Ibrahim 3: The ones who choose the worldly life over the hereafter, who prevent (others) from Allah’s path and who desire it to be twisted, they deeply have gone astray (from Allah).

Let's slowly begin our lesson. Those who arrive will listen to us during the lesson. In verse 3 of Surah Ibrahim, Allah Almighty says: Those who prefer the life of this world to the Hereafter, it says. Those who prefer the life of this world to the Hereafter. That is, desiring the world, they turn their backs on the Hereafter. Those who bar people from Allah's way and seek its crookedness, it says; its crookedness, that is, those who want to show the religion of Islam as full of superstitions, or those who look for a calf under the ox, those who say this verse addressed the past, and say it doesn't address our time, and so on, those who bend the religion of Islam, Allah's verses, into crookedness, it says; yes, they are in error far from the truth, it says.

Far from the truth, in error.

People who see worldly life with their eyes and judge by as much as they see, people who cannot grasp where they came from and where they are going, who do not consider with what kind of nature they were created, those senseless fools who, as this universe turns on its own axis without pillars, by whom this order was set up, do not consider, but eat and drink the blessings on it and turn their backs on Allah, those ungrateful people: these are people very hostile to their own selves. Yes. What do our ancestors say? What a person does to himself, the two worlds together could not do. Yes. People, deceived by the pleasures of this worldly life, become addicted to the feelings of the nafs. The feelings of the nafs. What is this feeling of the nafs? The nafs never takes its place beside Allah; it pulls people into the swamp of the world, whips up lustful feelings, criticizes this one and that, sets people against each other, breaks the order of unity and togetherness, dominates with its own whims, and wants to attain every worldly blessing: this nafs is an unstoppable monster.

If a person uses his reason and knows Allah as the Creator, people who think they will give account before Allah Almighty at the Great Tribunal, they stand up against the nafs here. With the capability of the soul and the feelings Allah Almighty gave it, he masters his nafs and tries to save himself from this swamp. So, people, deceived by the pleasures of this worldly life, become addicted to the feelings of the nafs. Thinking life is in this world, they live unaware of the Hereafter. Those who chase lust, saying it doesn't please my eye, people stark naked (?), those who offend their honor, dignity and self-respect.

Those who oppose Allah's decency and manners and strive to abolish the veil.

Those who disregard the values of morality and virtue, and without fearing Allah oppose Allah's verses, who keep people from Allah's way, the straight path, and want to make this way crooked: these people are in error far from the truth, that is where they are. If they do not use their reason, do not reflect, do not turn to Allah, these people, in their desire to live worldly life, are people who shoulder the endless suffering of the Hereafter.

When Allah is mentioned in the presence of such people, they get angry. They become as if about to burst, like the clouds in the sky.

These people's life and world is this world on which they live. Their desire is to obtain the world and, at whatever cost, to win the world and carry on their life.

From what I've explained so far, an astonishing thing comes out. Concerning these people, an astonishing and blood-curdling thing comes out. If as a human you are so devoted to your nafs, so devoted as a human to your life and pleasure, how, deceived by this passing worldly life, can you be turning the abode of eternal bliss into a dungeon? Since you are so devoted to your pleasure: if they put me into a barrel of needles, a barrel of needles. Even so, in this barrel of needles the torment will end. With what? It will end with death. And then, in the realm of the Hereafter, if you have not parted from your Lord, endless pleasure and delight will begin.

For a few hours' pleasure of this passing worldly life, instead of the abode of eternal bliss, how will you bear a place in the fire, when, caring so much about your nafs, you cast the Hereafter behind you for a life of a few hours? Astonishing. So these people are poor souls who do not use their reason. So that's why Allah Almighty says: Will you not use your reason? Will you not reflect, He says.

The life of the world is but for a time. The world is a stopping place. A guesthouse that hosts people on it for a little while. The life of the Hereafter, however, is eternal and lasting. Worldly life, good or bad, will pass anyway. The life of the Hereafter, which will be lived with what was earned in the world, is people's eternal and true homeland. So rather than be rich in the world, be rich in the Hereafter. Don't keep people from Allah's way and, instead of the straight path, a crooked, twisted path don't show them. Don't torment and wrong your own nafs with enmity toward Allah. So, already earlier, man betrays Allah.

If he does not recognize Allah; in their betrayals of Allah, they betrayed Me too, He says. That is, at the address Elestü bi-Rabbiküm, although Allah Almighty said I am your Creator, your Lord, they sought the Lord of their imagination and on Allah Almighty turned their backs. My beloved, do not mind their denying you; in their time they betrayed Me too, He says. Those, it says, are lying disbelievers, it says. Lying disbelievers. Those are like four-legged animals roaming the earth, it says. Like four-legged beasts. Yes.

So, already earlier, man betrays Allah. If he does not recognize Allah, in this world too he rebels against Allah; they persist in not recognizing Him. If he does not recognize Allah, in this world too he rebels against Allah, they persist in not recognizing Him. They are far from Allah and in a state of fraud within their own selves.