Having excessive ambitions in this worldly life is one of the greatest diseases of the heart. What is the meaning of this disease? What are its harmful consequences? What is its treatment?

Meaning of Excessive Ambitions in this Worldly Life

Having excessive ambitions in this worldly life is to continuously strive for its pleasures and persistently indulge in its luxuries whilst turning away from the Hereafter. Allah The Almighty Says (what means): {...And be diverted by [false] hope...} [Quran 15:3] Commenting on this verse, Al-Qurtubi  said, “Their excessive ambitions in this worldly life turned them away from obeying Allah.” Ibn Hajar  said, “There is an important rationale behind ambitions in this worldly life. Having ambitions in this worldly life is not totally dispraised as without it no one would be able to enjoy his life or look forward to doing anything that is related to this world. What is dispraised is having extensive ambitions in this worldly life and not preparing for the Hereafter. As long as a person is safe from this, he is not required to totally abstain from having ambitions in this world. Ignorance and love for this world are the causes behind this disease.”

Having Excessive Ambitions in this Worldly Life is Dispraised in the Quran

There are many verses in the Quran that dispraise having excessive ambitions in this worldly life. The Noble Quran uses multiple modes of address to warn people against this incurable and destructive disease. For example Allah The Almighty Says (what means):

• {Perhaps those who disbelieve will wish that they had been Muslims. Let them eat and enjoy themselves and be diverted by [false] hope, for they are going to know.} [Quran 15:2-3]

• When talking about the Jews, Allah The Almighty Says (what means): {And you will surely find them the most greedy of people for life - [even] more than those who associate others with Allah. One of them wishes that he could be granted life a thousand years, but it would not remove him in the least from the [coming] punishment that he should be granted life. And Allah Is Seeing of what they do.} [Quran 2:96]

• {[Allah] will Say: “How long did you remain on earth in number of years?” They will say: “We remained a day or part of a day; ask those who enumerate.” He will Say: “You stayed not but a little - if only you had known. Then did you think that We created you uselessly and that to Us you would not be returned?”} [Quran 23:112-115]

• {Has the time not come for those who have believed that their hearts should become humbly submissive at the remembrance of Allah and what has come down of the truth? And let them not be like those who were given the Scripture before, and a long period passed over them, so their hearts hardened; and many of them are defiantly disobedient.} [Quran 57:16]

Having Excessive Ambitions in this Worldly Life is Dispraised in the Sunnah

The Prophet  warned his Ummah (nation) against having extensive ambitions in this worldly life, as it is likely to drive the person away from obeying Allah. It was narrated on the authority of Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him that he said, “I heard the Prophet  saying: ‘The heart of an old man remains young in two respects: his love for this worldly life and his excessive ambitions in it.’ ” [Al-Bukhari]

It was narrated on the authority of Anas, may Allah be pleased with him, that he said, “The Prophet  once drew a few lines and said: ‘This is [man's] ambitions, and this is the instant of his death, and while he is in this state [of ambitions], the nearer line [death] comes to Him.’ " [Al-Bukhari]


It was narrated on the authority of Ibn Mas‘ood, may Allah be pleased with him, that he said, “The Prophet  once drew a square and then drew a line in the middle of it and let it extend outside the square and then drew several small lines attached to that central line, and said: “This is the human being, and this [square] is his lease of life which encircles or has encircled him, and this [line] which is outside [the square], represents his ambitions, and these small lines are the calamities and troubles [which may befall him], and if one misses him, another will overtake him, and if the other misses him, a third will overtake him.’ ” [Al-Bukhari] It was narrated on the authority of ‘Abdullaah ibn ‘Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, that he said,: “The Messenger of Allah  took hold of my shoulder and said: ‘Be in this world as if you are a stranger or a traveler.’ " The sub-narrator added, “Ibn ‘Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, would say, ‘If you survive till the evening, do not expect to be alive in the morning, and if you survive till the morning, do not expect to be alive in the evening; and take from your health for your sickness, and [take] from your life for your death.’" [Al-Bukhari]

It was narrated on the authority of Ibn ‘Abbaas, may Allah be pleased with him and his father, that he said, “The Messenger of Allah  said to a man while advising him: ‘Utilize five things before the coming of another five: your youth before your decrepitude, your health before your sickness, your wealth before your poverty, your leisure before your work, and your life before your death.’ " [Al-Haakim narrated this Hadeeth according to the conditions of Al-Bukhari and Muslim, however they did not narrate it. Ath-Thahabi agreed with him.]

It was narrated on the authority of Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Prophet  said: “Take the initiative to do good deeds before you are hindered by one of seven calamities: poverty that makes you forget the remembrance of Allah, prosperity that leads you to transgression, an ailment that damages your health, old age that makes you lose your senses, a sudden death, the Antichrist which is an evil yet to come, or the Hour, which is indeed even more disastrous and even more bitter.” [At-Tirmithi - Hasan]

When the Prophet  was asked about the scriptures of Moosa (Moses), may Allah exalt his mention, he replied: “It was all full of lessons. I wonder at a person who is certain of death and can still be happy. I wonder at a person who is certain of Hell and can still laugh. I wonder at a person who believes in fate and still grieves over hardships that befall him. I wonder at a person who sees this world and how its wellbeing never lasts for people and can still feel safe in it. I wonder at a person who believes that the Day of Reckoning is soon to come and still does not perform righteous deeds.” [Al-Bayhaqi and Al-Bazzaar]

The Righteous Predecessors Warned Against Excessive Ambition in this World

The righteous predecessors  understood the reality of this world and their hearts became attached to the Hereafter. Therefore, they advised their successors not to incline towards this worldly life and not to turn away from the Hereafter. ‘Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, said, “The things I fear most might harm you are following whims and having excessive ambitions in this worldly life, for following whims diverts you from the truth and having excessive ambitions causes you to forget the Hereafter.”

Ibn Mas‘ood, may Allah be pleased with him, said, “Do not let extended welfare lure you into laxity, and do not be diverted by false hope; for whatever will come is near, and whatever is far will never come.”

Salmaan Al-Faarisi, may Allah be pleased with him, said, “Three things make me laugh out of irony: A person having excessive ambitions in this life while death awaits him, a person who is heedless while Allah is encompassing of everything he does, and a person who laughs heartedly while not knowing whether Allah Is angry or pleased with him.”

Once a man entered the house of Abu Tharr Al-Ghifaari, may Allah be pleased with him, and started looking around his house, then he said, “O Abu Tharr, where is your furniture?” Abu Tharr, may Allah be pleased with him, replied, “We have another house that we are moving to [he meant by that his house in heaven].” The man said, “As long as you are here, it is necessary to have furniture.” Abu Tharr, may Allah be pleased with him, replied, “The owner of the house [i.e., Allah] is not leaving us here, therefore we are in no need of buying furniture.”

It was narrated that ‘Eesa (Jesus), may Allah exalt his mention, said, “How sane is the person who builds a home on the waves of the sea? This is the example of this world, so do not take it as your abode.”

‘Umar ibn Abdul-‘Azeez  said in a Khutbah (Sermon), “Do not let extended welfare harden your hearts and make you yield to your enemy. By Allah, for a person to have excessive ambitions in this worldly life is a mistake, for he does not know whether he will live until the morning or not, or whether he will live until the evening or not; and death may take him at any moment between these.”

Abu Muhammad ibn ‘Ali Az-Zaahid  said,

We followed a funeral procession in Al-Koofah and Abu Daawood At-Taa’i  was among the people. During the burial, Abu Daawood  withdrew and sat to a side. I then went and sat near him. He said, “Those who fear the punishment of Allah will gain what they desire, even if it is difficult to obtain. Those who strive for this worldly life are negligent of the Hereafter; all what is destined is soon to happen. Know that all the people of this world will eventually be of the inhabitants of the graves. Also, know that the inhabitants of graves regret the time, money and effort that they wasted in persuing the pleasures of this life and are only pleased with the good deeds that they did during their lifetimes. Sadly, what the inhabitants of graves regret, the people of this world are competing, fighting over and disputing in courts over.

Al-Ghazzaali  said, “Death has snapped the necks of tyrants, broken the backs of emperors and cut short the false hopes of Caesars, whose hearts rejected the remembrance of death until it suddenly struck them and cast them into the earth. Have any of them found haven or refuge from death?”

Others said, “Many people start their day and die before it ends and many wait for the next day but never reach it. If only you realize the truth of life and how quickly it passes by, you would detest excessive ambitions in this life and its delusion.”

Yet others said, “How can a person be happy with this life when every day deducts a month of his age, and every month eliminates a year of his age, and every year destroys his life, and his life leads him to his death.”

Muhammad ibn Waasi‘  was asked, “How do you find yourself?” He replied, “I have a short life, excessive ambitions in this world and many wrong deeds.”

A man wrote a letter to his brother, saying, “Sorrow over what is missed from the pleasures of this life is endless and death is close to a person. Every day decreases his lifespan; and illness gradually increases in his body day after day. So, start performing good deeds before death comes to you. Peace be upon you.”

Consequences of Excessive Ambitions in this Worldly Life

Having excessive ambitions in this worldly life leads to committing misdeeds and keeps a person away from obeying Allah. It is also one of the causes of violating prohibitions, transgression and plundering others' rights. Therefore, a person must always recall death and show due reverence towards Allah.

The Remedy for this Disease

Ignorance and love of this world are the cause of having excessive ambitions in this worldly life. Treatment of this disease lies in being aware of its dangers and harmful consequences, realizing the importance of performing obligations on their prescribed time and understanding that procrastination leads a person to failure and loss. The slave of Allah has to know that he is required to be where Allah The Exalted has commanded him to be, and to avoid acts that Allah The Exalted has commanded him to abstain from. One also should make his motto the same as that raised by Haatim Al-Asamm  who said, “I knew that none would perform my duties for me and therefore I am occupied in fulfilling them. I saw that people look at my appearance while Allah looks at what is concealed inside me, so I realized that it is worthier and better to be conscious that Allah is watching me. I also knew that death comes suddenly and, therefore, I decided to perform good deeds before it comes.”

There is a great difference between having hopeful expectations and having extensive ambitions in this worldly life. A person who has hopeful expectations for something will do his utmost in order to attain it and a person who fears something will flee from it. On the other hand, having excessive ambitions in this life leads a person to neglecting the matters of the Hereafter and preparing for it. One who seeks remedy for this disease has to understand the truth of this worldly life and how insignificant and valueless it is, and that it takes the side of those who are mean and cowardly and is their endless pleasure. Principally, one does not find in this world but what he dislikes and when he finds something that pleases him, it is but an exception.

Once, Ibn As-Sammaak  went to Haaroon Ar-Rasheed  while Haaroon was having a drink of water. Then Haaroon Ar-Rasheed asked for his admonishment. Thereupon, Ibn As-Sammaak said, “O Commander of the believers, if you were prevented this drink of water, would you pay for it with half of your kingdom?” He replied, “Yes.” Then he asked, “O Commander of the believers, if you drunk this water and then could not urinate it, would you pay for this [i.e., to be able to do so] with half of your kingdom?” He replied, “Yes.” Then Haaroon said, “A kingdom does not [even] equal a drink of water or its urination.”

Al-Fudhayl ibn ‘Iyaadh  said, “All goodness was collected in a house, and the key to this house is asceticism in this worldly life, and all evil was collected in a house, and the key to this house is the love for this worldly life.”


It was said, “This world is like one's shadow; if you try to catch it, it will escape from you, and if you leave it, it will follow you.”

Therefore, you have to ask yourself: “Where are the former and later peoples? Where are those who filled the world from east to west with pride and glory? Where are those who furnished their palaces with silks and gems? Where are those who caused the earth to tremble out of veneration and exaltation for them? Do you perceive of them anyone, or hear from them a sound?” Allah caused them to perish, as He did with other nations, and exterminated them like disintegrated ruins. Allah also removed them from the spaciousness of their palaces to the narrowness of graves, under stones and rocks and they became so that nothing was seen of them except their dwellings. What they accumulated throughout their lives did not benefit them, and what they earned did not avail them. Both the living and their beloved left them; both their brothers and friends abandoned them; both their relatives and non relatives forgot them. It is as if death is not decreed upon us and that it will only befall others. When we follow a funeral procession, it is as if the deceased is just going on a journey and will soon return, then we consume their inheritance as if we will be immortal in this world.

O people! Fill your life in this world with obeying Allah and following the methodology of your Prophet  and let your motto be: {And I hastened to You, my Lord, that You be pleased.}