By Prof. Dr Musharraf Hussain
This week’s blog is a light-hearted read. However, it may seem to cast a shadow over life’s pleasures. It’s for a serious reason; it is an example of the fleeting, passing and temporary nature of worldly life. The annual Goose Fair comes for ten days, and on day 11 it’s gone; the ground is empty. I find that a reminder, Nasihah.
Pleasure, Popularity and Possessions
Nottingham is a proud and ambitious city, world-famous for Robin Hood, the legendary outlaw who robbed the rich to give to the poor (what a contrast to modern capitalist societies that rob the poor to give to the rich). Boots Chemists, the discoverers of Ibuprofen that relieves the pain of millions globally. But few know there is something else! Goose Fair has been held here for seven hundred years. During the first week of October, this historic event attracts nearly half a million visitors to Nottingham; together they spend £12 million. Humans spend their lives trying to get pleasure, popularity and possessions. Well, Goose Fair certainly is the first P of the three.
Since I moved to Nottingham in 1985, I have visited the fair with family and friends. The brochure describes it vividly: “With over 400 rides and attractions with thrills aplenty for all ages, the fair is one of the largest travelling fun fairs in Europe. New rides include the ‘bungy jump’, ‘Star Flyer’ and ‘Giant wheels’, giving panoramic views across the city and beyond.” Not forgetting the fair classics: ‘Gallopers’, the dodgem cars, the ‘Cake Walk’ and ‘Hook-a-duck’. No shortage of exotic foods, including Hot dogs, fish and chips, pakoras and samosas too.
Temporary Pleasures, Eternal Lessons
For many Nottingham residents, it’s an annual pilgrimage, its sounds, smells, laughter, colours and crowds. Hyson Green, the poor inner-city area where it’s hosted, is enlivened for 10 days. Throngs of people, mums and dads pulling children’s hands, toddlers digging into big candy flosses, infants waving heart-shaped balloons. It’s a spectacle worth watching even if you don’t go on any rides.
How can I justify going to such a worldly, frivolous place of merriment? The Messenger (peace be upon him) used to visit the annual Fair of Ukkaz held in Makkah. Apparently, it is still held near Taif. It was a cattle market, sold merchandise from Syria and Persia, a slave market and sports arena and a cultural festival.
I mainly go to meet people, do Dawah, take leaflets and let my grandchildren go on the rides…but also something else: it’s a reminder of the ephemeral, fleeting nature of the world, here today gone tomorrow. Goose Fair comes and gives temporary pleasure and then disappears. The Majestic Quran repeatedly tells us the world is also like this. Here are some thought-provoking Quranic passages describing this frivolous nature of the world and teaching us to think beyond the Goose Fair.
The Parable of Life and Death
“Tell them a parable of worldly life; it is like the rain that pours down from the sky, absorbed by the soil causing plants to grow. Then they quickly dry and shrivel, eventually scattered by the winds. Allah has power over all things. Wealth and children are beautiful decorations of this life. However, good deeds will remain with your Lord, an excellent reward and hope” (Al-Kahf:45-46).
The Short-Lived Nature of Worldly Life
“You should know that worldly life is a sport and an amusement, an attraction, showing off among yourselves and having desire for more wealth and children. Its example is that of rain: when it comes down, the farmer delights in the rapid growth of his crops; then they ripen, and you see them turning yellow, and eventually they become dry stubble. And in the Hereafter there will be severe punishment for the disbelievers, but forgiveness from Allah and his pleasure for the believers. The life of this world is a provision that deceives. Therefore, take heed and race ahead of each other for your Lord’s forgiveness and paradise…” (Al-Hadid:20-21).
Conclusion
The lights, laughter and excitement of Goose Fair are wonderful while they last, but notice the striking contrast: one day the fairground is ablaze with lights, the next it is dark; one day it is packed with crowds, the next it is empty; one day there is noise and excitement, the next there is silence.
Ten days pass, and it is all gone. So too our worldly life will pass. Its pleasures, possessions and attractions may absorb us for a while, but one day we too will leave them behind and lie in our graves. Goose Fair, then, is not simply an example of frivolity and passing pleasure; it becomes a vivid Quranic parable of the temporary nature of this world, reminding us not to mistake the fairground for our permanent home, but to prepare for the eternal life to come.
