The Building
of the Personality
Some people strive for material success in this world, while others lead God-fearing lives, make the Hereafter their goal and strive to build their own personality. God-oriented personalities are destined to achieve an eternal place in Paradise.
Consider the entrepreneur who goes into business. He achieves success by the power of money. All his work gets done and his desires are fulfilled. If he wants a home for himself, he buys a good house. He wants transport so he purchases a good vehicle in the market. If he wants a good education for his children he ensures this by spending enough money on it. In short, from the worldly point of view, he becomes a totally successful man.
Such experiences lead people into thinking that it is money which is everything in this world. Make money and you can get everything. This thinking has been expressed in these words by a Persian poet:
Ae zar tu khuda nahin va lekin bakhuda;
Sattaru-o-uyub wa qaziul-haajaati
(O Money, you are not God but, by God, you can hide all shortcomings, all lackings and you can fulfil all needs.)
On the other hand, there is a person who fears God, who leads a God-fearing life, who makes the Hereafter as his goal or destination. Such a person also builds a world, but in his case it is the building of his own personality, which is an internal thing. It is not visible or tangible like material things; but, without doubt, the building of one’s personality is a greater achievement than the building of the world.
The building of the world is done in the life prior to death and being material in nature, whatever constitutes it remains in this world itself. At the time of death when one who has occupied himself with material things goes on to the next stage of life, he cannot take any of his worldly things along with him. On the contrary, those who build godly personalities within themselves are never bereft of them. They remain with them externally. When such people die they enter the next stage of life with this personality intact. This godly personality serves as an open sesame to Paradise. Because of this personality they achieve an eternal place in Paradise. And there is no success greater than this for any man.
