
By Mawlana Junayd Makda Sahib
Memorise and practice a Hadeeth every week
from the collection of 40 Ahadeeth by Shaykhul Hadeeth Mawlana Muhammad Saleem Dhorat sahib Hafizahullah.
Hadeeth Seven
The world is a prison for the believer
اَلدُّنْيَا سِجْنُ الْمُؤْمِنِ وجَنَّةُ الْكَافِرِ
Our Beloved Nabi ﷺ said,
“The world is a prison for the believer and a paradise for the non-believer”
Muslim
Explanation
Jannat (heaven) is a place of endless freedom and enjoyments while Jahannam (hell) is a prison full of restrictions and difficulties.
In this world, a believer, no matter how comfortable and luxurious his life may be, is always restricted by the commands of Allah Ta’ala. At the time of death, when he sees the freedom of Jannah, he will believe he has been finally released from Prison.
On the other hand, a non-believer, no matter how miserable and difficult his life is, when he sees Jahannam, he will feel that the world was like heaven.
In this Hadeeth, our beloved Nabi ﷺ is reminding us, that a true believer will always behave like a prisoner in this world and will not attach himself to its pleasures. He will rather patiently wait out his time till he is forever released with death and entered into Jannah.
What we learn from this Hadeeth?
1) For a believer, this world holds the equivalence of a prison in which he is restricted from all four sides.
2) A prisoner doesn’t expect much while in prison, nor does he complain about restrictions.
3) The pleasures of this world are nothing compared with the pleasures of the hereafter.
4) Jahannam will make the pains and sufferings of this world seem like pleasure and fun.
5) A believer does not attach himself to this world and all it contains.
6) For a believer this world is a place of patience and the Hereafter is his place of freedom and joy.
7) A sign of a believer is that he behaves like a prisoner in this world living within the restrictions placed upon him.