Allah says: "But you prefer the life of this world, while the Hereafter is better and more lasting." (87:16–17)

Yesterday we reflected on how our preferences can mislead us. Today, the Qur'an shows us why: we are judging from within a temporary world while being created for something everlasting.

The word dunyā refers to the near, immediate life. It dazzles. It offers beauty, comfort, status, success. It stimulates the senses and promises fulfillment.

But it does not last.

Holidays end. Achievements fade. Novelty wears off. Psychology calls this hedonic adaptation — what thrills today becomes normal tomorrow. Even joy carries anxiety: fear of loss, fear of decline.

Islam does not tell us to extinguish longing. It tells us to redirect it.

Our craving for permanence, perfection, and uninterrupted joy is not a flaw. It is evidence that we were created for something enduring.

The verse describes the Hereafter as:

• Khayr — better in quality

• Abqā — more lasting in duration

Dunya is mixed — beauty intertwined with brokenness. The Hereafter is pure justice and lasting peace.

The problem is not enjoying the world. It is preferring it. Centering it. Sacrificing the eternal for the temporary.

Reflection:

• What am I organizing my life around?

• Where have I mistaken the runway for the destination?

• What would it mean to desire wisely?

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