Islam The Voice of Human Nature
4. THE HEREAFTER
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unscrupulousness. This double life is the price they
pay to bolster their own self-interest. In this respect,
many are simply following the trends of the time.
Every ‘great’ man has two sides to his life – one all
brilliance and glitter, the other all dark and soulless.
The power and glamour, which he achieves in his
life, has something animal-like about it when he
agrees to kill what is human in himself.
Just as there are two sides to every life in this world,
there are two aspects of every act in relation to this
world and the Hereafter. One aspect of each act is
our acceptance of it as what it is seen to be in this
world. The other aspect is what results from this act
in terms of the Hereafter. Imam Ahmad narrates
that the Caliph ‘Umar once said: ‘No drink of milk
or honey is better than swallowing one’s anger.’ In
actuality, to swallow, or overcome one’s anger is an
extremely bitter experience, but in the Hereafter the
result of doing so is sweeter by far than milk and
honey. Today we reap the worldly fruits of our
actions, tomorrow, in the Hereafter; we shall have
to face up to the results of our deeds and misdeeds.
Today, we can see only one aspect of our actions –
that of immediate pleasure or gain – but the Day of
