Learn the art of desire management | The Sunday Guardian | 8th July 2012 | Page 12
All men and women are driven by their desires. But they die without fulfilling them. It is this gap between desire and fulfilment that causes frustration.
Now the question is: how to rescue man from this undesirable state? The solution set forth in the Quran is simple and practical: in the present, try to live a need-based life and leave the fulfilment of one's desires for the future, that is, the world hereafter.
Addressing man, in the Quran, God Almighty says, "He has given you all that you asked of Him; and if you try to reckon up God's favours, you will not be able to count them. Truly man is very unjust, very ungrateful" (14:34).
This verse means that the present world was not made to fulfil all desires, but to provide all that you need as livelihood. So man must begin thinking according to this divine plan. While living in this world, he should aim for a state of contentment.
The formula of contentment is the only workable formula in this world. It has been rightly said that nature provides everything according to man's need, but not according to his greed. Contentment is the only viable formula, which can give everyone peace and tranquillity. If you live with simplicity and lead a necessity-based life, that will give you instant happiness. Whereas an artificial life creates all kinds of problems, a natural life gives you a problem-free life and also guarantees good health.
God Almighty created man as an eternal being. But just as only the tip of an iceberg shows above the surface of the ocean, so only a very small portion of this life pertains to the pre-death period. And the larger portion of this life pertains to the post-death period.