The Love for world is universal

From the viewpoint of understanding the truth about oneself, people can be divided in to two kinds:

Dahri (Materialists)

Milli (Believers)

Dahri is the group of people who think that the existence of man is material and that he is no different from an animal. He is created from dust and will be lost in dust, to be ended for all and for ever. This group is firm in this though, that is, they agree that the life of man is limited only to this world and there fore it is necessary that to take maximum benefit from this life before he dies. Their hearts are inclining toward the world and they are slaves of their passions and desires.

In its march toward its aim this group always tries to break any rule or regulation (morality) to gratify his desires and to acquire full comfort and adornment in this short living life. This group undergoes all sorts of trouble and hardship in order to multiply his wealth and worldly possessions. Verse 24 of Surah Jaasiyah (45) hints to such people saying:

وَقَالُوا مَا هِيَ إِلَّا حَيَاتُنَا الدُّنْيَا نَمُوتُ وَنَحْيَا وَمَا يُهْلِكُنَا إِلَّا الدَّهْرُ وَمَا لَهُم بِذَلِكَ مِنْ عِلْمٍ إِنْ هُمْ إِلَّا يَظُنُّونَ

“And they say that our life is but limited to this world where we die and live and that it is only the time that kills us or allows us to live. They have no knowledge of the truth. They are only making conjectures.

(Surah Jasiyah 45:24)

Three Groups of the Milly:

Those having Millat (community): This griup is comprised of Yahood (Jews), Nasaaraa (Christians) and Muslims who love prophets. It puts faith in the Revelations of the Lord of the world and in His messengers (prophets), that is, they believe in the words of prophets and their commands. They also believe that there is an everlasting life, after this worldly life and that paradise is waiting for those who did good deeds and the hell for those who indulged in bad ones. But this Milli category is again divided into three sub-groups. One of them does profess the above things but, in actual practice, it is no different from the Dahri materialists. In other words, they talk about God and the Hereafter but their hearts are entangled in the world. Their inclination is only towards the wealth and property and tastes and passions of this world. The aim of each and every effort made by them is to achieve the material worldly goals by hook or by crook. Verse 167 of Surah Aali Imraan (3) mentions such people:

وَلْيَعْلَمَ الَّذِينَ نَافَقُواْ وَقِيلَ لَهُمْ تَعَالَوْاْ قَاتِلُواْ فِي سَبِيلِ اللّهِ أَوِ ادْفَعُواْ قَالُواْ لَوْ نَعْلَمُ قِتَالاً لاَّتَّبَعْنَاكُمْ هُمْ لِلْكُفْرِ يَوْمَئِذٍ أَقْرَبُ مِنْهُمْ لِلإِيمَانِ يَقُولُونَ بِأَفْوَاهِهِم مَّا لَيْسَ فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ وَاللّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا يَكْتُمُونَ

“(These people) talk with their tongues things which are not in their hearts.”

(Surah Aale Imran 3:167)

Unmindful Worshippers (Namaazees)

Another group is not all in all the world but their inclination is more toward this world and less towards the Aakhirat. They have intense affection for this world and the wordly things. That is why they strive more for achieving the worldly material things. On one hand though they are not totally disconnected with the Aakhirat, they make only a little effort for gaining its benefits. Their good deeds also are not quite worthy of mention. They spend a major part of their wealth and life for satisfying their passions and worldly desires. But when there is the question of the other world (Aakhirat) they spend only a little from their lives and properties and there is no selflessness therein. The rank of such people has been vividly mentioned in the last verses of Surah Maaoon:

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“Woe unto those worshippers (who offer namaaz prayers) who remain mindless of their worships, who spend to make a show and do not give (to the needy) even insignificant things on loan.”

Had the hearts of these people been connected with their God and the Hereafter they would have never remained unmindful of God and His remembrance. Their deeds would not have been based on show. In short, the rank of this group of the Millis is the same and which is of the world lovers. The third group of the Millis is quite different from the second one. They love God and Hereafter intensely from their hearts when a little love of the world too exists in their hearts.

All are equal in this matter

If we ponder the condition of the milliyyeen of the universe we will come to know that, excepting a very little number, almost all of them will be counted in first and the second group. In other words, the two groups (Jews and Muslims) in both of the said categories, be they be belonging to the east or the west, are all agreeable with the Dahri materialist atheists both in thought and deed in the matter of worldly love despite their linguistic and religion differences. (Abul Hasan Ali Nadavi has, in his book World in the Danger of Falling Down, dealt very nicely on these subjects saying that today’s man has, adopted materialism, worldly love and passion which has spread in others countries from Europe, in place of God-worship, love for Aakhirat and truthfulness and spiritualism. Here are some extracts from that book):

Religious awareness: What will be the end of the world? In which direction is the world going? Is there any other life after this worldly life? And if so how is it? Is their any guidance regarding the Hereafter in this worldly life? What is the true path that can lead man on the road to Hereafter by living a satisfying and peaceful life? What is the starting point of that path? What is the way of obtaining the everlasting bounties of the Hereafter? How can we adopt it?

These and similar thoughts have been engaging the minds of man, especially the man of the east. Whenever they were getting a positive reply to these questions they were tyring to follow. The source of all these questions is the sixth sense of man, which is beyond the five senses. It is called the religious sense. The Holy Quran calls it human nature (conscience). But today’s man has totally forgotten this sense and such questions do not come to his mind.

The author adds, the biggest problem of the twentieth century or of the materialist age is as was the issue before the past prophets, is to struggle against such people who have forgotten the religious sense or feeling or who are totally devoid of it. Undoubtedly the people whose minds are stagnated and listless, who are totally devoid of it and who have decided never to think about the problems of the Hereafter, have for ever remained a very big calamity for the divine guides. The more the Messenger of God tried to guide them toward the truth the more they used to insist that ‘Life is only this life of the world, we will live and die here but there is nothing like the Day of Judgement.’ (Surah Anaam) The prophets got only this reply our hearts and ears cannot grasp your talks. There is a curtain between you and us. You may busy yourselves in your works and we will remain engaged in ours. (Surah Fussila, Verse: 5). The man of our age has also forgotten the religious feeling or sense. Now such questions do not arise in his mind and heart and none thinks about them. Even if any lone fellow pays attention to them, it is only for satisfying some self-interest. It will have to be agreed that today’s only material problems are in focus instead of the said spiritual ones. Our twentieth century progeny has devoted its thoughts and abilities to the solution of only material problems. They have no concern whatsoever that there is any other world also after this life. The way of thinking of today’s man is that if ready money is available do not go for the promised one. What is needed is that all such discussions should be kept away only for the experts of spiritualism or philosophy so that they may think over them and write books. Verily today’s man has employed his entire life only for working in workshops, for moving and running machines, for deriving monetary benefits from them and for obtaining means of worldly comfort and ease and luxury. He knows nothing about the other world. Perhaps he might not have thought about it even in his imagination. Briefly speaking, neither he has ever paid any attention to the events after death nor has he ever worried about them.

In this era religious and divine thoughts do not find room in man’s mind and heart. The materialistic life has closed all doors of thought and wisdom. No avenued is left open for pondering and meditation. Minds, hearts, eyes and ears are unable to comprehend the words of prophets and religious scholars. The parallel of the difficulties suffered by men of God in trying to guide such people is not to be found in even the worst societies. It is so because this is a group and which knows not, rather neglects that there is another world beyond this worldly life. He is not interested in this matter at all. God of the Universe talks about these people is His address to His Prophet:

إِنَّكَ لَا تُسْمِعُ الْمَوْتَى وَلَا تُسْمِعُ الصُّمَّ الدُّعَاء إِذَا وَلَّوْا مُدْبِرِينَ

“Verily you cannot make the dead hear (your words) nor the deaf.”

(Surah Naml 27:80)

The author writes at another place: ‘Our age is a purely materialistic age. Here people pay attention only to the worldly life and have no faith in the next world. That is why they do not make any provision for the journey to Hereafter. Is it ever possible that those who have no faith in that world will make any provision for that world? Excepting a few fellows all civilized people believe that, in order to meet with their worldly needs they should obtain wealth and property from wherever possible.

In the world we live, the criterion of greatness and nobility is only money, wealth, dress and means. Since the standard of such nobilities continue to change man is obliged to spend a lot of money to mould himself in the mentality of the society. As a very big amount of money is needed to do so one tries to acquire wealth by any means legal or illegal, with labour or without effort. Since everybody does not possess enough ability to acquire wealth he constantly remains gloomy and sorry because of his relative poverty: whereas his biggest aim is only to become wealthy.

Consequently material worries become the destiny of the fashion worshipping people and they have no means to get rid of it. Yet another misfortune is that the styles of fashion continue to change endlessly for example, new models of cars, radio, shoes, dresses and other luxury items. Factoreis bring out new things in the market daily though none of them is the basic necessity of life. But our society (environment) considers it a part of human personality and a must of civilization. So much so that the one who does not utilize these things is not considered among the living ones!

These are the causes that gave so much importance to wealth and riches and which is unprecedented in human history. Now day’s wealth and only wealth is the original soul of man and which has made him to run after it endlessly and continuously. Wealth is the centre of aim of the wealth-creators, industrialists and politicians only this is driving people to become members of legislatures, writers to author books and warriors to start wars.

The author also throws light on the materialistic inclination in world countries under a chapter ‘The world moves towards ignorance’ but it will make this book voluminous.

All of them are mad after worldly passions, desires and decorations. Earning wealth is their only aim. They do not hesitate to indulge in any kind of dishonesty, crime and even bloodshed to achieve this aim. These are the people who want everything except pleasure of God. They long for every worldly comfort excepting the ease of the other world (Aakhirat). They express sorrow over every incident except sin. They feel no sorrow over their poverty in the next world but are always worrying about their worldly poverty. They make efforts for the success of the unreliable worldly future but have no worry about the definite and certain life of the Hereafter. On the one hand they leave no stone unturned for increasing their capital and cry and shriek if they suffer any monetary loss but, on the other hand, stay listless and stagnant like a corpse to gain the main wealth of their Akhirat and which manifests man’s faith, spirit and morality.

Interestingly every group of the Millis, who resemble the Daharis, considers itself above divine chastisement and thinks that their success is sure. It has become uncontrollable like satan and yet thinks that it is definitely to win success and salvation!

Self-Glorification of Jews and Christians

The Jews say that since we are Bani Israel (progeny of Prophet Yaaqoob a.s.) we are the noblest of the entire humanity and that only we have the right to rule the earth. The Holy Quran speaks in their language thus:

وَقَالُواْ لَن تَمَسَّنَا النَّارُ إِلاَّ أَيَّاماً مَّعْدُودَةً قُلْ أَتَّخَذْتُمْ عِندَ اللّهِ عَهْدًا فَلَن يُخْلِفَ اللّهُ عَهْدَهُ أَمْ تَقُولُونَ عَلَى اللّهِ مَا لاَ تَعْلَمُونَ

“And they say: the firewill not touch us except for a few days (that is only those forty days when they had indulged in cow-worship)

(Surah Baqarah 2:80)

As per specific command of the Quran all men are equal and no one is nobler than another except on the ground of God-fearingness. As the Holy Quran states:

يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّا خَلَقْنَاكُم مِّن ذَكَرٍ وَأُنثَى وَجَعَلْنَاكُمْ شُعُوبًا وَقَبَائِلَ لِتَعَارَفُوا إِنَّ أَكْرَمَكُمْ عِندَ اللَّهِ أَتْقَاكُمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ خَبِيرٌ

“Doubtlessly the more honourable among you is only he who is more God-fearing.”

(Surah Hujuraat 49:13)

The Jews and the Christians also say that only we are sons of God, friends of God and beloveds of God that the paradise is only for us. Of course they say such things only orally whereas in reality they are devoted to the world not to God and the Hereafter. The Holy Quran describes them:

وَلَتَجِدَنَّهُمْ أَحْرَصَ النَّاسِ عَلَى حَيَاةٍ وَمِنَ الَّذِينَ أَشْرَكُواْ يَوَدُّ أَحَدُهُمْ لَوْ يُعَمَّرُ أَلْفَ سَنَةٍ وَمَا هُوَ بِمُزَحْزِحِهِ مِنَ الْعَذَابِ أَن يُعَمَّرَ وَاللّهُ بَصِيرٌ بِمَا يَعْمَلُونَ

“O Prophet! You will find them most greedy of the world.”

(Surah Baqarah 2:96).

In fact they are the friends of the devils, not friends of Rahman. They are slaves of worldly passions and desires. They are not at all interested in God and the other world (Aakhirat).