What is The Concept Of Balance in Islam?
‘‘The person with the greatest ambition is the believer who pays proper attention to both worldly and spiritual matters.” 1
A believer is a person of balance. They strive every day to remain on the straight path, avoiding extremes. After all, don’t we say in our prayers forty times a day, “Guide us to the straight path, O God!” (Al-Fatiha, 1/6). Many verses and hadiths direct believers toward the Hereafter, advising that the world is merely a passing place, a temporary stop, and cautioning against giving too much importance to worldly desires.
This might seem like it excludes us from the world. However, other verses and hadiths encourage us to engage with society, noting that a trader’s earnings are among the most permissible and that the Hereafter is earned through our actions in this world.
Therefore, a true believer is someone who can achieve balance in this regard. The key formula here should be to pay due attention to both worldly and spiritual matters. We can reconcile the seemingly different verses and hadiths with the perspective expressed in the saying, “abandon the world with your heart, not with your hands.” In other words, we can be as wealthy as Qarun (whose wealth was so vast that it took forty camels just to carry the keys), but we must not be like him by claiming, “I acquired all this through my own knowledge” and neglecting the rights of the poor, turning away from zakat and charity, or being overwhelmed by wealth.
Here, one can recall the insightful perspective of Bediüzzaman Said Nursi, who described the world as having three aspects: its aspect reflecting the Names of God, its role as the field for the afterlife, and the aspect that pertains to our desires. According to this view, the world is very important because it is a mirror of God’s Names, constantly reminding us of Him, and it is the field where we cultivate our actions for the Hereafter. However, the aspect that caters to our desires can become a trap, leading us to be overwhelmed by worldly concerns.
Muslims will be able to fulfill their true servitude when they accept and understand Islam as a whole. When Islam is misunderstood or partially understood, it can become susceptible to all kinds of deviations and superstitions.
However, when Islam is perfectly understood and embraced in its entirety, it will serve as a means for humanity’s salvation both in this world and the Hereafter. If a believer continues to live in a world shaped by foreign ideologies rather than shaping the world according to their own Islamic worldview—in every aspect from the streets to the cinema, from the clothes they wear to the design of their home—they will eventually lose their unique perspective. Here, we cannot help but remember the verse: “Seek the abode of the Hereafter with what God has given you but do not forget your share of the world…” (Al-Qasas, 28/77).
Worldly Life And The Hereafter
To shed light on our topic, we would like to quote directly from the book “Reflections from the Qur’an to the Intellect”2 regarding the interpretation of this verse:
“Seek the abode of the Hereafter with what God has given you (by spending in His way), but do not forget your share of the world…” (Al-Qasas, 28/77).
Here, the verb “wabtaghi” (seek) implies a request beyond mere asking; it means to seek the abode of the Hereafter with a desire that surpasses ordinary asking, using the intellect, heart, feelings, consciousness, understanding, health, wealth, family, and even the potential and capacities that God has bestowed upon a person. This is followed by “but do not forget your share of the world,” thus balancing the matter. Indeed, while the future and what comes after it must always be kept in mind, worldly matters should not be completely neglected.
Beyond this, if another interpretation is given to the verse—namely, if only the second part of the verse is emphasized, calling people to become worldly and making the world the center and goal of life—this would be a serious mistake. Such an understanding and interpretation would contradict the verse, “Indeed, God has purchased from the believers their lives and their properties [in exchange] for that they will have Paradise.” (At-Tawbah, 9/111). This would make the Qur’an appear to contain contradictory verses, leading to a misunderstanding of its teachings.
The verse can also be approached from a different perspective: Be as invested in the world as its worth, and be as committed to the Hereafter as its value. This can be considered another principle. Thus, the Qur’an provides a measure and calls people to evaluate it according to this measure.
In a hadith, the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “What concern do I have with the world? I am like a traveler who takes shade under a tree for a while, then walks on and leaves it behind.”3 Notice that this does not imply a complete abandonment of the world, nor does it suggest treating it as everything. To affirm this, the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) also said, “If the world had any value in the sight of God, even as much as the wing of a mosquito, He would not have given a disbeliever even a sip of water.”4
Indeed, the disbeliever here might deny the existence of God, the Hereafter, and the prophets, yet still enjoy the blessings of God. This would be contrary to God’s justice. However, beyond this world, there is an eternal realm, and in this world, God does not yet make their pleasures bitter as a sign of His mercy, allowing them to enjoy life temporarily.
In fact, Bediüzzaman Said Nursi’s perspective includes the idea that “the blissful life of this world for thousands of years cannot compare to even one hour of the life of Paradise. And even thousands of years of blissful life in Paradise cannot be compared to even one moment of experiencing the Beauty of God.”5 This is the kind of life we aspire to. Given this, what value can the world have in comparison to such a life, in terms of its own merits?
Therefore, we should try to balance the world with the Hereafter. A typical life of around sixty years, with half of it spent in sleep—what value or worth can such a life have? Exceeding the bounds of valuing the world and engaging in different evaluations like “the value of the world is this, and the value of the Hereafter is that” is likely a reflection of our misunderstanding of the texts.
Additionally, Bediüzzaman’s unique observation is noteworthy: he mentions that the world has three aspects. The first is related to Divine Names, the second to human desires, and the third to the acquisition of the Hereafter. This is very significant. From the perspective of being a mirror of Divine Names and a splendid reflection of them, this world is invaluable, and we love it deeply, even becoming enamored with it. As a field for the Hereafter, without the world, we could not be candidates for or qualify for the Hereafter, nor could we attain it.
Thus, the world is an important link and garden for us. However, from the perspective of satisfying our desires, the world is even more contemptible than it appears. That is, if a person becomes so engrossed in worldly pleasures that they forget the Hereafter, the world is indeed blameworthy in this regard.
Another assessment by Bediüzzaman is that the world should be abandoned with the heart, not with actions. Approaching the matter from this angle, we have no quarrel with the world, nor can we. Indeed, if a person can understand the world within this context, they can work and earn like a true person of this world and become wealthy like Qarun.
Such a person, at the moment they deem it necessary, can spend everything they have in the path of pleasing their Lord. This is similar to Abd ar-Rahman ibn Awf, who donated seven hundred camels with their loads; he did this, and the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) did not criticize him for his wealth but rather encouraged and praised him for fulfilling the rights of this great wealth.6 Moreover, according to some narrative books, when the angels asked God if He considers Abraham His close friend, they sought to understand whether friendship and wealth are compatible.
God (Exalted is He) said, “Go and test him; see if he is truly a friend of Mine.” The angels came from a long journey, appearing disheveled and in tattered clothing, presenting themselves as guests to Abraham and telling him they were hungry. He slaughtered a sheep, cooked it, and set it before them. As they began to eat, instead of saying “Bismillah” (In the Name of God), they said the angelic praise, “Subbuhun Quddusun Rabbul Mala’ikati wa ar-Ruh” (Glory be to God, the Most Holy, Lord of the Angels and the Spirit). This praise so captivated Abraham’s pure heart, which was supported by revelation, that he pleaded, “Let a quarter of the sheep be yours, and please repeat this phrase once more.” The angels repeated it. This time, Abraham asked, “Let half be yours; please repeat it once more,” and he ended up giving all the sheep.
Thus, it seems that this great Prophet, if the story is accurate, had indeed abandoned the world not in action but in spirit.
In fact, it is not possible to find any statement from the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) that condemns the accumulation of wealth and property in an absolute sense. Although there are some exceptions, these are entirely related to the personal circumstances of individuals. As for the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) himself not being wealthy, he came from a humble family. After becoming the representative of a noble cause, his wealth might have cast doubt on the cause itself. People might question, “Where does the wealth come from?” and naturally, the trust and positive assumptions of those who held a favorable view until that time could be shaken.
Therefore, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) intentionally chose or was Divinely guided to prefer poverty to avoid becoming a subject of criticism regarding his mission. This perspective should also be applied to the scholars, saints, and the pure-hearted individuals who followed him.
To illustrate with an example: Suppose you desire to live a life similar to that of the wealthy and spoiled, and you begin making various arrangements to elevate your standard of living. At that moment, the knowledge of God can come to your aid. Here’s a story that might help illustrate this, though it may not be entirely objective: One day, a friend took someone to a house overlooking the sea, and they sat on the balcony.
Suddenly, he was filled with a desire to live in such beautiful places. However, in front of their friends’ eyes, he quickly left and never sat on that balcony again. The view had nurtured his sense of ambition and led to an illusion of permanence. At that moment, the knowledge of God and a momentary vision of the Hereafter helped him escape this temptation by contrasting it with the desire to witness the Beauty of God, which far surpasses the thousands of years of blissful life in Paradise.
In conclusion, interpreting the verse “Do not forget your share of this worldly life” as others have presented it does not align with the holistic view of the Qur’an. In my opinion, a person should have a desire to remain in this world and wish for a long life, but this should be with the condition of living a fulfilling life, like Bediüzzaman Said Nursi. The purpose of living should be to give life to others and to be dedicated to elevating the Ummah of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) to human perfection. The world should be obtained in the name of truth and the prosperity of the nation, but life should always be oriented towards the Hereafter. This approach will keep one focused on legitimate gains and permissible pleasures. Indeed, both unlawful gains and illicit pleasures are accompanied by countless sorrows.
Let us conclude this topic with a saying from the Pride of Humanity. He said, “Everyone should set aside something for themselves from their own soul; make provisions for the Hereafter from this world; set aside something from their youth before old age comes; utilize their life before death arrives. By the One in Whose hand is my soul, I swear that just as no excuse will be accepted after death, there is no home beyond Paradise and Hell after this world.”7
Selcuk Camcı
Selçuk Camcı, a 1992 graduate of the Faculty of Theology, completed his master’s degree in the Department of Hadith. He is currently a doctoral student in Islamic Law. Camcı has worked as an editor for religious publications, including Yeni Ümit. He has also received training in Chaplaincy (spiritual guidance) in the United States.
Footnotes
1.Ibn Maja, Tijarah, 2
2.M. Fethullah Gülen, Reflections from the Qur’an, 2/307-313
3.Tirmidhi, Zuhd, 44; Ibn Maja, Zuhd, 2; Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Musnad, 1/201
4.Tirmidhi, Zuhd, 13; Ibn Maja, Zuhd, 3
5.Bediüzzaman Said Nursi, Risale-i Nur Collection, Sözler, I/298
6.Ibn Asir, Usd al-Ghabah, 3/276-381
7.Qurtubi, Al-Jami li Aḥkam al-Qurʾan, 18/116