We have not ordained perpetual life for any human being before thee. So if thou diest, will they abide forever? Every soul shall taste death We try you with evil and with good, as a test, and unto Us shall you be returned. (21:34-35)
Most interesting in these ayahs are the mention of good and evil as tests. I am used to thinking about evil as a test, but never good. The commentators point to the other Quranic verses (which we have highlighted in this blog) about enjoying good and forbidding evil.
Enjoining good seems truly to be about taking-up and enjoying the bounties Allah has provided for us, while being grateful for the goodness. Among these are food, rain, the turning of day into night, love, etc. We are to enjoy these while knowing that they are simply temporary. Therein lies another (productive) tension within Islam. It is difficult to enjoy the bounties while keeping our eyes on the prize, so to speak---the hereafter. All at once, we are to live fully in this life while remembering this life is only in service of the eternal life. This task seems very daunting as truly indulging in God's bounties would require someone to be fully present. I suppose then, the way to be present in the bounties of Allah while still remembering the hereafter, is to praise Allah for each of His bounties and acknowledging them as a precious gift.
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