“The Reality of this Life”
By Yasmin Mogahed | 2026-01-10T03:27:58.551036+00:00 | Topic: Iman
The Reality of this Life
By: Yasmin Mogahed
Opening Supplications
"I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed Satan."
"In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful."
"Peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah and upon his family and companions."
"May Allah open my heart and ease my affairs. May my tongue keep my words."
"(My Lord, expand for me my breast (25) And ease for me my affair (26) And untie the knot from my tongue (27) That they may understand my saying (28))"
It's an honor to be here with you today. I've never been to Arkansas before. And so far, I've witnessed so much hospitality. And I actually, this is one of the reasons I really like the South. And I recently moved to the South, sort of North Carolina, from California.
Because I love the Southern hospitality and the way that the community is very welcoming.
The Prosperous Future of Muslim Millennials
My topic today is about the prosperous future of Muslim millennials. And I was thinking a lot about how to approach this topic. And I also wanted to include the concept of education. Because we are here supporting an educational institution. An Islamic educational institution.
And so I was thinking about how is it that I want to approach this topic. And what I decided was I wanted to talk about what actually is the true or one of the main goals of Islamic education. Because we're here supporting a school.
We're here talking about this particular school and why Islamic education is so important. So I wanted to just reflect on what is one of the essential goals of Islamic education. And I came up with two.
The First Goal: Greater Purpose
And it's not only these two. But I came up with two. And the first one is that the purpose of Islamic education or the goal of Islamic education. And this is also a litmus test to let us know if we've succeeded, I believe. And that is to give us a greater purpose.
See one of the things that all people at some point in their life ask is what am I doing here? What's my purpose? Why am I here? And there's a lot of different answers to this question.
But what is that greater purpose? Now if we look at the Quran and we look at what is it that Allah says? What is it that God gives us as our highest purpose? Now each and every one of you have a purpose. I'll call this the lower case p, purpose. Right? We all have purposes that we live for in life.
Right? We have a lot of doctors I heard. Yeah? We have teachers. We have lawyers. We have mothers, fathers. There's a lot of different roles that we play. But that's not what I'm asking just for a moment.
I'm asking what is the purpose capital P? Why am I actually here? And to answer this question actually God is very clear in the Quran.
The Ultimate Purpose of Creation
"And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me."
Allah has actually given us the answer to this question very clearly in the Quran. Now I'm going to stop for a second.
In the Quran and actually the comedian that came before me gave a little bit of an introduction with la la la la la but this construction of (لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا ٱللَّٰهُ - la ilaha illallah) it's a construction in Arabic where it begins with a negation. In other words you negate any other purpose. So it's almost like taking a slate and wiping it clean.
So for example la ilaha illallah linguistically is actually saying there is no ilah. There is no object of worship or as the brother said God small lethargy. There is none.
So you begin with a negation and so you have a clean slate. Why does this construction, why is this construction used? The reason is to give exclusivity. Do you guys understand what I'm saying? So that you say there is no other purpose or there is no other God in order to say illah and then you add except.
Now what that does in the Arabic language is it tells you that this is the exclusive answer to the question. So in this case la ilaha illallah is that there is nothing worthy of worship. And if you stop there that's atheism isn't it? Right? There's no God.
La ilaha the first half is atheism. There's no ilah, there's no God. But Islam is to add the second half which is very important illallah except for God.
The Concept of Ilah
So in other words there is nothing worthy of being my object of worship and (إِلَّه - ilah) in the Arabic language is a very deep concept by the way. Ilah isn't just something you pray to. Ilah isn't just like a stone idol.
And ilah and I'm going to tell you this. Even an atheist has an ilah. You're going to be like what? Even an atheist has an ilah. Even an agnostic has an ilah. Even someone who says I don't believe in God has an ilah. Meaning they have something that they worship.
Something that they put at the center of their existence. Something that they put at the center of their hearts. Something they put at the center of their lives. Something they live for. And something they're willing to die for. That's an ilah.
And so what makes a Muslim is to say that there's nothing worthy of being at that position except for God. It is pure monotheism. Pure in Arabic (توحید - tawheed).
So that's la ilaha illallah. But now where does the other ayah come in? Wa ma khalaqtul jinna wal ins. This is the ayah about purpose.
Capital P. Again, each and every one of us have lesser purposes. But this is ultimate purpose. Allah says we have not created jinn and human beings for any other purpose in parentheses.
We have not created them for any other purpose إلا Again, you hear that illa. Except. So this is that exclusivity of purpose. Except.
The Concept of Ubudiyyah
Now, here's another very deep concept. (عُبُودِيّة - Ubudiyyah). The concept of Ubudiyyah. Which means, loosely translated, worship. But the concept of Ubudiyyah in Islam is not just praying and fasting.
Worship is not just what you do in the mosque. But worship can also be time that you spend with your family. Worship can also be time that you give to your community.
Worship can be teaching. Worship can be even that intimacy between a husband and wife is actually an act of worship. As the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said.
So worship is a comprehensive concept in Islam. But what is God telling us? He's telling us that the only purpose that we were created for and there's no other is to worship God.
Now what does it mean to truly worship God? It means essentially to put Allah or God You know one of the funny things is I remember like a long time ago there was like this award ceremony and this celebrity stands up and was like trying to be really like open and inclusive so he goes whether you believe in God or Allah that's the point is they think it's two different things.
God is Allah. When we say la ilaha illallah we're not saying that our God is the only God or our Muslim God. We're saying the God of all people is the only thing worthy of our ultimate love and worship.
The Problem of Modern Worship
And so when we give purpose to the next generation see because the problem is we live in a society right now that worships a lot of other things. We worship a lot of things in our society. And in fact we are bombarded with things to worship.
And I'm not talking here about Jesus. I'm not talking about religion. I'm talking about materialism.
I'm telling you that we are actually living in a society that teaches us and actually bombards us with the worship of money. With the worship of status. With the worship of power.
These are the things we actually worship. We don't worship these religious symbols anymore. This is actually what our children and us are dealing with.
That this is the type of worship that we're being told to be involved in. And that is that take your money as your Lord. Or take your status as your Lord.
Or take power. There are a lot of people who worship power. If you look at the crimes that are being committed at the highest level to the lowest level in the world and you look at why you'll find that that's what it's about.
It's about the worship of power and the worship of money. And so these are objects of worship.
The Higher Purpose in Islamic Education
Now, how do we come back to our ultimate purpose? Our ultimate purpose is to realize that our being created was for this one purpose. And that is to know, love, worship God.
And I think that this is the first goal that I see and as a litmus test are we doing our job right in Islamic education? Have we given that higher purpose? It isn't only about learning haram and halal.
See the problem is I think that a lot of Islamic education across the board kind of goes wrong in this department. Is that we tend when we come to Islamic studies we tend to teach Islam as a list of harams and halals. Right? As a list of do's and don'ts.
It's haram to eat this, it's halal to eat this, it's haram to wear this and it's halal to wear this. And that's sort of what Islam becomes boiled down to. And that's a big problem because ultimately we have to be able to teach our children a higher purpose to give them perspective. What are they doing here?
And then how are they going to be able to live in this materialistic society without worshipping materialism. Without worshipping that money. Yes. Be doctors. Yes. Be lawyers. Yes. Be teachers. Have your endeavours in this life but be careful not to worship it. Because the moment that you worship it, that's when you drown in it.
The Second Goal: Mastering the Dunya
You know there's this really beautiful analogy. I write about it in my book Reclaim Your Heart. There's a really beautiful analogy that one of the scholars gave about dunya.
Now what is dunya? And this brings me to my second point. Of one of the goals of Islamic education. And I think that one of the goals of Islamic education needs to be giving children the tools to master the dunya.
To master the dunya. How many people have seen The Matrix? Like two people? Okay. Anyway.
Basically mastering the dunya is realising that this life knowing it for what it is and not allowing it to own you. This is very important. And so the analogy that he gives is that this life is like an ocean.
Now if you think about an ocean what's the purpose of an ocean? Well if you think if you're travelling on the ocean what are you going to use to travel on the ocean? A boat. Great. Okay.
You guys are awake right? You use a boat right? So you use a boat to get to travel from point A to point B on an ocean. So he gives the analogy that this life dunya is like an ocean.
Now the thing about an ocean is it's really beautiful from the shore. Right? We can appreciate an ocean. It's really beautiful from the boat. Right? Yes? But what happens when you allow the ocean to enter the boat? Anyone heard of the Titanic? It sinks.
Brilliant. So what he explains is that the believer or the human being in fact in this life is like a person is like a boat in the ocean. And the boat is like the heart.
So the heart in this life is like that boat in the ocean. The problem is as long as you keep the water outside of the boat it stays afloat. You feel me? You will be able to survive the ocean and even use the ocean.
Right? We get food from the ocean. We use the ocean for travel. But the ocean can also swallow you up.
Can it? If you allow the ocean to enter your boat in this analogy it's the heart. If you allow the ocean to enter the boat that's when it owns the boat and that's when it breaks the boat and that's when it can consume the boat and drown the boat.
And this is what happens to a human being who allows this life dunya, materialism to enter their hearts and take over.
The Proper Relationship with Dunya
So the problem is not having things in the dunya. The problem isn't having money. The problem isn't having power. The problem isn't having status. The problem is when we start to worship these things. The problem is when these things take over our hearts.
The Concept of Zuhd
So there's a very famous saying of one of the companions. And what he said is (زُهْد - Zuhd). Zuhd is a concept of detachment, not being too attached to this life.
He said that detachment is not that you do not own anything. It is that nothing owns you. So you may and there were many companions, they were very wealthy. They had money. But as the scholars say, their money was in their hands, not in their hearts. The problem is when money is in the heart, it poisons the heart.
Just like the water of the ocean poisons the ship. And so these are concepts that we have to teach our children. Because yes, we live in a society that tells us to worship money. That tells us to worship status. To worship materialism.
The Reality of This Life: Quranic Perspective
Now I wanna leave you with an ayah. Really powerful ayah. Where Allah tells us in Surah Al-Hadeed, and this is verse 20. Allah gives us a very very powerful analogy of what this life is.
And I want you guys to pay attention to this. Because it actually if you look at this ayah, it's really amazing. If you look at this ayah, it's sort of like a chronology of human life on this earth. In one ayah.
The Stages of Life
"Know that the life of this world is but amusement and diversion and adornment and boasting to one another and competition in increase of wealth and children - like the example of a rain whose [resulting] plant growth pleases the tillers; then it dries and you see it turned yellow; then it becomes debris. And in the Hereafter is severe punishment and forgiveness from Allah and approval. And what is the worldly life except the enjoyment of delusion."
So first Allah says, know that the life of this world is (لَعِبٌ - play). Now I'll tell you from experience, and I'm sure many of you who've had children. What is the most important thing to a child? So a human being who first enters this life, what is the most important thing to that human being? Play. Thank you. Play.
Right? You wanna get a gift for a child? They're not gonna appreciate an Armani suit. They're not gonna care. Right? But if you get them a toy, they'll appreciate it. You could spend 99 cents on a toy, and they'll appreciate it more than $1,000 suit. Am I right? Because for a child, the most important thing is (لَعِبٌ). (لَعِبٌ) is play.
Stage 2: Entertainment (Lahw)
Then when a child gets a little older, what becomes important? So I'm talking now middle school age. Any teachers of middle school or parents of middle school age children? Raise your hand. Alright.
Can anyone tell me what's the most common phrase that comes out of their mouth? Anyone? I'm bored. There it is. Everyone always gets it.
It's I'm bored. And the reason for this is at that age, you wanna be entertained. It's like they want constant stimulation. You know what I'm saying? They're not playing with rattles anymore, but now it's the video games. I want constant stimulation. And now we have Netflix.
So it's like constant. Their phones. They can't sit for one moment without being stimulated. And it's that concept of I want amusement. You know what that's called in the Quran? (لَهْو - lahw). So Allah says (لَعِبٌ وَلَهْوٌ) Right after play, Allah says lahw.
And lahw means amusement. Entertainment. So Allah here is saying no. That the life of this world first He says play. Then He says amusement. Or entertainment.
Stage 3: Adornment (Zina)
(لَعِبٌ وَلَهْوٌ وَزِينَةً) Now we get into high school. Alright? What happens in high school? Well what happens in high school is you're not playing with rattles anymore. Maybe you may or may not still be obsessed with video games.
That's a point of contention. But what becomes very important when you're a teenager, especially for girls, is how you look. It becomes more and more important how you appear.
And this is why if you look statistically at when do you see a lot of eating disorders, it's usually during the adolescent age. And that is because the way you look becomes of utmost importance. So what does Allah say next in this ayah (زينة وزينة) is adornment.
To decorate. To adorn. And Allah says this number three in this ayah.
Stage 4: Boasting (Tafakhur)
Now as you get older and now you're getting into college and you're taking the MCATs and the LSATs and the SATs and the ACTs. It's a lot about proving yourself. Isn't it? So what does Allah say next? (لَعِبٌ وَلَهْوٌ وَزِينَةٌ وَتَفَاخُرٌ بَيْنَكُمْ) Next he says that the life of this world is a lot of showing off.
It's boasting. It's like, yeah what was your score? You know what I got? Or you know what school I got into? What school did you get into? Or our parents like to, you know (تَفَاخُرٌ بَيْنَكُمْ) This is the showing off. And now (الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ) we have a platform for it called social media.
Right? It's a platform for (تَفَاخُرٌ بَيْنَكُمْ) It's showing off. Boasting between one another. Right? We have any kind of accomplishment that we have in our lives or in our children's lives we have to put it up on social media.
Why? Well, so that everybody can see that, hey I have this accomplishment how about you? And there's a lot of comparisons. Yes or no? Come on guys. Thank you.
Stage 5: Competition in Wealth and Children
Boasting between one another. Allah is saying this in the Quran (تَفَاخْرٌ بَيْنَكُمْ) This showing off between one another (وَتَكَاثُرٌ فِي الْأَمْوَالِ وَالْأَوْلَادِ) this like competition sort of gaining in money, in wealth and children Look at the timeline What happens after you graduate and then you get a job and you get married and you settle down and then you have children is now your focus is let me make more money and it's about your children So now, what are we focused on? We're focused on how are we now going to compete with our kids right? How are we going to compete with our kids? Well your cousin you know, so there's that competition now with money and children and you know, what kind of house you have what kind of car do you drive this is the nature of dunya right? This is what Allah is saying and he says it in chronological order.
The Temporary Nature of Worldly Attachments
But you know what we have to reflect on about this ayah? Is that the things that matter most to you at any point in time right? We said play first, right? There was a time in your life where all you cared about was a rattle. And you thought the rattle was the end of the world.
What happens if you take a rattle away from a baby? Anyone? The end of the world So for that human being it's the end of the world to take away a rattle What happens if you keep a middle schooler from playing his video games or her video games? It's the end of the world. Do you feel me?
What happens when you get older and you know, you have a breakout or something, right? Do you understand what I'm saying? Or what happens when you get a bad grade at some point in your life? Every single one of you probably thought at one point the world was over because you got a bad grade. It all happened.
It happened to someone. But now, 5 years, 10 years, 20 years, 40 years later, does it matter anymore? Does it matter anymore? Anyone? That exam actually didn't end your life right? Losing that rattle losing that video game, it actually didn't end your life. That breakout it didn't end your life.
Even that breakup, it didn't end your life right? And so the idea is, and this is what Allah's teaching us is that these things, and I'm going to tell you in a moment, the rest of the ayah explains it. These things we believe we believe it's like everything but then it passes, it fades right? And then 5 years later, 10 years later, it doesn't even matter anymore.
The Metaphor of Rain and Vegetation
Then Allah says it's like a farmer who gets really excited with this heavy rain.
Why? Because of the nabat that comes from it. Because of the vegetation that will come from heavy rain. But then Allah says, what happens to that vegetation?
But that same vegetation eventually dries up and becomes yellow.
It dries up. It becomes brown, yellow brown. And then what would happen if you crumble it in the wind? Just becomes debris.
It just goes, it becomes nothing. It used to be a beautiful rose, right? This is a sign of Allah. And what Allah is telling us is that this metaphor that he's giving us is the metaphor of what this life is, of what dunya is.
It's something that we get very worked up about for a while and then it passes, right? And then we get worked up about something else and then it passes. And then we get worked up and then it passes. Until eventually the whole thing passes.
Until the whole thing passes. And this is what Allah is telling us.
The Reality of the Hereafter
What is the point of this ayah? What is the lesson behind this ayah? The lesson is this.
There are things in this life that Allah gives us. (متاع - Mataa') By the way, the word (متاع) in the Arabic language (متاع) it's translated as pleasure, but literally it can also mean a tool. A tool.
Just like the ocean is a tool, right? It's not about hating dunya, it's about using dunya. Does that make sense? It's about using it. Because every single thing in dunya, yes you can enjoy it, but essentially it's meant to take you to a better place.
The Meaning of Dunya
And actually if you look at the meaning of the word dunya, what's the literal meaning? Something lower. So (الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا) literally means the lower life. Isn't that deep? Anyone think that's deep? That's deep.
The lower life. And you see even in the Quran, when Allah talks about in Surah Ar-Rum, He says (فِي أَدْنَى الْأَرْضِ) He says (أَدْنَى الْأَرْضِ) means lowest land. (غُلِبَتِ الرُّومُ فِي أَدْنَى الْأَرْضِ) When Allah was actually describing something that was going to happen in the future, He was saying and describing as it was going to happen and He said when it was going to happen and He said in the lowest land. (Quran 30:2-3)
(أَدْنَى الْأَرْضِ) The word dunya means lower. And it is (الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا) because guess what? We have a higher life. We have a better life.
And this particular one is the lower life. It's not all bad but it's not all good either. Do you feel me? It's not all bad but it's not all good either.
It's not perfect. Anyone have a perfect life? Raise your hand. Anyone have a perfect life? Guess what? No one has a perfect life.
No matter how much money you have, no matter how much power, just look at Trump. Right? No matter what you have of dunya, it will never be perfect. And that is the nature of dunya.
The Preference for This Life
And yet the human being is a little foolish. Right? Can I tell you why?
(بَلْ تُؤْثِرُونَ الْحَيَاةَ الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةُ خَيْرٌ وَأَبْقَى) "But you prefer the worldly life, while the Hereafter is better and more enduring." (Quran 87:16-17)
That we still prefer this life even though the next life is better and longer lasting.
The Concept of Ease with Hardship
I don't want to keep you too long because it's late. But I want to say this. Everything I've said is a reminder to myself first and I also want to let you know I do have a few limited copies. I have two books.
One of them is called Reclaim Your Heart. I'll just tell you a little bit about it. And the other one is called Love and Happiness.
"Indeed, with hardship [will be] ease."
Allah says إِنَّ مَعَ الْعُسْرِ يُسْرًا And this is a very deep concept because Allah doesn't say in this ayah, if I ask most people to translate this ayah إِنَّ مَعَ الْعُسْرِ يُسْرًا most people will say after hardship is ease. Most people. But in this ayah Allah doesn't say بَعْد (bad).
In another ayah yes, in this ayah Allah says (ma'a). The word مَعَ in Arabic means with, along with. And that's a very important concept because sometimes we think okay, I'm going through a hardship and right now it's all dark.
I'm going through a difficulty and right now it's all bad. That's actually incorrect. It's never all dark and it's never all bad at any point in time, ever.
Nobody has it all dark and nobody has it all bad because Allah says that with the hardship is ease plural by the way. So يُسر (yusr) is singular so one single hardship that you have is accompanied with many eases or blessings. What it means is that at every point in time no matter how hard your life gets, Allah at the same time gives you a lot of blessings and it's always at the same time.
I'm so amazed at how many times and you guys will probably notice this in life too how many times I've heard about people who have a very happy occasion in their life. They just got married. They just had a child and at almost at the same time someone they love dies.
Anyone? Almost at the same time. I've heard this over and over and over and a lot of people might look at that and say why did that have to ruin it? Right? I just, you know what? I just got married. Why did my father have to die? Or why did my sister have to? You know, they feel that it ruined it.
I know someone just had twins two weeks later their mother dies. Why did it have to ruin it? But you know what? That's not what Allah's saying. Allah's telling us إنَّ مَعَ الْعُسْرِ يُسْرًا Let me show you a different way to look at it With the hardship is the eases, plural meaning that Allah gave you those children Allah gave you that spouse in order to help you cope with the hardship that was written for you.
Does that make sense? And it's a completely different way of looking at it. But this is what Allah is saying. He's saying that with the hardship is ease and it's plural.
So Allah is actually giving us blessings at the same time as our hardships to make it easier for us. Out of his رحمة (rahmah), out of his mercy.
Seeking Help: An Islamic Perspective
So this is what I write about and inshallah we're going to have them available outside.
I also wanted to make another announcement and I feel that this is very important as an issue that we're dealing with in our community. We're going through difficulties. Everyone has their personal difficulties People have, you know, we have collective communal difficulties and a lot of us we have an issue in our community, especially in the Muslim community, is we don't know how to ask for help.
And there is a sort of a taboo about asking for help. When you're having trouble in your marriage, for example, there is a taboo of going and getting counseling. When you're having trouble when you're suffering, you know personally, there's a taboo about going and getting a therapist.
And I think it's very, very important that we realize that we have to remove this taboo. And we have to seek help. And I'll tell you why.
The Hadith of Tying the Camel
Because Islamically, the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم - sallallahu alayhi wasallam) told us:
(Tirmidhi 2517)
"Tie your camel and put your trust in Allah."
This is a concept in our deen. Which means that we're supposed to seek help or we're supposed to make an effort.
That's the tying the camel. The whole story goes like this. There was a companion he wasn't tying his camel so then the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم - sallallahu alayhi wasallam) asked him why is he not tying his camel he said, because I have my trust in God.
So the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم - sallallahu alayhi wasallam) taught him this timeless lesson اِعْقِلْهَا وَتَوَكَّلْ Tie your camel and put your trust in God at the same time. Doing your effort is part of worship. This is very important.
When you're sick going to the doctor can be an act of worship. When you're sick, going to the doctor can be an act of worship. As long as you know that the true one who heals is God.
But we have tools in this life. Doctors are a tool. Therapists are a tool. Counselors are a tool. So I just wanted to mention that because both me and my husband we are very passionate about this area.
And my husband provides coaching for couples and also for individual men because this is a place where honestly there is a vacuum.
And especially I found, you know, and he's found there's a trend in our community and I'm just going to be honest with you for a second especially men do not ask for help. And they don't ask for help until it's too late sometimes. Whether they are suffering themselves with depression or there's a lot of issues for example with addiction pornography, different things like that but also within the marriages.
My husband is always getting messages I have a problem in my marriage okay sister, can we get you know, can we have some couples counseling, some coaching. Yeah but my husband doesn't want it. And
this is a trend.
Is that there is an issue where the sisters want and the men don't. And part of what we have to do is remove that taboo. Remove that barrier that we have that it's not okay to ask for help.
Because honestly this is something in our religion is to ask for help. And when the prophet said if you see something wrong, try to fix it. Try to fix it with your hand and if you cannot with your tongue and if you cannot then at least hate it in your heart and this is the weakest of faith.
We're supposed to be a people who take action in trying to solve our problems.
Closing
Inshallah I will have a table right outside the door if you're interested in signing up for coaching or couples coaching or whether it's individual and also my books will be available.
"May Allah reward you with good."
"And Allah knows best."