Allah the Almighty states in the verse I have recited, "But whoever desires the Hereafter and exerts the effort due to it while he is a believer - it is those whose effort is ever appreciated by Allah."[1]
The Prophet Muhammad (saw) advises in the hadith I have recited, "A wise man is the one who calls himself to account (and refrains from doing evil deeds) and does noble deeds to benefit him after death; and the foolish person is the one who subdues himself to his temptations and desires and seeks from Allah the fulfillment of his vain desires."[2]
Dear Believers!
One of the fundamental principles of Islam is the belief in the Hereafter. It is to believe in the Last Day, the Resurrection, the Reckoning, and the eternal life. The belief in the Hereafter is a unique strength that influences one's intentions, words, behaviors and, in short, all moments and steps. Having an awareness of the Hereafter shapes a Muslim's life, their relations with family, neighbors, colleagues, and all beings in their surroundings, whether living or non-living.
Muslims who wholeheartedly embrace the belief in the Hereafter observe the boundaries set out by Allah and the appreciation of Him (swt) in all their acts. They do good deeds (amal al-salih) as their faith requires and grow in maturity through high morality. They always call themselves to account. They refrain from uttering bad words and doing evil acts.
Muslims look at the universe in such a way as to draw lessons from it. They see life and death, health and illness, wealth and poverty, and joy and sorrow as part of a world full of tests and trials. All their experiences and the events they encounter mean an opportunity for benevolence and reward for them. They show gratitude for the blessings granted to them, which is more virtuous for them, as expressed by the Prophet Muhammad. They show patience with troubles, which is also more virtuous for them.[3]
Dear Muslims!
The last stop and destination of our journey of servitude is the life in the Hereafter. The Hereafter for us is our true homeland and eternal residence. It is the place where we will reap what we have sown in this world and definitely give account for everything, whether big or small, or good or evil. Then, let us live a life with the awareness that we will face the Day of Akhirah. Let us not neglect making our preparations for that great day. I would like to conclude the khutbah with the following verses of our Lord (swt), "So whoever does an atom's weight of good will see it, and whoever does an atom's weight of evil will see it."[4]
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[1] Isrâ, 17/19.
[2] Tirmidhi, Sifat al-Qiyamah, 25.
[3] Muslim, Zuhd, 64.
[4] Zalzalah, 99/7-8.
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