A Qur'anic verse exposing world's reality
Pars Today- Human being has tried through the history to meet his needs as he has been created a needy being. The lethal danger lurking for man, on the one hand, is the incorrect recognition of his needs and prescription of incorrect answers to his needs on the other hand.
The heritage of the divine messengers to help human beings pass through this dangerous gorge is nothing but instructions originated in revelation; realities like the Qur'an that, if they are made clear for man and he puts them in practice, they will make him powerful and happy. What you are going to read has been adopted from the book, "The General Plan of the Islamic Thought" by Ayatollah Khamenei and is about the Qur'anic view on life.
God says in verse 20 of chapter Al-Hadid of the holy Qur'an:
"Know you [all] that the life of this world is but play and amusement, pomp and mutual boasting and multiplying, [in rivalry] among yourselves, in riches and children. Here is a similitude: How rain and the growth which it brings forth delight the tillers; soon it withers; you will see it grow yellow; then it becomes dry and crumbles away. But in the Hereafter is a severe punishment and forgiveness from Allah and His Good Pleasure. And what is the life of this world but goods and chattels of deception."
This luminous verse discloses certain points on the reality of life for us:
Know that the life of this world without the Hereafter, with all its rivalries and greed, is something like the play of children and it is not clear if it will be any use; and it is a useless job; and it is just useful for decoration and beautifying, but really it does not fulfill any need; and it is the competition of boasting, but in reality it has no use; and an aimless competition in increasing of properties and children.
In fact, this ayah of the Qur'an says that:
Human being plays as long as he is a child; spends adolescence aimlessly; in youth, thinks of adornment and beauty of the world; and in middle age and old age, is engaged in boasting and contest for accumulation of wealth and children!
This world is a play. Let us be careful not to be played. If we are up, let us not be boastful and if we are down, let us not be disappointed.
The Qur'an emphasizes on the world's being a play. Of course, the world has other traps, too: "amusement", the daily amusements; and other traps: constantly being busy in front of the mirror, each day a new fashion, a new vogue and a new style! Among other traps are boastings, seeking excessively, unlimited avarice for accumulation of wealth; and liking to have more and more grandchildren and grand-grandchildren.
The entire world, in the view of the Qur'an, is summarized in five words: each of which is a trap and every time [we are] trapped in one of them!
RM/MG