In the Name of Allah, the All-Beneficent, the All-Merciful.
May Allah bless Muhammad and his Family and damn their enemies.
The illusion and trickery in this life can be summed up in two words. Temporary pleasure. This earthy life was not created to provide you with long term happiness and contentment.
A wise man once said:
If you chase after this life, it will run away from you, and if you run away from it, it will chase you.
All pleasure in this life is temporary and in the grand scheme of things, meaningless. Not that we should abandon all pleasure, but we should certainly approach things with the correct state of mind. The wise man continued:
Detachment from this life is not that you should own nothing, but that nothing should own you.
You only experience true freedom once the illusion of temporary pleasure has no influence or hold over you. Your happiness is no longer dependant on things that come and go, your contentment is consistent, and you escape the roller-coaster that you have become so accustomed to.
It is clear that we have been placed here to be presented with obstacles to overcome and temptations to control, for our actions to be witnessed and our choices to be recorded. The intellect we have been given is proof of our purpose. The gift of consciousness is far too great for us to complain, for this would amount to severe arrogance. This can only be appreciated once one carefully and thoroughly consider the difference between non-existence and existence.
This wise man was none other than Imam Ali, son of Abi Talib (peace be upon him). Whom so wishes to be sincere with the situation they find themselves in will certainly succeed, and whom so wishes to follow his advice will certainly not fail.
The Office of Sheikh al-Habib