THE DESTINATION IS GOD’S PRESENCE
Allah Almighty says that He has created the world and everything in it beautiful, but that it is temporary, that it should not be deceived, and that the real place to return to is Allah’s presence.
“The enjoyment of ˹worldly˺ desires—women, children, treasures of gold and silver, fine horses, cattle, and fertile land—has been made appealing to people. These are the pleasures of this worldly life, but with Allah is the finest destination.” Qur’an 3/14
THE WORLD HAS THREE FACES
Master Saîd Nursî reports that the world has three faces:
1- The first face of the world looks at the names of Allah Almighty. It shows the embroidery of Allah’s names. It is like a mirror of Allah’s names with its literal meaning, that is, with its body that shows others like a mirror. This face of the world is like the unlimited letters of Allah’s unlimited names; this face is very beautiful. It is not worthy of hatred; it is worthy of being loved to the degree of love. Because as this face of the world is loved, ultimately the names of Allah are loved.
2- The second face of the world looks towards the Hereafter. It is the field of the Hereafter. It is the nursery of Paradise. It is the flowerbed of mercy. This face of the world is as beautiful as the first face. Because everything planted on this face will bear fruit in the hereafter for eternity with Allah’s permission. Therefore, this face is also worthy of love, not contempt.
3- The third face of the world is the face that looks at human desires, is the face that is the veil of heedlessness and becomes the toy of the world. This face of the world is very ugly and very dangerous. Because it is mortal. Because it is annihilating. Because it is painful. Because it is sorrowful. Because it is deceptive. This is the face that the verses and hadiths draw attention to and warn against being deceived by its love. This is the face that should not be loved, the face that should be hated, the face from which one should seek refuge in Allah.
WHO DO NOT LOVE THE WORLD?
According to Bediuzzaman’s classification, four classes of people despise and dislike the world:
Recognizing Allah Almighty with His names and attributes
1- Ahl-i mârifet:( Recognizing Allah Almighty with His names and attributes) Ahl al-marifat do not love the world because it prevents them from knowing Allah Almighty deeply, knowing Him, loving Him, gaining His pleasure and worshipping Him.
2- People of the Hereafter: People who are fond of the blessings of the Hereafter, who prepare day and night for the Hereafter, who work for eternal life, are disturbed by some of the obligatory works of the world such as livelihood, children, food and work. Those who know about the Hereafter and are preparing for it, but are held back from the Hereafter because of the obligatory works of the world, see the world as ugly compared to the beauties of Paradise. Indeed, all the beauties of the world are nothing compared to the beauties of Paradise.
3- Ahl-i World: The third class of people who do not love the world is actually the people of the world. Some of the people of the world actually dislike the world because they cannot get their hands on it. But this dislike is not due to hatred of the world; it is due to love of the world and is not acceptable.
4- Ahl al-World: The fourth class of people who do not love the world is actually Ahl al-World. This part of the people of the world, on the other hand, seizes the world, finds the world laid at their feet with its yachts, coats, money and stamps, and lives the world to the fullest.
But to no avail; the world does not stop, it goes away. It takes him with it. He understands this and gets angry. Just to find solace, he says he hates the world. “It is dirty!” he says. But this dislike also comes from the love of the world.
The acceptable dislike of the world is the dislike of the first two classes, Ahl-i mârifet and Ahl-i âhirah
THE INSIDE OF THE HEART BELONGS TO GOD
Master Nursi states that loving the world as a field of the hereafter, a mirror of the names of Allah Almighty and a temporary guesthouse is a love that belongs to Allah Almighty, provided that the nafs-i emmâre does not interfere with it. In other words, according to Master Nursi, the world should not be loved because “How beautiful it is!” but because “How beautifully it was made and created!” and we should not allow love and affection other than Allah to enter our hearts, because the inside of the heart belongs to Allah.
Master Nursi heralds that the result of loving the world as the field of the hereafter and the mirror of Allah’s names is a permanent Paradise, which is as much as the world, but not as ephemeral as the mortal world.
This article is inspired by Master Nursi‘s Risalei Nur.
