مثل الجنة التي وعد المتقون تجري من تحتها الانهار اكلها دائم وظلها تلك عقبى الذين اتقوا وعقبى الكافرين النار

۞ مَّثَلُ ٱلْجَنَّةِ ٱلَّتِى وُعِدَ ٱلْمُتَّقُونَ ۖ تَجْرِى مِن تَحْتِهَا ٱلْأَنْهَـٰرُ ۖ أُكُلُهَا دَآئِمٌ وَظِلُّهَا ۚ تِلْكَ عُقْبَى ٱلَّذِينَ ٱتَّقَوا۟ ۖ وَّعُقْبَى ٱلْكَـٰفِرِينَ ٱلنَّارُ

Family holidays or adventures to our favourite/dream destinations require planning, time and money as they are full of excitement and fun. الحمد الله. May الله عزوجل bless us with such memorable holidays with our loved ones. امين.

I have been pondering over the ayat below, and holidays came to my mind. 

The example [i.e., description] of Paradise, which the righteous have been promised, is [that] beneath it rivers flow. Its fruit is lasting, and its shade. That is the consequence for the righteous, and the consequence for the disbelievers is the Fire. (13:35)

But you prefer the worldly life,

While the Hereafter is better and more enduring. (87:16-17)

I was thinking of my past road trip to Wast Water in Cumbria, UK, while I was writing this reflection. Google pics won't do any justice to the breathtaking beauty of this place. Let's examine the process of going on holiday. We save money to plan our dream holiday, and then the count down begins as soon as it is confirmed! It is now a matter of when you get a break from work or other worldy matters. The preparation is extremely thorough whether it involves adhering to the time foremost, so you don't miss your flight or get stuck in the traffic. You also ensure all the necessary essentials and entertainment are packed for the journey. There are many preparations! It is fair to say there is no stone unturned whether the holiday is abroad or regional. This is an excitement that we can all relate to.

However, we all want our final destination to be جنة الفردوس, and the count down to our 'final' destination has already begun - but why are we so unprepared?! We should be excited to meet our Creator. We need to adopt the same approach of holiday excitement for our final destination. The road may be bumpy and long, but we need to remind ourselves of the flowing rivers and bliss gardens of جنة to stay motivated. We need to value time, so we don't get distanced from the Creater of our final destination. We need to be aware of the fact that we may not get a break, so we should be prepared for the hardships of this دنيا. We need to invest in القران and projects which will help us to reap the benefits towards our final destination.

Alas! Our excitement is more for the temporary and beautiful destinations which we have to leave when the holiday ends. But, we are ignorant towards the final and everlasting destination. 

Yah الله aid us to understand and act upon the قران. Indeed the hereafter is better and more enduring.

Reflexiones.: Ar-Ra’d 13:35