A summary of the concepts held by the Ahl al-Sunnah.
How does a person know if they are prioritizing this worldly life over the Hereafter?
One must examine their concern for this world and the space it occupies within their soul, thoughts, and actions.
And compare it to their concern for the Hereafter and its deeds.
If they find that their concern for this world and their striving for it—whether through trade, employment, or otherwise—
Is greater than their concern for the Hereafter and their striving for it,
And this is the state of most people today, except for those upon whom my Lord has had mercy,
Then their worldly life has overwhelmed their Hereafter, and they have preferred the former over the latter.
Their heart has become diseased with the love of this fleeting world.
They are in grave danger and a truly bitter predicament.
A person—and callers to Allah in particular—must be wary
Of praying for worldly expansion under the pretext of benefiting the call and spending in the path of Allah the Exalted.
That is a rugged and dangerous path, and Allah alone knows the secrets of the hearts.
For how many have we seen who delved into this world,
Only to be swept away by its waves and become inclined toward it.
Satan placed for them a preoccupation and a burden in every one of its valleys.
We ask Allah, the Majestic, for pardon and well-being.
And that He grants us the concern to work for this religion,
To support it, and to call others to His path,
While transcending the love of worldly desires within our souls.