Ta-Ha 72: They said; “We cannot choose you over the clear miracles that came to us and over the One who has created us. So, do what you desire to do. You can only enforce your rule in this worldly life.”

Surah Ta-Ha, verse 72. They said: We cannot prefer you over the clear miracles that came to us and over the One who created us. That is, you – you declared yourself a god, but in fact you are not a god but a servant whom Allah created. But over the clear miracles that came to us and over the One who created us we cannot prefer you. So do what you will; only in this worldly life can your judgment prevail, it says. Look at this faith – what a faith they suddenly come to, and, accepting every kind of torment and suffering: go on then, whatever you do, this world will end one day anyway. Whether three days sooner or three days later, then I will go to the hereafter having won my Lord's pleasure, and, well, its splendour I will reach. But you, you – in the eternal life of hell you will be left to its most severe torment.

Yes. After coming to faith, the magicians answered Pharaoh: in the face of the miracles that came to us so clearly we cannot abandon Allah, who created us, and follow your wishes. Indeed, what we did was magic, and there was nothing above this magic. When this magic was undone, we understood that Allah, to show us the truth and the right path, has displayed His miracles clearly and plainly. So we will not abandon Allah, who created us and the universe, and submit to your wishes. For we fear Allah. Given this, again: do what you will; only in this worldly life are you king and at the head of your subjects, which is why you can impose your rule on people, they said.

Yes.

Only over people in this world, over the subjects you have, for a short (?), your judgment can you impose. Here this is a fact: the magicians, who a moment before were in disbelief, as soon as they came to faith before Allah's miracle, counting as nothing their own existence and the torments they would suffer in the world, fearlessly gave their consent to the punishment Pharaoh would inflict. This is what believing and having faith is. Believing and having faith is like this. Not: I believed, yes, I said the testimony of faith, fine. But what if there is a hereafter, what if there isn't – in doubt.

Well, people who, partly with feelings of the nafs, partly half-believing, carry out Allah's commands and so live, carry on their lives – with regard to what they did, if they go with faith, they will attain salvation; though of course, if their sins are many, they go to Paradise after suffering the punishment for their sins.

Yes.

Preferring the world to the hereafter, holding fast to Allah and knowing and grasping the hereafter with certainty – this is what it is. People who grasp that the eternal, endless life is the hereafter and, without being deceived by the transient, perishable adornment and pleasures of the world, push the world aside and do not shrink even from sacrificing their own lives for Allah – these people know very well that the true life is the hereafter. This worldly realm, however, is a likeness and shadow of the hereafter.

We, we, as we always say: unless the nafs rises to tranquillity, every person at times wavers about the hereafter.

Except a nafs that has attained tranquillity. What must we do in this case? What must we do? There is only one thing to do: reform our nafs, turn to the truth, heed what is halal and haram, never tell lies, and so, from backbiting, gossip and every kind of sinful deed staying away; from pride, from arrogance, from egotism, from the whims of the nafs – well – after a person removes such traits from his life, he gradually begins to progress on the spiritual path. Then Allah Almighty, showing him from the inner spiritual realms, begins to raise that person towards His Being. Of course, as long as he continues this, the person finds his own existence and self and attains peace.

Otherwise, the adornment of the world, the whims of the nafs, the temptation Satan puts into his heart rule over the person's weak faith and mind, and the person follows the paths of the nafs and goes on along its way. May Allah protect us. Watch yourselves. Do not turn to the haram, deceived by the world's passing gain. Not everything is about material things.

Everyone's sustenance in this world Allah has surely, before they were even born, determined. A person – not this world; even if he took this world and more, he will eat only what he eats, wear only what he wears, wear out only what he wears out; the rest is (?) – a thing left behind as inheritance. So if, apart from what a person eats, drinks and wears and wears out, nothing is his, then people who crave the world and carry it like porters on their backs, loving what Allah gave more than Allah, and turn their backs on Allah are, in my view, fools. Poor wretches who do not use their minds. Even if they are Muslims.