Some secrets of the Qura'anic diversity of the states of the worldly life

Abstract

The Noble Quran has carefully exposed the reality of life, its bright and deceiving effects, and its salient characteristics in order to warn people from inclining toward it or being fond of its beauties. This worldly life has been created beautiful for disbelievers, not like the Hereafter. Life is an excitement of delusion, and its excitement is short. Indeed, life is amusement and diversion like dry plants upon which rain has come down and made them become green, then turned into yellow, and finally became debris. Quran clearly affirms the shortness and triviality of life compared to the Hereafter.

Pondering about the word worldly in the Quran, one can see that it has been a collocation with five descriptions:  with mataa’ (i.e. enjoyment) in five eight positions, with áradh (i.e. goods) in three positions, with zinah (i.e. adornment) in two positions, with zahrah (i.e. splendor) in one position, and with harth (i.e. harvest) in one position. All of these descriptions that have been added to life go around one meaning, which is what Allah has placed in this life of temptations, pleasures, and turbulences in order to test them. This test is made in order to know those who are righteous and those who are not, those who are after the Hereafter and those who are after this worldly life. These rhetorical expressions indicate that life’s decorations and deceiving brightness are one of the important obstacles toward spiritual integrity ascending in human perfection levels. As long as this obstacle exists, man will not reach any of these spiritual perfections. The current research sheds light on the rhetorical diversity and beauty that expose the effects of this worldly life from the Quranic context.