Parable of stages of this life

Quran verse about life of the world

اعوذ بالله من الشيطن الرجيم 

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 Al-Hadid (الحديد) / 57:20

ٱعْلَمُوٓا۟ أَنَّمَا ٱلْحَيَوٰةُ ٱلدُّنْيَا لَعِبٌ وَلَهْوٌ وَزِينَةٌ وَتَفَاخُرٌۢ بَيْنَكُمْ وَتَكَاثُرٌ فِى ٱلْأَمْوَٰلِ وَٱلْأَوْلَٰدِ كَمَثَلِ غَيْثٍ أَعْجَبَ ٱلْكُفَّارَ نَبَاتُهُۥ ثُمَّ يَهِيجُ فَتَرَىٰهُ مُصْفَرًّا ثُمَّ يَكُونُ حُطَٰمًا وَفِى ٱلْءَاخِرَةِ عَذَابٌ شَدِيدٌ وَمَغْفِرَةٌ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ وَرِضْوَٰنٌ وَمَا ٱلْحَيَوٰةُ ٱلدُّنْيَآ إِلَّا مَتَٰعُ ٱلْغُرُورِ

Know that the life of this world is but amusement and diversion and adornment and boasting to one another and competition in increase of wealth and children - like the example of a rain whose [resulting] plant growth pleases the tillers; then it dries and you see it turned yellow; then it becomes [scattered] debris. And in the Hereafter is severe punishment and forgiveness from Allah and approval. And what is the worldly life except the enjoyment of delusion.

اعْلَمُوا Know  -  أَنَّمَا that  -  الْحَيَوةُ the life  -  الدُّنْيَا (of) the world  -  لَعِبٌ (is) play  -  وَلَهْوٌ and amusement  -  وَزِينَةٌ and adornment  -  وَتَفَاخُرٌ and boasting  -  بَيْنَكُمْ among you  -  وَتَكَاثُرٌ and competition in increase  -  فِي of  -  الْأَمْوَالِ the wealth  -  وَالْأَوْلَادِ and the children,  -  كَمَثَلِ like (the) example  -  غَيْثٍ (of) a rain,  -  أَعْجَبَ pleases  -  الْكُفَّارَ the tillers  -  نَبَاتُهُ its growth;  -  ثُمَّ then  -  يَهِيجُ it dries  -  فَتَرَاهُ and you see it  -  مُصْفَرًّا turning yellow;  -  ثُمَّ then  -  يَكُونُ becomes  -  حُطَامًا debris.  -  وَفِي And in  -  الْءَاخِرَةِ the Hereafter  -  عَذَابٌ (is) a punishment  -  شَدِيدٌ severe  -  وَمَغْفِرَةٌ and forgiveness  -  مِنَ from  -  اللَّهِ Allah  -  وَرِضْوَانٌ and Pleasure.  -  وَمَا But not  -  الْحَيَوةُ (is) the life  -  الدُّنْيَا (of) the world  -  إِلَّا except  -  مَتَاعُ (the) enjoyment  -  الْغُرُورِ (of) delusion.  -  

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My reflections after reading this Quran verse

What a beautiful parable!
سبحان الله

When a baby is born, he gets amused with toys.  When he turns teens, he gets distracted so much. Then he reaches an age when self adornment becomes most important. Then the family life begins and then it is boasting and competition in increase in wealth and children basically in accomplishment of children. And then heading to old age of weakness and decline and finally death.

Same thing happens to plants. Rain makes the plants green and beautiful. And then we see it dry and yellow and then becomes debris.

This cycle of human life and plant life is repeated again and again. Oh Allah help us learn from this parable. Ameen.

I believe that this life is an enjoyment of delusion and yet it is so easy to become part of this delusion.

But in the end of this ayah Allah just put two options. Either it is severe punishment or forgiveness.

I can't opt for severe punishment. I need to opt for forgiveness. Oh Allah help us race in seeking forgiveness. Oh Allah we are weak. We get deluded. Oh Allah please save us from this delusion. Oh Allah help us gain the maximum advantage of our resources including our remain ing time in this world. Oh Allah we dont deserve jannah but grant us jannah out of Your Mercy.

Ameen.