Remembering Our Purpose in the Year 3000, InshaAllah
As-salamu alaykum, I was listening to some reflections on death that really made me think, and I wanted to share this with you all. Close your eyes and picture this: It’s the year 3000. Everyone alive today - including you - has long passed away. Your name isn’t mentioned. Your face is forgotten. You’ve been resting in your grave for nearly a thousand years. All the people you knew in this life are also alone in their graves, facing the reality of how they spent their brief time on this earth. So why do we waste so much of our short life worrying about what others think? Why do we tire ourselves trying to gain their approval when soon none of them will even be here? Why should I feel ashamed to show my natural self without makeup - when Allah warned us against tabarruj? Why should I feel pressured to loosen my hijab just because others do? Actually, the harder I work to control my nafs, the greater the reward - because I am choosing Allah’s path over my own desires. When you were born, the adhan was whispered in your ear. When you die, the janazah prayer will be performed for you, but without an adhan. This shows how short our lives really are - like the time between adhan and iqama, just a few minutes. Our beloved Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said we should live in this world as if we were strangers or travelers [Sahih al-Bukhari 6416]. And look at Allah’s mercy - He gives us only this brief time to live, and bases our eternal home on how we use it. The wise ones - those who truly reflect - use this short time to build their akhirah, day by day. They are busy preparing their home in Jannah, knowing they will live there forever. They want it to be beautiful and perfect. We don’t know our last day, but one thing is sure: it will come sooner than we expect. How many people have passed away while planning weddings, degrees, or trips? How many had no idea their time was almost over? Remember: When you entered this world, you were crying while everyone else smiled. When you leave it, they will cry - and inshaAllah, you will be smiling, knowing you built a home in Jannah with every sincere small deed. So let today be the day you start. Add one small good deed - maybe a sunnah prayer, a few words of dhikr while walking, giving charity, or holding back from gossip. One small step today can echo in eternity.