"And let every soul reflect upon what he has sent for tomorrow". QS. Al-Hashr, verse 18.
In this life we undergo three periods, namely: past, present and future (future). All three of us do indeed live separately, but among the one with the other has a very close bond.
We often hear 'the past is the memory, the present is the hope and the future is the wishful thinking'. The phrase is very much in line with what is in the book of siraj al-thalibin by Imam al-Ghazali which states that we undergo three breaths, namely: the breath we breathe out, the breath we are exhaling and the breath we will exhale. The breath we have is just the breath we are exhaling, because the breath we have exhale has stepped away from us, we can no longer tinkering what we have done along with the breath. While the breath that we will exhale not necessarily we have, because it may be before the breath we first remove our lives out of the body. The only breath we really have is the breath we are breathing. Slam every blast with a dhikr, remembering the pamberi breath.
Some people say 'then let it pass'. Given the past is a memory, the phrase can be said to be true. But on the other hand, people say 'occasionally back it up, maybe there is a bridge to make the future brighter'. That is even more true, because although what we have done in the past is only a memory when it becomes a reflection for us to introspect ourselves. In a sense, he becomes a guide for us in pursuing a bright future.
Further, people say, 'do not be fascinated by the beauty of the past, so you forget the fuzzy future'. This is what we need to pay attention to. This is the disease of the people now. Often we are wrong in interpreting beauty in the past. Often we boast about the achievements we have gained in the past, or further the achievements gained by our past elders, by which they are not merely favored by friends, but also respected by opponents. We feel as if we have achieved that accomplishment, but it is just an offer for us to be able to get it back.
The journey of our lives is like a motorist. The place (road) being pursued is compared to the present, whatever is behind it is the past, and what is in its depth is the future. To be able to go the way forward safely, sometimes he needs to look into the rearview mirror. But he should not be stunned by the beauty that is in the rearview mirror, because it can hamper his way forward. So is the journey of our lives.
Our future is very long. The future begins now, and will never end. The future does not end with death. Death is only the beginning of a true future.
To pursue that long future, Allah SWT in QS. Al-Hashr verse 18 commands his servant to reflect on what he has prepared. Allah says which means: "And let every soul reflect upon what he has sent for tomorrow."
In the verse, Allah SWT mentions the words 'ghad', which means 'tomorrow'. The meaning of the words 'tomorrow' in the verse is the Hereafter.
So in this life we must be able to make the past as a reflection for the future, but never ever we are lulled by the beauty that existed in the past.