Years ago, when dinosaurs roamed the Earth and I was in my early twenties, I attended the funeral of a beloved and admired woman – someone I had always thought of as the epitome of success.

She was what the old-timers would call “sharp”. Her presence was unforgettable. She wore fine clothes, drove a sleek Mercedes-Benz, and lived in an elegant home. She seemed to have everything one could desire in this life.

That day, her funeral procession made its way slowly through the streets towards Pembroke Cemetery. The hearse was at the front, followed by the mourners in a dignified line.

Her personal car – polished, luxurious, and imposing – was directly behind the hearse. In that moment, it almost outshone the very vehicle carrying her body. But then something struck me profoundly.

As we entered the cemetery, the hearse drove close to the gravesite. But her prized Mercedes – the symbol of her worldly success – was halted at a distance. It could go no further. Its journey had ended. Its owner had gone on – alone.

It was in that moment, standing there amid the solemn silence of burial, that I realised something I’ve never forgotten: no matter how dazzling our life may look from the outside, our possessions do not follow us into eternity. The soul walks on without them.

This moment echoed a question that haunts many hearts and appears in Scripture: “What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?” (Mark 8:36)

Islam offers a similar warning: “Those are the ones who have bought the life of this world [in exchange] for the Hereafter. So their punishment will not be lightened, nor will they be helped.” (Koran 2:86)

Both Christianity and Islam agree on a central truth: the soul is priceless. To trade it for temporary wealth, fame, or pleasure is the worst of all losses. Yet, how easily do we fall into that trap – working ourselves to exhaustion, comparing our lives to others, chasing applause, success, or indulgence, while slowly neglecting our inner state?

“Who would sell their soul for a paltry exchange?” (Koran 9:90)

It seems unthinkable. And yet, when we lie for convenience, hold on to pride, cheat a little for gain, ignore God’s commands, or stay silent when truth demands a voice – these are the small but real bargains we make. The trade may not involve the whole world; often, it’s for far less – a paltry exchange indeed.

Islam teaches us that life is not about denying joy or beauty, but about remembering what is eternal. In Islam, obedience is not seen as deprivation, but as guidance towards a fuller, deeper existence.

A verse in the Koran reminds us: “Whoever does righteousness … We will surely grant them a good life.” (Koran 16:97)

My faith teaches that surrendering to God leads not to misery, but to peace beyond understanding.

Of course, obedience has its cost – sacrificing ego, instant gratification, or certain societal freedoms. But is the Hereafter not worth it?

Imagine this: if someone offered you a mansion and lifelong provision in return for one week of labour, would you hesitate? This life is like that brief week in comparison to eternity. The trials are real, but temporary. The reward is beyond imagination.

That funeral day at Pembroke Graveyard changed me. The image of that beautiful car stopped at the gate while the soul moved on without it reminded me that we arrive at the grave stripped of status and possessions, carrying only our deeds.

The soul travels light, but every act of faith, love, obedience, and repentance is carried with it.

So today, I ask myself, and I ask you: what are we truly living for? Are we building lives that will fade, or souls that will last?

May we each live in such a way that when our journey ends, we don’t walk alone, but walk towards light, mercy, and the eternal embrace of our Creator. It is from our Creator we came and it is to our Creator we shall return.

No one knows the day nor the hour of our death, but we do know without a doubt that death will surely come.

As a believer that our good actions will determine our destiny in the Hereafter, I'm positive that it will be to my better interest to get my act together and do good while I still can. I need to invest in the next journey of my soul.

We ask the Almighty to give us good in this life and the next. Remember, only our deeds will be our investment for the Hereafter.

“Our Lord, give us in this world [that which is] good and in the Hereafter [that which is] good and protect us from the punishment of the fire.” (Koran 2:201)

Bermuda let us remember those living, no, existing under tyranny and oppression, let us pray for their relief. Call for the bombing and destruction to stop, call for immediate ceasefire.

May you all have a blessed week.

As salaam alaikum (peace be unto you).

• Linda Walia Ming is a member of the Bermuda Hijab Dawah Team, a group of Muslim women who reside in Bermuda and have a goal of educating the community about the religion of Islam