Ramadan, Day 27
Know that the life of the world is play and sport and ornament and boasting among each other and seeking to increase in wealth and children. [It is] as the image of rain that brings forth delightful growth, yet soon it withers and you see it become yellow, then it crumbles away. And in the Hereafter is a strong punishment, but also forgiveness from God and His pleasure. And what is the life of the world but deceptive goods?
This verse returns to a metaphor I discussed previously. Here the point is that our lives and the things of this world are fleeting and soon gone so we should not become too attached to them or think of them as lasting rewards. Instead, what lasts is God's pleasure, which is reserved for those who do good, and that is what we should attach ourselves to and work for. This verse thus presents the basic argument of religion.
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