinks deep into our chests: life is about the courage to choose the quality of the Hereafter over the quantity of the world. Never be dazzled by those who wallow in wealth yet whose foundation of faith is brittle.Start today by rearranging our choices. Make sure our life partner is someone who invites us to prostrate, our profession is work that dares to reject bribes, and our environment is a place where Allah’s name is often mentioned. Always remember the guarantee from Surah Al-A‘lā that “The Hereafter is far better and more lasting.
”May Allah SWT always grant us sharpness of inner sight to see truth as truth, and give us the strength to choose it even if we must climb a steep path
. والله أعلم بالصواب
الحمد لله رب العالمين
Wassalamu’alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh.
Abu Sultan Al-Qadrie
