Set Your Priorities Right

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate

Allah Most High says,

ٱللَّهِ ٱلَّذِى لَهُۥ مَا فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَ‌ٰتِ وَمَا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ ۗ وَوَيْلٌ لِّلْكَـٰفِرِينَ مِنْ عَذَابٍ شَدِيدٍ ﴿٢﴾ ٱلَّذِينَ يَسْتَحِبُّونَ ٱلْحَيَو‌ٰةَ ٱلدُّنْيَا عَلَى ٱلْءَاخِرَةِ وَيَصُدُّونَ عَن سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ وَيَبْغُونَهَا عِوَجًا ۚ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ فِى ضَلَـٰلٍۭ بَعِيدٍ ﴿٣

Allah, to whom belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. And woe to the disbelievers from a severe punishment (2) The ones who prefer the worldly life over the Hereafter and avert [people] from the way of Allah, seeking to make it (seem) deviant. Those are in extreme error. (3) [Quran, Ibrahim 14:2-3]

Disbelievers are given different qualifications and descriptions in the Quran. And each one of them has to be paid attention seperately. The description given to the disbelievers here--those who prefer the worldly life over the Hereafter and avert people from the way of Allah.

The complaint of Allah of the believers is that they give preference to this life over the next. And though we are not disbelievers, as Muslims, if our life looks like we have priorities for this life and we have no storage for the next life, then even though we are not kuffar, we are sharing some qualities with them. And this is not something you can look at somebody walking down the street or someone next to you and say "Apparently you prefer this wordly life over the next." It doesn't work that way-- this a matter of the heart. So we have to look deep inside our own conscience and ask ourselves these questions as we read these verses.

May Allah bring our hearts closer to Him. Ameen.

Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wasallam.

And Allah knows best and is Most Wise, and He alone grants success, and to Him is the final return of all.

Wassalaam