The author is a 15-year-old student in Riyadh This time, I went to spend my short Eid vacation to Dammam. Dammam, a place for breath-taking beaches, a place known for its Museums & Exhibitions & a place known for Luxury hotels. I just can’t describe that feeling when I entered Carlton, a 5 star hotel, where I was supposed to stay. The magnificent décor, which included maple wood flooring, centralized air-conditioners, automated faucets (where one had to simply put his hand under it for water to come by itself), huge glass windows through which one could have a perfect ‘city view’, flickering dim lights beautifully fit on the ceiling, comfy king size bed with plumy pillows & a beautiful & exquisite pool side restaurant, welcomed me there. For a moment, as I entered this luxury & ravishing place, all my problems, worries, fears, grieves, hardships & crisis had decided to take a break. It felt so good, to live a life of absolutely no-worries about anything, no work to do, except to just lie down on my bed for the whole day & have a look at the busy city view from the window 24/7. I felt as though I was living in heaven, except for the fact that I had to come back to Riyadh within 3 days. The terror of coming back to Riyadh had always haunted my mind. Coming back to Riyadh meant, coming back to a place where my School lived. Coming back to Riyadh meant, going early to bed. Coming back to Riyadh meant, no more mid-night parties, coming back to Riyadh meant, studying for my exams which were scheduled after the Summer Vacations. And coming back to Riyadh meant the beginning of all daily life crises. Alas, I’m finally home! My 3 days trip is over. I left behind my absolutely 3 days awesome life, to come back again & join this boring & drab life. Wow, I still can remember the fun that I had there. I wished, as I sat on the train that was gonna leave for my home, that life was just like this. Where everyone had to do no work except to just sit, sleep, & have fun…” *** From this experience of mine, I learnt (probably quite late) that we humans tend to get attracted & attached to these small & cheap worldly luxuries. These luxuries & these comforts that we enjoy in this world is for temporary, none of them shall last forever. Also these worldly luxuries take us away from the remembrance of Allah, as they make us greedier & more selfish. As Allah (SWT) says in the Quran:- “The satisfaction of worldly desires through women, & children, & heaped-up treasures of gold & silver, & pedigreed horses, & cattle & lands is attractive to people. All this is the provision of the worldly life; but the most excellent abode is with God” (1) Let’s not forget that these luxuries & worldly desires act as a test too. Allah (SWT) doesn’t just test a person with hardships & trials, but it can also be through the blessing of money & worldly distractions. As Allah (SWT) says in the Quran:- “We have adorned the earth with attractive things, so that We may test mankind as to which one is best in conduct” (2) What is more beautiful & is & will be forever is in Jannah, a place which no eye can imagine, a place which no poet can describe, & a place which no painter can paint. The best of dwellings & the best of all rewards for the believers, a place where no worry, no grief, no sadness, no loss, no hardship & no trial can occupy its residents. In this dunya, we might fall short of money, we might get bored of staying in luxuries, we might be asked to leave, but never shall a believer ever ask to pay, ever get bored in Jannah or even ever asked to leave. As Allah (SWT) continues:- “Say, ‘Shall I tell you of something better than all of these? For the God-fearing, there are Gardens in nearness to their God with rivers flowing through them where they shall live forever with pure spouses & the goodwill of God. God is watching His servants” (3) It’s not just this, there’s a lot more! The people of Jannah will enjoy the luxuries & comfort in Jannah, where they will be reclining upon couches; they will find therein neither the heat of the sun nor the biting cold. The shading branches of trees will come down low over them, & their clusters of fruit, will hang down where they are the easiest to reach. Vessels of silver & goblets of pure crystal will be passed round among them. And they will be given a cup to drink flavored with ginger, from a flowing spring called Salsabil. They will wear green garments of fine silk & rich brocade. They will be adorned with silver bracelets. (Mentioned in 76:13-21) Aah, what kind of a life will be in Jannah! No getting back to work, no working hard, no worries about anything, just having fun & relaxing! Now that’s what I call a life. Perhaps, in this Dunya there is an end for everything starting from joy, elation, fun, adventure, trial, hardships, disease & even us. We have no permanent booking in this Dunya; everyone has to go back, to the final destination, the place where we came from & a place where we will return Now, alhumdullilah, I don’t tend to get attached to these worldly luxuries anymore, as I know, something more angelic & more beautiful is waiting for me & for you…