Paradise or Illusion

Man is not able to enjoy the wealth he earns because he devotes his entire life to making more and more money, till death approaches him. The Quran explains this reality thus: ‘Greed for more and more distracted you [from God] till you reached the grave’. (102:1-2)

Kareena Kapoor, a famous Bollywood film star, earns in crores for her acting. A report published in the Times of India (March 29, 2009) informs us that for one advertisement contract she was paid Rupees 6 crore. When asked what she would do with that amount of money, she replied: ‘I will buy myself a home in Greece.’ The report also says that Kareena has also bought a home in Bombay. But she said, “I spend most of my time in studios, so I have no time to enjoy my new home.”

When new opportunities have opened up in present times most people have used them to earn more and more money. But experience tells us that the greater the wealth, the greater the problems. Man is not able to enjoy the wealth he earns because he devotes his entire life to making more and more money. Finally, the time comes when he has to abandon everything and leave for a world where he will be bereft of each and everything he ever possessed. He will not have even the opportunities which would enable him to build a life of luxury. He will face deprivation all around him.

How strange is the beginning of man and how strange is the end of man. This is the reality which finds expression in chapter 102 of the Quran: ‘Greed for more and more distracted you [from God] till you reached the grave’. (102:1-2)