Allah has warned us in
several verses of the Qur’an that life on earth is only a temporary passage; it
is a stop we make as travellers before heading towards our true destination,
the Hereafter (Aakhirat). A person must understand clearly that his stay
on earth is limited; and during this stay, he must live according to the
principles firmly established by the Creator. Life on earth is a favour, a
gift, but also a test. Every action, every word, every thought will be
presented before Allah on the Day of Judgement. Allah says in the Qur’an:
“Kullu
nafsin zaa‑iqatul
mawt; wa innamaa tuwaffawna ujuurakum yawmal qiyaamah”
Every soul shall taste death, and it is only on the Day of Judgement that full recompense will be given. (Al‑Imran 3: 186)
The great question then
is: What provision has a person prepared for his soul? –What account,
what balance of his life and deeds will he present before Allah? Has he lived
for the pleasure of Allah, for his own pleasure, or for the pleasure of Satan?
Allah warns us in the Qur’an:
“Whoever
does an atom’s weight of good will see it; and whoever does an atom’s weight of
evil will see it.” (Az‑Zalzala 99: 8‑9)
Allah also says in Surah Al‑Baqara (2: 198): “… Indeed, the best provision is piety.”
This verse is clear: provision for the Hereafter is not material wealth, but Taqwa
– fear of Allah, sincerity, submission. Whoever gains Taqwa gains
everything; whoever neglects it loses everything.
To attain Taqwa,
one must connect with the Creator and maintain that connection through
devotion, obedience and sincerity. Taqwa means being fully conscious of
Allah’s presence within and around oneself; recognising His power and that He
alone deserves reverence and a fear that prevents one from worshipping anything
else. This reverential fear, devotion and respect, together with certainty in
Allah’s oneness, lead a person to worship Allah alone without associating
anything with Him. Whatever action or thought he considers, he remains aware
that Allah hears and sees all, and this awareness restrains him before
committing any mistake that Satan may tempt him to do.
Thus, a servant of
Allah must turn only to Him for help, not to false gods. Allah makes people
realise in the Qur’an, in Surah Al‑Mu’min (40: 61), that He is
the Living God, that He hears
all, knows all, and He alone can answer when invoked. Allah says: “Call upon Me; I will respond to you.”
Allah makes us aware
that He is always near, listening to every call we address to Him, without the
need for intermediaries. In the Qur’an, Allah also says:
“When My
servants ask you concerning Me, indeed I am near; I respond to the call of the
supplicant when he calls upon Me.”
(Al‑Baqara 2: 187)
What greater assurance is
there than this – Allah Himself guarantees that whoever calls upon Him
sincerely, with purity of heart, He will respond and grant their supplications?
When Allah says “My servants,” He refers to those sincere towards Him,
whom He recognises as His true servants. Even those who are not accustomed to
invoking Allah, when they realise their error and turn to Him, He shows mercy,
listens to their cry of distress and helps them – provided they do not relapse
and allow this worldly life to dazzle them and make them forget Him.
In a Hadith Qudsi,
Allah says: “I am with My servant when he remembers Me. If he remembers Me
within himself, I remember him within Myself; if he remembers Me in an assembly,
I remember him in a better assembly. If he draws near to Me by a handspan, I
draw near to him by an arm’s length; if he draws near to Me by an arm’s length,
I draw near to him by two arm’s lengths; and if he comes to Me walking, I come
to him running.” (Bukhari)
This Hadith shows
Allah’s closeness to the one who sincerely seeks Him. The Holy Prophet Muhammad
(pbuh) taught his companions to remain close to Allah through Zikr,
through recitation of the Qur’an, and through good deeds. Every sincere Muslim
must realise that the Qur’an is the link between Allah and His servant. The
solution to all problems lies in the Qur’an itself; all guidance needed is
found within it. Whenever people neglect the Qur’an, Allah sends a teacher, a Messenger
from Him with the Ruh-il-Quddus (Holy Spirit/ Divine
Revelations) to reconnect people with this Perfect Book, because its teachings
and guidance will last until the Day of Judgement. Therefore, whoever recites the Qur’an must be sincere, seeking only
Allah’s pleasure, following its etiquette, and realising that he is speaking
directly to Allah. When people lose this connection, Allah sends a special
teacher from Him to guide the community of believers and those who have strayed
back to the straight path they abandoned.
Keep in mind that the
Qur’an, when read properly and its verses reflected upon, is the best
nourishment for the heart. It inspires love of Allah in every believer who
seeks Him, who seeks guidance and peace. This same Qur’an brings fear, hope, repentance
and total submission to Allah alone.
The Qur’an is a light,
a guide, and a healing. Allah says:
“Surely
this Qur’an guides to that which is most upright. Whoever takes the Qur’an as
provision receives clear direction towards the Hereafter.” (Bani Isra’il 17: 10)
Zikrullah (the remembrance of Allah) is an indispensable
provision for the Hereafter. The greatest Zikr is in Salat, in
establishing that permanent connection with Allah which a believer maintains in
obedience to Him. Yet beyond Salat, a believer must remember Allah in
every circumstance of life – while walking, resting, working – keeping both
tongue and heart occupied with His remembrance. The best Zikr is “Laa
Ilaaha Illallah.” The Holy Prophet (pbuh) said: “The best of what I and
the prophets have said is: Laa Ilaaha Illallah wahdahu laa sharika lah.”
(Muwatta)
When a person remembers
Allah, keeping His remembrance alive in the heart not only at prayer times, then
his heart is alive. But this Zikr must be sincere, for there is no
blessing if one remembers Allah yet continues to fall into sin. That is not
true Zikr or true Taqwa. True remembrance and true Taqwa
are when a person stays away from disobedience to Allah. When his Salat,
Qur’an recitation and Zikr prevent him from sin, when he develops
constant awareness of Allah’s presence within and around him, then he watches
every word he speaks and every action he performs, ensuring his acts of worship
are not wasted and do not attract Allah’s anger instead of His love and mercy.
Immersed in Zikrullah, he develops modesty and realises that only Allah
has the power to resolve every situation, and thus supplication to Allah is
necessary, for He hears every call and acts at the appointed time.
The Holy Prophet (pbuh)
said in a Hadith: “When a servant sincerely pronounces ‘Laa Ilaaha
Illallah,’ all the gates of Paradise open for him until he reaches the Throne
of Allah, so long as he stays away from major sins.” (Tirmidhi)
In another Hadith, the
Prophet (pbuh) said: “Renew your faith.” When the companions asked how,
he replied: “Say often: Laa Ilaaha Illallah.” (Ahmad).
Thus, provision for the
Hereafter is Salat with constant Zikr, recitation of the Qur’an,
practice of the Sunnah, and adopting the noble character of the Holy Prophet
Muhammad (pbuh).
Remember that the Holy
Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is the perfect role model for believers of all times.
He helped his wives in the household, was gentle with children. An example is
that in ten years of service to the Prophet (pbuh) from approximately the age
of ten, Anas ibn Malik (ra) was never once reprimanded. The Prophet (pbuh) was
humble, generous, and full of compassion. He frequently mentioned the names of
Allah, avoided frivolities, prayed long when alone, and delivered short
sermons.
Following this perfect
model is true provision for the Hereafter. Every believer must control his
tongue, avoid lying, avoid backbiting, avoid frivolities. He must practise
patience, gratitude, sincerity, and seek Allah’s forgiveness, for none is
perfect. Allah says in the Qur’an:
“Surely
good deeds erase bad deeds.” (Hud
11: 115)
Therefore, provision
for the Hereafter is a baggage filled with Taqwa, Salat and Zikr,
as well as Qur’an recitation, Sunnah practice, good deeds, sincerity, and
humility. Whoever prepares this provision will receive an honourable welcome in
the Hereafter. Whoever neglects it will find his hands empty on that Day. Allah
warns us in the Qur’an about that Day:
“A day
when neither wealth nor children will benefit, except one who comes to Allah
with a pure heart.” (Ash‑Shu’ara 26: 89‑90)
Life on earth is short;
life in the Hereafter is eternal. Whoever sincerely pronounces “Laa Ilaaha
Illallah,” sincerely follows the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and the
prophet of his time (who comes to revive the teachings of Islam, to make people
rediscover the beauty of the Qur’an and the Sunnah), whoever sincerely seeks
Allah’s pleasure, will attain ultimate success. The Holy Prophet (pbuh) said: “Whoever’s
last words before death are Laa Ilaaha Illallah will enter Paradise.”
(Muslim, Abu Dawud, Ahmad)
The provisions mentioned today for the Hereafter are immense treasures; they are a light guiding even into the grave; they are the key to Paradise. Whoever prepares them well gains tranquillity on earth and eternal reward in the Hereafter. Whoever neglects them gains nothing. So reflect, and prepare yourselves now for the Hereafter; advance with firm faith, for the final journey is near, and only spiritual provision will remain with the soul in the Hereafter. May Allah grant you the ability to prepare well for that journey which awaits us all ahead. Insha-Allah, Ameen.
---Friday Sermon of 12 December 2025 ~21 Jamadi’ul Aakhir 1447 AH delivered by Imam- Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam International Hazrat Khalifatullah Munir A. Azim (aba) of Mauritius.