The Holy Book of Islam, the Qur’an, describes the Muslim society as “Ummathan wasathan”, a balanced society. (2: 143) It means a society that adopts a middle course, not swerving to extremes.

This balance is seen in many aspects of Islam. One example is its stand towards this world and the other world. Religions are expected to be afterlife-directed, and renunciation of earthly life is generally considered a very desirable attitude to life, though most people fail in this venture. The Qur’an, however, teaches: “Seek your Home of the Hereafter with what God has given you in this world; and do not forget your portion in this world”. (28:77)

Allah has also said: “It is He (God) Who has created for you all things on this earth” (2:29). This clearly shows that God wants us to make use of the blessings of this world for our progress. So Islam does not teach us to adopt a negative attitude to this world; it does not say that the world is evil in itself. And when we see
that God created everything for our use, then who are we to say, “We don’t want them”?

In fact it is our approach and attitude to this world that makes the world good or evil as the case may be. God has given us guidance in how best we can live here in peace and prosperity. It is up to us to determine how we use the resources of this world and how we live here.

Although chronologically Islam is the latest religion, in many ways it stands between the formalism of Judaism and the spirituality of Christianity. Islam teaches Muslims to have the best of both worlds: the world of business, politics and turmoil, and the world of eternal peace in the Hereafter.