The world is sweet and green (alluring)

Abu Sa'id Al-Khudri (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:

The worldly life is not praised or dispraised with regard to the time, but with regard to the deeds of people; some of them act for its sake alone, and disregard the Hereafter.

Other people acts righteously for the Hereafter, but their deeds do not allow them to reach the ranks sought by the righteous; the reason is that the worldly life is their utmost hope.

Other good people desire the Hereafter and exert the effort due to it, they do not care about the worldly life whether they obtained the worldly gains or not.

The worldly life is sweet, but it is temporary. Let whoever takes from it what he likes.

Let whoever claim that he deprives himself of it out of asceticism, be aware of its nature.

His saying – may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him -: " The world is sweet and green (alluring); and verily " indicates two things: -

First: that it has a sweetness, somehow, to some extent, to someone, at some time. the believer may enjoy it as much as Allah decreed for him, and then he shall thank Allah for his bounty, because he knows that the blessings increase with thanking Allah.

The second thing is that it is ephemeral, because the green vegetation will soon be corrupted or weakened. Let one take his share from it and accept it. Satisfaction is the greatest of all the faith ranks. Those who are satisfied with the decree of Allah are the best of people.

This commandment has an introduction and a conclusion.

As for the conclusion, it is a reminder of the state of the children of Israel concerning the temptation of women and competing each other in this regard. We – Muslims – are ordered to contradict them. Moreover, we are forbidden from imitating them in their customs and transactions.