2. WORLDY PLEASURES VERSUS PLEASURES OF THE HEREAFTER
Contrary to how the ‘self perceives and reacts to the (mention and thoughts of) the Hereafter, mankind congenially inclines to the surrounding worldly pleasures, because the ‘self finds such pleasures plentiful and attractive as they identify its wants. Whereas the ‘self finds the mention of the Hereafter contravene its innate wants—aside from being intangible and unable to be quantified. It might be presumed by those who lack knowledge that attractions of the Hereafter are stronger and more influential than those of this worldly life considering the frequent warnings in the Qur’an in this regard! In fact, it is the opposite of what these people presume.
[To explain further], the example of the innate nature of humans and its inclination to this worldly life is like running water that is always befitting to travel downward because going upward requires (strenuous) exertion.
For this reason, the Legislator responded to this matter with using the approach of encouragement (tarqib) and used intimidation (tarhib) to give strength to the soldiers of the mind. Given the existence of plentiful attractions in this world, it is not surprising for our innate nature to fall for such temptations. Rather, it is indeed more of a surprise (‘ajab) to find the innate nature of humans succeeding in overcoming these attractions and thereby becoming tamed and controlled!
(source: al-Hafiz Abu’l-Faraj ibn al-jawzl [d. 597AH] “CAPTURED THOUGHTS being” a translation of his masterpiece ‘Sayd al-K hatir)
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