The definition of the word “Inheritance“, according to Merriam Webster’s Dictionary, under the main entry “quantitative inheritance, noun” is:
Genetic inheritance of a character (as human skin color) controlled by polygenes with each allelic pair of genes at a given locus having a specific quantitative effect –
and under the main entry “blending inheritance, noun” is:
The expression in offspring of phenotypic characters (as pink flower color from red and white parental plants) intermediate between those of the parents.
Also means: the act of having or taking into control, or occupancy of property without regard to ownership -- something owned or possessed; specifically : a piece of real estate b: the exclusive right to possess, enjoy, and dispose of a thing.
Once, there was a man in his fifties who had four children, two boys and two girls. He was a self-made billionaire who had to struggle all his life to build a huge empire only for strangers to inherit. His eldest son had a baby boy but died shortly after in an accident. The man had to mourn his second son too because he was not able to have children of his own, who would carry his NAME! The man’s two daughters would have children but would carry their fathers’ names.
Why do people put such great efforts in their lives striving to build empires that would eventually vanish no matter how long their heirs even live? What would their wealth, children, family and friends do for them after they die and become replaced by other generations who would in the best of scenarios follow their ancestors’ footsteps only to meet the same destiny!
Have such people ever paused to think about what “Inheritance” really means and how to make it eternal?
Let us look at a different version of inheritance and try to understand what it really means; an inheritance that never vanishes, an inheritance that our children and we could reap even after we die.
“Who inherits what” is one important question; other questions are what do we inherit? Who has the most to give? Does it ever decrease? Is it exclusive? Can one control its amount or quantity? Etc...
If we would rephrase those questions into only one, we would ask, where are our priorities?
Everyone likes to have a small fortune because it makes life much easier, ensures good education and a nice life for our children and makes us look good in our community; it makes us feel superior too. Can we guarantee a good fortune in life? What kinds of fortunes are there to endeavour? Can we obtain an assurance and from whom?
Ultimately, God inherits heavens and earth and the believers inherit the fruits of their deeds. (“... when unto Allah belongeth the inheritance of the heavens and the earth?...”, Al-Hadid (The Iron): 10)
Who are the losers of wealth? They are those who lost their true goal in life and those who forgot why they were there in the first place. They are those who concentrated only on themselves and lived only to realize a selfish dream of building an empire that would remain eternal – in their own limited mind's eye – forgetting the needy and neglecting their role and duty toward humanity, they forgot why God created them in the first place! (“Blessed is He in Whose hand is the kingdom, and He has power over all things; Who created death and life that He may try you-- which of you is best in deeds; and He is the Mighty, the Forgiving”, al-Mulk (The Sovereignty): 1-2)
How can a businessperson be shortsighted and successful at the same time? Would he not be shortsighted if he did not include the future of his fortune?
This is precisely what he would be doing, if he only thinks of himself, his family and heirs. The truth is that: (“And unto Allah belongeth the Sovereignty of the heavens and the earth; and on the day when the Hour riseth, on that day those who follow falsehood will be lost; And thou will see each nation crouching, each nation summoned to its record. (And it will be said unto them): This day ye are requited what ye used to do.”, al-Jaatheyah (Crouching): 27-28)
What happens to such losers, like Moses’ Pharaoh for instance? The Pharaoh and his followers were ruined and “other” people inherited their homes and land (“How many were the gardens and the water springs that they left behind; And the cornfields and the noble places; And pleasant things wherein they took delight!; Even so (it was), and We made it an inheritance for other folk”, ad-Dukhan (The Smoke)25-28)
On the other hand, what happens when one has the balanced mind of working in the path of God as well as to ensure his future? (“We are your protecting friends in the life of the world and in the Hereafter. There ye will have (all) that your souls desire, and there ye will have (all) for which ye pray; A gift of welcome from the Forgiving, the Merciful; And who is better in speech than him who prayeth unto his Lord and doeth right, and saith: Lo! I am of those who surrender (unto Him).”, Fussial 31-33)
Some of the concepts that ruin a good fortune are the desire for possessions, frivolous greed, one’s id , eternal existence, strengthening one’s ego ... etc. If we could understand the bad concepts in the culture of businessmen that deprive them and their families from enjoying life along with the fortunes they build, we would do them and us a great favour by protecting them from going astray when they forget the best part of their life, their true religion. We could achieve that gradually by making of ourselves a role model for them. Consider these verses, (“And when Allah alone is mentioned, the hearts of those who believe not in the Hereafter are repelled, and when those (whom they worship) beside Him are mentioned, behold! they are glad (45); ... Now when hurt touches a man he cries unto Us, and afterward when We have granted him a boon from Us, he saith: Only by force of knowledge I obtained it. Nay, but it is a test. But most of them know not (49) Those before them said it, yet (all) that they had earned availed them not (50); But the evils that they earned smote them; and such of these as do wrong, the evils that they earn will smite them; they cannot escape. (51); ... Say: My slaves who have been prodigal to their own hurt! Despair not of the mercy of Allah, Who forgiveth all sins. Lo! He is the Forgiving, the Merciful (53); Turn unto Him repentant, and surrender unto Him, before there come unto you the doom, when ye cannot be helped (54); And follow the better (guidance) of that which is revealed unto you from your Lord, before the doom cometh on you suddenly when ye know not (55); Lest any soul should say Alas, my grief that I was unmindful of Allah, and I was indeed among the scoffers! (56); Or should say: if Allah had but guided me I should have been among the dutiful! (57) Or should say, when it seeth the doom: Oh, that I had but a second chance that I might be among the righteous! (58), al-Zomar (The Groups): 45, 49-51, 53-58).
The main problem is that great percentage turn into fortune worshippers; they should rather elect a balanced mind of worshipping God and follow His rules in building an “uncontaminated” fortune. (“Who so doeth right it is for his soul, and who so doeth wrong it is against it. And thy Lord is not at all a tyrant to His
slaves.”, Fussilat (Explained in Detail): 46)
The renowned Mr. Amr khaled, said about having God’s bounty at a later phase in life: if a father was a righteous person then he should not worry about the future of his offspring because God will guarantee it. He further added that behind such lateness there is a mercy but a human being is so in a hurry. In explaining this, he narrated the story of Moses (pbuh ):
Prophet Moses (pbuh) once met a wise man and asked to learn some of his wisdom. The wise man asked the prophet to follow him and observe without asking questions or interrupting him. At one time, the wise man and the prophet passed through a small village where their people refused to welcome them. The wise man found a building that was about to collapse so he fixed it. Prophet Moses (pbuh) found this puzzling! When the time came for the wise man to clarify what did seem insensible, he explained that the building had a treasure buried underneath that belonged to a fine man who died and left two orphans. God Almighty did not want them to suffer; therefore, He ordered the wise man to preserve the building so that when the boys become old enough they would find the treasure, which would then well sustain them.
Thus, the important matter is to believe in God’s judgement and His destiny. He who accepts God and depends on Him would never be let down. Why would we worry when God promised us his bounty! (“... We give them sustenance and yourselves (too)...”, al-Israa’ (The Night Journey): 31). There is no repelling of the bounty if God is the Giver and there is no bestowal if He did not provide it. Therefore, all what we have to do is to work toward our goals in a manner that pleases Him, we should not worry and dedicate all our lives searching or stacking treasures ruining our chance to enjoy life along with our duty of worshipping God, thus losing both our life and the hereafter too.
If we looked at businessmen we would see constant anxiety and worry about losing their fortune. God said, (“... and My mercy encompasses all things; ...” al-A’raaf (The Heights): 156) and he wrote under His Throne “My mercy preceded my wrath”. This should be our true goal, let’s confront ourselves for the true contentment is God’s superior door, the shelter of worshippers and life’s paradise; God’s destiny is above everything and “...and whomsoever Allah makes err, there is no guide for him (36); and whomsoever Allah makes err, there is no guide for him”, al-Zumar:36-37)
Therefore, God the Omnipotent is the One and Only Who will inherit heavens an earth, not any of us. That said I would like to clarify that that does not mean in any way that we should not work to build a fortune for our families and ourselves. That means, however, that it should not become our first priority. In addition, we should not be thinking of this money as “our own” fortune and no one else has the right to it. “Believe in Allah and His Messenger, and spend out of what He has made you to be successors of; for those of you who believe and spend shall have a great reward” (al-Hadid: 7); it is God’s money because He is the One Who created it.
We need to be thinking how to use some of this fortune in projects that would help others and use it in social interdependence and solidarity, which in the end would please God and serve Him, not to mention the many rewards in life as well as in the hereafter. This would be our first priority.
Hence, why do we not spend our money in God’s path when we are certain that we will die and leave our fortunes anyway to God? “Who is there that will offer to Allah a good gift so He will double it for him, and he shall have an excellent reward (11); On that day you will see the faithful men and the faithful women-- their light running before them and on their right hand-- good news for you today: gardens beneath which rivers flow, to abide therein, that is the grand achievement. (12)” and “Know that this world's life is only sport and play and gaiety and boasting among yourselves, and a vying in the multiplication of wealth and children, like the rain, whose causing the vegetation to grow, pleases the husbandmen, then it withers away so that you will see it become yellow, then it becomes dried up and broken down; and in the hereafter is a severe chastisement and (also) forgiveness from Allah and (His) pleasure; and this world's life is naught but means of deception.”, (al-Hadid: 11-12, 20).
Wouldn’t that be the greatest success of all?
Ressources:
The Holy Qur’an
Psychology- definitions.
From Mr. Amr khaled’s lectures
Footnotes:
1- Id = in Psychoanalytical theory, the part of the personality which contains our primitive impulses such as sex, anger, and hunger. (http://allpsych.com/dictionary/i.html)
2- Pbuh = peace be upon him
Genetic inheritance of a character (as human skin color) controlled by polygenes with each allelic pair of genes at a given locus having a specific quantitative effect –
and under the main entry “blending inheritance, noun” is:
The expression in offspring of phenotypic characters (as pink flower color from red and white parental plants) intermediate between those of the parents.
Also means: the act of having or taking into control, or occupancy of property without regard to ownership -- something owned or possessed; specifically : a piece of real estate b: the exclusive right to possess, enjoy, and dispose of a thing.
Once, there was a man in his fifties who had four children, two boys and two girls. He was a self-made billionaire who had to struggle all his life to build a huge empire only for strangers to inherit. His eldest son had a baby boy but died shortly after in an accident. The man had to mourn his second son too because he was not able to have children of his own, who would carry his NAME! The man’s two daughters would have children but would carry their fathers’ names.
Why do people put such great efforts in their lives striving to build empires that would eventually vanish no matter how long their heirs even live? What would their wealth, children, family and friends do for them after they die and become replaced by other generations who would in the best of scenarios follow their ancestors’ footsteps only to meet the same destiny!
Have such people ever paused to think about what “Inheritance” really means and how to make it eternal?
Let us look at a different version of inheritance and try to understand what it really means; an inheritance that never vanishes, an inheritance that our children and we could reap even after we die.
“Who inherits what” is one important question; other questions are what do we inherit? Who has the most to give? Does it ever decrease? Is it exclusive? Can one control its amount or quantity? Etc...
If we would rephrase those questions into only one, we would ask, where are our priorities?
Everyone likes to have a small fortune because it makes life much easier, ensures good education and a nice life for our children and makes us look good in our community; it makes us feel superior too. Can we guarantee a good fortune in life? What kinds of fortunes are there to endeavour? Can we obtain an assurance and from whom?
Ultimately, God inherits heavens and earth and the believers inherit the fruits of their deeds. (“... when unto Allah belongeth the inheritance of the heavens and the earth?...”, Al-Hadid (The Iron): 10)
Who are the losers of wealth? They are those who lost their true goal in life and those who forgot why they were there in the first place. They are those who concentrated only on themselves and lived only to realize a selfish dream of building an empire that would remain eternal – in their own limited mind's eye – forgetting the needy and neglecting their role and duty toward humanity, they forgot why God created them in the first place! (“Blessed is He in Whose hand is the kingdom, and He has power over all things; Who created death and life that He may try you-- which of you is best in deeds; and He is the Mighty, the Forgiving”, al-Mulk (The Sovereignty): 1-2)
How can a businessperson be shortsighted and successful at the same time? Would he not be shortsighted if he did not include the future of his fortune?
This is precisely what he would be doing, if he only thinks of himself, his family and heirs. The truth is that: (“And unto Allah belongeth the Sovereignty of the heavens and the earth; and on the day when the Hour riseth, on that day those who follow falsehood will be lost; And thou will see each nation crouching, each nation summoned to its record. (And it will be said unto them): This day ye are requited what ye used to do.”, al-Jaatheyah (Crouching): 27-28)
What happens to such losers, like Moses’ Pharaoh for instance? The Pharaoh and his followers were ruined and “other” people inherited their homes and land (“How many were the gardens and the water springs that they left behind; And the cornfields and the noble places; And pleasant things wherein they took delight!; Even so (it was), and We made it an inheritance for other folk”, ad-Dukhan (The Smoke)25-28)
On the other hand, what happens when one has the balanced mind of working in the path of God as well as to ensure his future? (“We are your protecting friends in the life of the world and in the Hereafter. There ye will have (all) that your souls desire, and there ye will have (all) for which ye pray; A gift of welcome from the Forgiving, the Merciful; And who is better in speech than him who prayeth unto his Lord and doeth right, and saith: Lo! I am of those who surrender (unto Him).”, Fussial 31-33)
Some of the concepts that ruin a good fortune are the desire for possessions, frivolous greed, one’s id , eternal existence, strengthening one’s ego ... etc. If we could understand the bad concepts in the culture of businessmen that deprive them and their families from enjoying life along with the fortunes they build, we would do them and us a great favour by protecting them from going astray when they forget the best part of their life, their true religion. We could achieve that gradually by making of ourselves a role model for them. Consider these verses, (“And when Allah alone is mentioned, the hearts of those who believe not in the Hereafter are repelled, and when those (whom they worship) beside Him are mentioned, behold! they are glad (45); ... Now when hurt touches a man he cries unto Us, and afterward when We have granted him a boon from Us, he saith: Only by force of knowledge I obtained it. Nay, but it is a test. But most of them know not (49) Those before them said it, yet (all) that they had earned availed them not (50); But the evils that they earned smote them; and such of these as do wrong, the evils that they earn will smite them; they cannot escape. (51); ... Say: My slaves who have been prodigal to their own hurt! Despair not of the mercy of Allah, Who forgiveth all sins. Lo! He is the Forgiving, the Merciful (53); Turn unto Him repentant, and surrender unto Him, before there come unto you the doom, when ye cannot be helped (54); And follow the better (guidance) of that which is revealed unto you from your Lord, before the doom cometh on you suddenly when ye know not (55); Lest any soul should say Alas, my grief that I was unmindful of Allah, and I was indeed among the scoffers! (56); Or should say: if Allah had but guided me I should have been among the dutiful! (57) Or should say, when it seeth the doom: Oh, that I had but a second chance that I might be among the righteous! (58), al-Zomar (The Groups): 45, 49-51, 53-58).
The main problem is that great percentage turn into fortune worshippers; they should rather elect a balanced mind of worshipping God and follow His rules in building an “uncontaminated” fortune. (“Who so doeth right it is for his soul, and who so doeth wrong it is against it. And thy Lord is not at all a tyrant to His
slaves.”, Fussilat (Explained in Detail): 46)
The renowned Mr. Amr khaled, said about having God’s bounty at a later phase in life: if a father was a righteous person then he should not worry about the future of his offspring because God will guarantee it. He further added that behind such lateness there is a mercy but a human being is so in a hurry. In explaining this, he narrated the story of Moses (pbuh ):
Prophet Moses (pbuh) once met a wise man and asked to learn some of his wisdom. The wise man asked the prophet to follow him and observe without asking questions or interrupting him. At one time, the wise man and the prophet passed through a small village where their people refused to welcome them. The wise man found a building that was about to collapse so he fixed it. Prophet Moses (pbuh) found this puzzling! When the time came for the wise man to clarify what did seem insensible, he explained that the building had a treasure buried underneath that belonged to a fine man who died and left two orphans. God Almighty did not want them to suffer; therefore, He ordered the wise man to preserve the building so that when the boys become old enough they would find the treasure, which would then well sustain them.
Thus, the important matter is to believe in God’s judgement and His destiny. He who accepts God and depends on Him would never be let down. Why would we worry when God promised us his bounty! (“... We give them sustenance and yourselves (too)...”, al-Israa’ (The Night Journey): 31). There is no repelling of the bounty if God is the Giver and there is no bestowal if He did not provide it. Therefore, all what we have to do is to work toward our goals in a manner that pleases Him, we should not worry and dedicate all our lives searching or stacking treasures ruining our chance to enjoy life along with our duty of worshipping God, thus losing both our life and the hereafter too.
If we looked at businessmen we would see constant anxiety and worry about losing their fortune. God said, (“... and My mercy encompasses all things; ...” al-A’raaf (The Heights): 156) and he wrote under His Throne “My mercy preceded my wrath”. This should be our true goal, let’s confront ourselves for the true contentment is God’s superior door, the shelter of worshippers and life’s paradise; God’s destiny is above everything and “...and whomsoever Allah makes err, there is no guide for him (36); and whomsoever Allah makes err, there is no guide for him”, al-Zumar:36-37)
Therefore, God the Omnipotent is the One and Only Who will inherit heavens an earth, not any of us. That said I would like to clarify that that does not mean in any way that we should not work to build a fortune for our families and ourselves. That means, however, that it should not become our first priority. In addition, we should not be thinking of this money as “our own” fortune and no one else has the right to it. “Believe in Allah and His Messenger, and spend out of what He has made you to be successors of; for those of you who believe and spend shall have a great reward” (al-Hadid: 7); it is God’s money because He is the One Who created it.
We need to be thinking how to use some of this fortune in projects that would help others and use it in social interdependence and solidarity, which in the end would please God and serve Him, not to mention the many rewards in life as well as in the hereafter. This would be our first priority.
Hence, why do we not spend our money in God’s path when we are certain that we will die and leave our fortunes anyway to God? “Who is there that will offer to Allah a good gift so He will double it for him, and he shall have an excellent reward (11); On that day you will see the faithful men and the faithful women-- their light running before them and on their right hand-- good news for you today: gardens beneath which rivers flow, to abide therein, that is the grand achievement. (12)” and “Know that this world's life is only sport and play and gaiety and boasting among yourselves, and a vying in the multiplication of wealth and children, like the rain, whose causing the vegetation to grow, pleases the husbandmen, then it withers away so that you will see it become yellow, then it becomes dried up and broken down; and in the hereafter is a severe chastisement and (also) forgiveness from Allah and (His) pleasure; and this world's life is naught but means of deception.”, (al-Hadid: 11-12, 20).
Wouldn’t that be the greatest success of all?
Ressources:
The Holy Qur’an
Psychology- definitions.
From Mr. Amr khaled’s lectures
Footnotes:
1- Id = in Psychoanalytical theory, the part of the personality which contains our primitive impulses such as sex, anger, and hunger. (http://allpsych.com/dictionary/i.html)
2- Pbuh = peace be upon him
