Illusionary Pleasures
Every individual looks for happiness. There is no one who is not after happiness. Some people find it in money, in position, in property, or in having a good looking spouse.
Some of these pleasures are just illusionary. There are verses in the Qur’an speaking about them.
One of the illusionary pleasures in the world is finding pleasure in wealth. The Holy Qur’an narrates the story of the wealthy man, Qarun, and says that, “So he went forth among his people in the (pride of his worldly) glitter. Said those whose aim is the Life of this World: "Oh! That we had the like of what Qarun has got! For he is truly a lord of mighty good fortune!"”
But is this the real happiness? Qur’an says in another verse, “Woe to every (kind of) scandal-monger and-backbiter, who pileth up wealth and layeth it by.”
Some people just care about their financial benefit without even thinking about other people. Some consider themselves happy and say, in words of Qur’an, “I deem not that this will ever perish.”
The Holy Qur’an speaks of a wealthy man who has a great garden that, “(Abundant) was the produce this man had: he said to his companion, in the course of a mutual argument: "more wealth have I than you, and more honor and power in (my following of) men.”
These are all examples of illusionary pleasures in the world, as the Holy Qur’an says that absurd is one’s reliance on anything but God.
Just like the son of Noah, who refused to board the ship and said that he would take refuge on the mountain, “I will betake myself to some mountain: it will save me from the water." Noah said: "This day nothing can save, from the command of Allah, any but those on whom He hath mercy!"And the waves came between them, and the son was among those overwhelmed in the Flood.” He thought he could rely on the mountain and he sank.
The same is true about reliance on the wealth, power, and any other thing but God.
Translated by: Sadroddin Musawi
