Spirit of Islam, March-April 2026

E veryone is on a journey, and every journey ends in death. There is no exception to this rule. Death is the great divider: for some it opens the door to eternal bliss, while for others it becomes the gateway to eternal regret. Blessed indeed are those who, at the moment of death, find themselves standing at the threshold of Paradise. For them, there will be eternal peace, free from fear and sorrow. But how immeasurable is the misfortune of those whom death delivers to the edge of Hell, where they will be confined forever in a realm of fire, regret, and despair. Those who acknowledge the greatness of God, bow before Him in humility, remain faithful to truth, and treat others with justice and kindness are the ones destined for Paradise. Their lives are shaped by moral awareness, and their actions are guided by responsibility toward both God and fellow human beings. In contrast, those who deny God’s greatness, who deal unjustly with others, who are cruel, arrogant, and intoxicated by pride, preparing for sorrow, regret, and punishment through their conduct. In reality, Heaven is meant for those who cultivate a heavenly character while living in this world. The Hereafter merely reveals what a person has already become inwardly. Death does not change one’s reality; it only unveils it. Man spends his life chasing wealth, honour, power, and progeny. He exhausts his energies to secure these things, believing that they will bring fulfilment. Yet death exposes the great illusion of worldly desire. This transient world cannot satisfy the deepest longings of the human soul. What man seeks endlessly here is something that belongs to another world altogether. One needs only to reflect: what is the meaning of acquiring something that must be left behind within days or years? If a person were content with his rightful share in this world, much of the exploitation, greed, and plunder that afflict human society would disappear. There is, in truth, little difference between gaining something and not gaining it at all, when the final outcome is loss. What value does an acquisition hold if it is destined to slip away almost immediately? Man struggles tirelessly to obtain what he desires, only to lose it the next moment. Life inevitably ends in death, and death strips man of everything he once clung to. AT THE THRESHOLD OF ETERNITY Living Today with the Grave in View