Know that the life of this world is merely play and diversion and glitter the frequent adornment of oneself and mutual vainglory in respect of wealth and children that is preoccupation with such things — but as for acts of obedience and incentives thereto these are the concerns of the Hereafter; as the likeness of that is to say it in the manner in which you admire it and in the manner in which it will disappear is as the likeness of rain whose vegetation which results from this rain the disbelievers the sowers admire; but then it withers it becomes dried-up and you see it turn yellow then it becomes chaff scatters vanishing with the winds. And in the Hereafter there is a severe chastisement for those who prefer this world to it and forgiveness from God and beatitude for those who have not preferred this world to it; and the life of this world that is to say the comfort enjoyed in it is but the comfort of delusion.
