Old Man Young Hopes

The Messenger of Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: “The son of Adam reaches old age and two of his habits do not leave him. One is greed and the second is the unending succession of hopes (desires).” [Muslim]

Man’s body becomes old but he continues to think of himself as young. He doesn’t give up hoping for and desiring all the things that he did in his youth. It doesn’t happen that as a person gets nearer to his grave he automatically becomes pious.

Man has to consciously orient his greed and desires towards worthwhile goals. Allah put greed in man so that he would be greedy for Jannah and thus do good deeds on earth, but we have become greedy for this world instead.

A sound intellect tells a person that it is not wise to be greedy for a life that will end very quickly, we should be greedy for that which lasts forever. Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) tells us in the Quran:

“Moreover, whatever of anything you are given is (no more than) an enjoyment of worldly life and its decoration, and that which lies with Allah is much better and far more lasting. So do you not use reason?” [Surah al-Qasas: Ayat 60]