Fleeting glory

 

Happiness, if it is of the true kind, must be perpetual in its presence and complete in its magnitude. ln terms of always being present, l mean that it should never be interrupted by worry and that it should exist for one. both in this world and in the Hereafter. Its completeness is realized when it is neither spoiled nor diminished by troubles or worries.

 

An-Nu'maan ibn al-Mundhir, who was king of Iraq, sat under a tree to relax and to drink alcohol. He called 'Adee ibn Zayd, a wise man, to come and advise him. 'Adee said, "O' King, do you know what this tree says'?" The king said, "No, what does it say". 'Adee replied:

 

"Many people sought rest around me, to drink wine mixed with pure water, Soon after, time began to play with them (i.e. some harm befell them), And time is such: always changing from one state to another."

 

Being tormented by the eventuality described to him, the king became embittered; he quit drinking and he remained miserable until he died.

 

As the Shah of Iran celebrated the passing of two thousand five hundred years since the establishment of the Persian Empire, he began to make plans for expanding the scope of his power to lands outside of his reign. Then, in the blink of an eye, he was toppled from power:

 

(You give the kingdom to whom You will, and You take the kingdom from whom You will)       (Quran 3: 26)

 

Chased from his castle and his world, he died in exile as a poor man in a far-off country. No one shed tears for him.

 

(How many of gardens and springs have they [Pharaoh is people] left And green crops [fields etc.] and goodly places, and comforts of life wherein they used to take delight!)                      (Qur'an 44: 25-27)

 

A similar case is that of Chaucesco, the former president of Rumania. He ruled for twenty-two years, and he had 70,000 personal guards. But in the end, it was his own people who surrounded his castle. They tore apart his body one limb after another.

 

(Then he had no group or party to help him against Allah, nor was he one of those who could save themselves.)                   (Quran 28: 81)

 

Thus he died without anything to show for his long reign: no worldly goods did he take with him and no prospect of prosperity in the Hereafter.

 

Another example is the former leader of the Philippines, Marcos. He gathered wealth and power for himself while heaping misery upon his people. In turn, Allah made him to feel that same misery as he was driven away from his country, his family, and his power. With no sanctuary to turn to, he died ignominiously: even his own people refused to allow him to be buried in the Philippines.

 

(Did He not make their plot go astray?)              (Qur'an 105: 2)

 

(So Allah seized him with punishment for his last [(i.e. his saying: ‘I am your lord, most high)(See Verse 79: 24)] and first [(i.e. his saying, ‘O’ chiefs! I know not that you have a god other than I’) (See Verse 28: 38)] transgression.)                                     (Qur’an 79: 25)

 

(So we punished each [of them] for his sins.)         (Qur’an 29: 40)