The Most Lucrative Investment: Preparing for the Hereafter
Mufti Ishaq Desai
Hijri date
17 Safar 1437
Date
Duration
20:14
Summary
Humans naturally strive to secure their future, especially old age, health, and wealth.
The Quran gives an example of a man who built a great empire, grew old and weak, and then saw it destroyed by calamity. This is a lesson from Allah.
People focus on worldly investments (e.g., 8-10% returns) to secure their retirement.
The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) taught that this world is an abode only for those who are oblivious to any other, and wealth in this world is only for those who realize no other wealth.
A person truly owns only three things: what they eat (and is consumed), what they wear (and is worn out), and what they send forth for the Hereafter (Aakhirah).
The Quran warns that competition in worldly possessions diverts people until they visit their graves. Soon, they will realize the outcome of their worldly pursuits.
The most lucrative investment is for the Aakhirah, yielding returns far beyond worldly expectations, potentially 7000 times based on the Quranic example of a single seed.
Investing in one's children's religious education (e.g., making them a Hafiz) is an example of such a valuable investment for the Hereafter.
The story of Malik bin Dinar illustrates this: he "purchased" a palace in Jannah for 40,000 gold coins, and the divine guarantee was returned to him after the youth's passing, demonstrating the immediacy of the afterlife's rewards.
We should channel all our efforts and blessings towards the everlasting abode (Aakhirah) where we will truly enjoy what we have sent forth.