Attached to the Hereafter, not to the world


132

‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) took me by the shoulders and said: "Be in this world as if you are a stranger or a wayfarer."Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) used to say: "In the evening, do not expect to live until the morning, and in the morning, do not expect to live until the evening. Take advantage of your health before times of sickness, and take advantage of your life before your death."



Explanation:


The main focus of the Hadīth is to urge Muslims to pay little attention to the worldly life, and to not be preoccupied with it at the expense of the Hereafter. It encourages Muslims to have less worldly aspirations, pursue all that is good, and warns them of procrastinating with regard to repentance. It directs Muslims to take advantage of good health before illness befalls them and to utilize their free time before preoccupations take it up.