On Duniya

Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi R.alayhi explained:

Everything which diverts one's attention from Allah is "duniya". If a ruler is diverted from Allah by his governing, then the rule and governing is "duniya". If being poor makes one negligent of Allah, such poverty is also "duniya". It is possible for a person to be a ruler or a governor and still remain righteous and religious and it is also possible that one can be poor and still be irreligious.

Hence, the person who disregards the commandments of Allah, is a worldly person, even though he may be poor and destitute. On the other hand, if a king, inspite of being a ruler over a kingdom, carries out the commands of Allah, he is a "wali" and most definitely not a worldly person. Actually “duniya” means being neglectful of Allah’s commands. Its not a name for children, wife, wealth and possessions.

The example of “duniya” is like water. A ship sails on it. As long as the water is outside and underneath the ship, it is the means whereupon the ship sails. But when the water comes inside the ship, then it can be the cause for the sinking of the ship and its destruction. Similarly, if the “duniya” stays outside the heart, as in the case when love for Allah Ta’ala and love for Rasulullah sallalaahu alayhi wasallam is above the love for wealth, children, wife and all relationships, then this “duniya’ is not harmful. On the contrary, it is a means towards Allah’s pleasure and nearness to Him. But when this “duniya” has entered the heart and the love for these worldly entities becomes uppermost over Allah’s love, then this “duniya” becomes a means towards his destruction because the heart has been created by Allah for Himself.

In a Hadith Qudsi Allah says: Heaven and earth cannot contained me. But into the heart of a believer I enter like a guest. Hence, the heart is like a royal palace which is only kept for the true King of all kings and not fro anyone or anything else. So if one allows a bhangi (remover of toilet buckets) with clothes soiled in filth to live in such a royal palace, then this will be a great injustice and the doer will deserve punishment. Therefore a person should leave this wretched “duniya” outside the heart and not allow it to enter inside.

But how can one ascertain whether “duniya” has entered the heart or not? If a person, at all times, is busy with the preparations for the hereafter, trying at all times to gain Allah’s pleasure and places every laws of the shariah above his personal gains, then you may take it that “duniya” is outside his heart, and that his heart is free from “duniya’s love”. For him, the “duniya” becomes the means of blessings and the means towards attaining the everlasting and true life. But if for the sake of his love for wife, or children, or wealth, or title, or business, or employment, a man casts the laws of shariah behind his back and make no distinction between halaal and haram, is not observant of preparing for the hereafter at all times, but at all times involve with earning wealth, then you may take it that “dunya” has entered his heart. This “duniya” will be a means towards his destruction.