In our reading tonight of Sūrah al-Qiyāmah with Imam Imran Salha the topic of practicality came up in terms of how some people today do not want to hear about The Fire or even The Here-After because such topics have been deemed “impractical” 
and that what we need today is a “practical Islam” for the here-and-now. And while there are elements, important elements of Islam that are highly practical, we must remember that practicality in Islam most often addresses the means, not the ends.
To help illustrate my point, let us reflect on the ḥadīth in which Jibrīl (Gabriel), the Angel of Revelation, gazes upon Paradise and speculates dubiously on the likelihood anyone will enter it. In other words, Jannah is not practical!
“Abu Huraira reported that The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,
‘When Allah created Paradise and Hellfire, he sent Jibrīl to Paradise saying: “Behold it and what I have prepared therein for its people”.
‘When Allah created Paradise and Hellfire, he sent Jibrīl to Paradise saying: “Behold it and what I have prepared therein for its people”.
Jibrīl came and looked at it and what Allah had prepared therein for its people. He returned to Allah and he said: “By your might, no one will hear of it but that he will enter it”.
Allah ordered that it be surrounded by adversity and he said: “Return to it and behold what I have prepared therein for its people”.
Jibrīl returned and found that it was surrounded by hardship. He returned to Allah and he said: “By your might, I fear that no one will enter it”.
Allah said: “Go to the Hellfire and behold it and what I have prepared therein for its people”. Jibrīl found that it was in layers, one above another.
He returned to Allah and he said: “By your might, no one who hears of it will enter it”. Allah ordered that it be surrounded by desires and he said: “Return to it”. Jibrīl returned and he said: “By your might, I fear that no one will escape it.”
عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ لَمَّا خَلَقَ اللَّهُ الْجَنَّةَ وَالنَّارَ أَرْسَلَ جِبْرِيلَ إِلَى الْجَنَّةِ فَقَالَ انْظُرْ إِلَيْهَا وَإِلَى مَا أَعْدَدْتُ لِأَهْلِهَا فِيهَا
قَالَ فَجَاءَهَا وَنَظَرَ إِلَيْهَا وَإِلَى مَا أَعَدَّ اللَّهُ لِأَهْلِهَا فِيهَا قَالَ فَرَجَعَ إِلَيْهِ قَالَ فَوَعِزَّتِكَ لَا يَسْمَعُ بِهَا أَحَدٌ إِلَّا دَخَلَهَا فَأَمَرَ بِهَا فَحُفَّتْ بِالْمَكَارِهِ فَقَالَ ارْجِعْ إِلَيْهَا
فَانْظُرْ إِلَى مَا أَعْدَدْتُ لِأَهْلِهَا فِيهَا قَالَ فَرَجَعَ إِلَيْهَا فَإِذَا هِيَ قَدْ حُفَّتْ بِالْمَكَارِهِ فَرَجَعَ إِلَيْهِ فَقَالَ وَعِزَّتِكَ لَقَدْ خِفْتُ أَنْ لَا يَدْخُلَهَا أَحَدٌ قَالَ اذْهَبْ إِلَى النَّارِ فَانْظُرْ إِلَيْهَا وَإِلَى مَا أَعْدَدْتُ لِأَهْلِهَا
فِيهَا فَإِذَا هِيَ يَرْكَبُ بَعْضُهَا بَعْضًا فَرَجَعَ إِلَيْهِ فَقَالَ وَعِزَّتِكَ لَا يَسْمَعُ بِهَا أَحَدٌ فَيَدْخُلَهَا فَأَمَرَ بِهَا فَحُفَّتْ بِالشَّهَوَاتِ فَقَالَ ارْجِعْ إِلَيْهَا فَرَجَعَ إِلَيْهَا فَقَالَ وَعِزَّتِكَ
لَقَدْ خَشِيتُ أَنْ لَا يَنْجُوَ مِنْهَا أَحَدٌ إِلَّا دَخَلَهَا
Related in Sunan al-Tirmidhī no. 2560. Graded Ṣaḥīḥ (authentic).
It is important to understand that practicality is a means and not an end itself. Nor should we come to see all adversity as bad or ominous as Allāh Himself has said,
It is important to understand that practicality is a means and not an end itself. Nor should we come to see all adversity as bad or ominous as Allāh Himself has said,
إِنّا جَعَلنا ما عَلَى الأَرضِ زينَةً لَها لِنَبلُوَهُم أَيُّهُم أَحسَنُ عَمَلًا
“We made everything on the earth adornment for it so that We could test them to see whose actions are the best.” — Qur’an 18: 7
