The Sea, the Boat, and the Governers

Bismillahi walhamdulillahi 'alaa rasulillah,

Imagine you are a boat, and the dunya is the sea. Far off in the distance, is land -- the akhira.

"You are a boat. You sail the waters of the dunya towards the lands of Jannah."
[Abdur-Rahman]

What happens if the sea floods into the boat? You sink.

So be like the best Muslim leaders: they ditched the dunya for the akhira.

In particular, I refer to the governers in the time of the Khulafa Rashideen (i.e. in the first 30 years after the death of the Prophet sallalahu 'alaihi wassalam.

In the time of 'Umar RA, he looked at the list of people to give zakaah to (because they were poor), and at the top on the list was one of his own governers. Subhanallah, how little did they love the dunya--not like today's presidents and government officials, who live in golden houses, glut themselves on rich foods, and own expensive trifles.

So 'Umar gave them the zakaah money, and the governer came home one day to tell his wife. Their conversation went (to the approximate meaning of):

Him: Something bad happened.

Her: What? What happened? Did the Khalifa die?

Him: No, worse. A fitnah has come upon us. Will you help me get rid of it?

Her: Yes.

So they took the money and gave it away fisabillillah (in the path of Allah, the Most High).

That's eiman. May Allah enter them, and us, into Jannah, and guide us from their outstanding examples of selflessness, ameen.