What are you building for 2125?
Think about your long-term investment
Imagine today is February 21, 2125. Yes. 100 years from now! Where you would be? Of course, all of us would have left this world. How many people on earth would even remember us? Things that you spend most of your time chasing, would you do the same if you were sent back to Earth? if the answer is NO, this is the time to stop and reflect! What Shall I chase in this world, and where should I spend most of my energy, time, and focus during my lifetime?
Allah Says:
Every soul will taste death. And you will only receive your full reward on the Day of Judgment. Whoever is spared from the Fire and is admitted into Paradise will triumph, whereas the life of this world is no more than the delusion of enjoyment.
(Quran 3 : 185)
No doubt. All of us will die! This might be the only certainty about our future. On the other hand, we don’t know when we will die. The real success or failure is in the hereafter! So what shall I chase, in this world, where I spend only a fraction of a second as compared to my akhirah? how do we ensure that our life creates meaning and impact that goes beyond this short life, to succeed in the hereafter?
Allah says
And when your Lord said to the angels, I am going to place in the earth a Khalifah, they said: what! Will You place in it such as shall make mischief in it and shed blood, and we celebrate Your praise and extol Your holiness? He said: surely I know what you do not know.
(Quran 2:30)
There are different interpretations and translations for the word 'Khalifah', and I want to focus on its characteristics which are common in these efforts to explain it. As humans, we are servants of Allah SWT, and He is the master of the universe. As a 'Khalifa', we have the role of a 'caretaker' of this world, which we will be held accountable for, in the hereafter. As a caretaker, we need to think beyond ourselves, make sure the truth prevails, and establish balance and justice. we may wonder, if is it possible for me to be a 'khalifa' or is it only for world leaders, successful business owners in materialistic terms, etc.
Abdullah ibn Umar reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Every one of you is a shepherd and is responsible for his flock. The leader of people is a guardian and is responsible for his subjects. A man is the guardian of his family and he is responsible for them. A woman is the guardian of her husband’s home and his children and she is responsible for them. The servant of a man is a guardian of the property of his master and he is responsible for it. No doubt, every one of you is a shepherd and is responsible for his flock.”
Source: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 7138, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 1829
All of us have a flock that we are responsible for depending on our situations and seasons of life. Identify your flock. It could be your family, colleagues, friends, community that you belong to, children,… Once you identify the flock, see how can you go beyond yourself, and help your flock to stay upon and live with the Truth, and share resources justly among them to succeed in that journey. Prophet Ibrahim (A.S) made duáas for generations, and we remember him, in our daily prayers, during Hajj, Eid al Adha…. he was thinking beyond himself, his generation, and time. So what can we do to our 'flocks', that last longer?
The messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “When a person dies, his deeds are cut off except for three: continuing charity, knowledge that others benefited from, and a righteous child who supplicates for him” (Tirmidhi)
In his best-seller book: “The Barakah Effect”, Mohammed Faris mentioned this hadith as a clear blueprint for the type of long-term hereafter-centered investments a person should make in this life. Because these three things not only benefit us in the hereafter but also benefit generations to come (M.Faris)
The question for us is: Are we actively seeking these investments in our lives? Are we done by just sending our kids to Islamic school, donating to a masjid building project, and forwarding this newsletter to someone you know? These all are good and rewarding. But do we have the capacity to go beyond that?
Wherever Allah SWT planted you, see how could you burst out of your comfort zone, and actively work on these three investments. It could be starting a business, and waqf a part of it to community needs, actively engaging in conversation with your children, and mindfully helping them to develop good habits or at least the habits of making du'aas, finding time to learn about Deen, and create systems to preserve that knowledge for you, and the following generations. In this era of technology, and information, you would be surprised to see how possible it is!
A reminder to myself and each one of you; let’s try to actively seek and build these three investments with akhirah in mind, and to benefit the generations to come. All for seeking the pleasure of Allah SWT alone. In 2125, no one would care for you, except Allah SWT. Allah will help, and preserve your sincere intentions beyond yourself, for generations.
Let me know in the comments, what would be one thing you will do or you are doing in actively seeking, and building these long-term akhirah-based investments.
May Allah accept each one of us, and make our sincere initiatives a success and beneficial for generations.
Sincere Du’aas
Haneef
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