TWO LIFESTYLES

Those who live in a godly way will be lodged in eternal Paradise in the Hereafter. Those who live an ungodly life will be eternally deprived of divine blessings.

There are two ways of leading one’s life in this world—one, living with God; the other, living for something other than God. True believers are those who live with God. Those who live for something other than God may be described as worldly people. These two lifestyles were just as prevalent in earlier times as they are today.

Who are the people who live with God? They are those who are serious about life and who, being truth seekers, ultimately discover God. Once they have done so, they must build their lives in accordance with this discovery. Their thinking, speech, behaviour, and dealings with others—all become dyed in God’s hue. (Quran, 2:138)

A very different kind of life is lived by those who are consumed by their own greatness, who think only about material progress and establish their relationships accordingly. For them, family holds the highest priority, and political matters are the centre of their attention. They regard the interests of their community as supreme. Worldly honour and worldly progress are the be-all and end-all for them. They are happy when they make some worldly progress; conversely, worldly loss makes them sad. Worldly things are the target of their ambitions and desires. All such people are those who live an ungodly life.

In contrast, those who live in a godly way earn God’s favour. They will be lodged in eternal Paradise in the Hereafter. Those who live an ungodly life are not God’s chosen servants. Such people will be eternally deprived of divine blessings.