- Simra Hanan
The Deception

Did you hear about that shop down the street
The one which is always bursting at its seams
Do you know the reason why?
People walk in just to try
To find a remedy for their broken heart
Or to seek for what is their missing part
Some walk out finding their remedy
But little do they know that it's all just temporary
They will be back walking through the shop's door
Again, longing for something even more
And she is a cunning saleswoman
Hayati has a profound effect on every human
She can present any scrap as glittering gold
Her persuasion captures both young and old
Hayati speaks words that would melt in your hands
She makes you feel as if she fully understands
Hayati knows exactly what to offer you
After perusing through concoctions of different hues
A bottle of 100% pure concentrated happiness
But side effects in fine print warn of the mess
That the fleeting joy will surely accompany
Addiction, discontentment, and misery
But yet they have not realised
And looked past her well-woven lies
That what she offers is just a temporary fix
Which often is nothing more than a gimmick
Leaving a large hole in your soul
Darkening your heart to a charcoal
Temporary joy purchased for the price of your soul
Now look who is now in control?
As you become a puppet of your desires
Hayati helped in setting the stage
But you wrote the play - each and every page
Chasing the passing worldly gains
Money, power, and fame
Branded cars and gated mansions
Living the high life, basking in the attention
But all these efforts were in vain
For which of these actually remain?
When we become nothing but mere remains
But perhaps before more of us become her bait
I must tell you something important, so please wait
Someone wise once told
That the life of this world
Is only the enjoyment of deception
So, before Hayati alters our perception
Let us take the necessary action
That would safeguard us from destruction
For the life of this world, Hayati
Welcomes you into her store enticingly
But you have a choice to repel that temptation
And have a better chance of your salvation
When ultimately you are laying six feet below
All the riches and fame you had will not follow
So, invest your time and energy wisely
Into building your home of eternity
"كُلُّ نَفْسٍ ذَآئِقَةُ ٱلْمَوْتِ ۗ وَإِنَّمَا تُوَفَّوْنَ أُجُورَكُمْ يَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ ۖ فَمَن زُحْزِحَ عَنِ ٱلنَّارِ وَأُدْخِلَ ٱلْجَنَّةَ فَقَدْ فَازَ ۗ وَمَا ٱلْحَيَوٰةُ ٱلدُّنْيَآ إِلَّا مَتَـٰعُ ٱلْغُرُورِ. "
"Every soul will taste death. And you will only receive your full reward on the Day of Judgment. Whoever is spared from the Fire and is admitted into Paradise will ˹indeed˺ triumph, whereas the life of this world is no more than the deception of enjoyment." (The Qur’an, 3:185)
Ghuroor (غُرُورِ): deception
Hayati (حياتي): life of this dunya