DEADLY DECEPTION

My dear brothers and sisters, ponder over the following two scenarios. The first one- an extremely wealthy man sleeps peacefully on his gigantic four poster bed, a soft luxurious mattress covered with a flashily decorated silken bed spread. He is in a state of complete satiation and satisfaction, having partaken of the most sumptious and luxurious of foods. His house is a humongous palace. Now, contemplate over the second situation, a man sitting in a cold, bare, dark office room. He is exhausted, his eyelids are closing as if an invisible power continuously pushes them down, but he unrelentingly continues to work.

A quick glance at these two scenarios will draw a predictable reaction. You will be envious of the first man, and feel pity for the second. However, with an additional aspect added into each situation, your view will take a 180 degree turn. In the first one, the man is sleeping comfortably, but little does he know that a vicious fire is raging in his house and is about to enter his roon and totally envelope him. In the second, the man is working the entire night on a contract that will earn him a million dollars by the morning. Knowing this, you will retract your first reaction.

What do we learn from this example? Firstly, that we should not allow the glitter and glamour of this world to beguile us, to make us blind to the reality of life and oblivious of the fire of Hell which is closing in on us as a result of our deeds. Today we see celebrities - Hollywood stars, pop stars, sports stars, and all other kinds of "stars" wallowing in fame and an endless flow of money, and our hearts flutter with the thought, that oh, if only I was in the same place. This is because we have allowed ourselves to become mesmerized by the show and shine, not once thinking about their inside lives which are devoid of any vestiges of happiness, filled only with misery, sorrow, and heartache. It is all nothing but a deception carefully crafted and designed to lure us into it's unrelenting clutches. Sadly, we fall for it hook line and sinker.

Secondly, that we should be constantly making a concerted effort towards the upliftment of Deen, no matter how tired we get, because we know for a fact that when the sun of the temporary wordly life dips below the horizon and enters the eternal stage, Allah will not allow our efforts in this path to go unrewarded. May Allah extract from our hearts the love of this world and instil within us an ardent desire for the Hereafter. Ameen.