“Truly by token of time, humankind is in loss, except for those who have faith, and who do righteous deeds, and who encourage each other in the teaching of Truth and in patient perseverance.”(Qur’an 103:1-3)
“Half of life is lost in charming others. The other half is lost in going through anxieties caused by others. Leave this play. You have played enough.” ~Rumi
It is never too late to examine our life and consider which direction we are heading. Nor is it ever too early! “No one knows what he will reap tomorrow, and no one knows in what land he will die.” (Qur’an 31:34) It is best to begin now, this very moment, to re-align our lives with our deepest, inner-most self and the highest good within us. But it is not enough simply to believe in the existence of God and in the highest good. We must try to practice it in our everyday lives, with everyone we meet, in every variety of circumstance we are presented throughout our day.
“The life of this world is just a play and a passing delight; yet if you have faith and guard against evil, God will grant you your recompense, and will not ask you for all your possessions.” (Qur’an: 47:36). The Qur’an makes it crystal clear that God is not asking us to sacrifice all of our worldly goods, we are simply reminded that those worldly possessions are not ever what will bring us lasting happiness and contentment. We can start today to build up the treasures of the heart that create true bliss now and in the future.
What are the treasures of the heart? By this I mean aspects of our lives that must be cultivated but cannot be purchased. Treasures of the heart are the caring, lasting relationships we cherish, the nourishing friendships that we cultivate, the experiences we have which open our hearts to new ways of perceiving and being in the world. They might also include our creative endeavors, our experiences in nature, our interactions with people who have changed our lives in positive and joyful ways. Treasures of the heart are blessings based on truth, beauty, and wisdom. They take us above and beyond our ego, that bundle of conditioned responses to life’s circumstances which we have developed over our lifetime. They do not exist in time or space, but rather in the vast, mysterious expanse of the human heart. In a famous Hadith of the Prophet Mohammad, God says to humankind: “Beloved one, I cannot be contained in the space of the earth, I cannot be contained in the space of the heavens, but I can be contained in the pure, loving heart of my devotee.”