🏙️ Dunya is a Prison for the Believer

 

Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said,

الدُّنْيَا سِجْنُ الْمُؤْمِنِ وَجَنَّةُ الْكَافِرِ
“This worldly life is a prison for the believer and Paradise for a disbeliever.”
(Muslim #2956)

When I first heard of this hadith, it kind of confused me. Why is this world a prison? As Muslims, are we expected to live a life of suffering?

It turns out the meaning is much deeper, and in fact, a lot more inspiring and motivating than that when we see it from the right perspective.

Once, the scholar al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani was walking through a market. At the time, as the Qadi, he was with his entourage riding a great, beautiful and magnificent animal mount. Suddenly a Jewish man, who is a flaxseed oil seller (i.e. one who lived in very poor and harsh conditions) came running towards him. The Jew was wearing an old worn out and dirty shirt.

He grabbed and stops the mule Ibn Hajar was riding and said: “Oh Shaykh al-Islam! You claimed that your prophet said: “The world is prison for a believer and paradise for a disbeliever,”

Then, in what way are you imprisoned and how am I in paradise right now?”

Ibn Hajar responded:

“If I was to compare the blessings Allah has promised for me in paradise in hereafter, then it is as if I am in prison right now!

While for you, if you want to compare your situation right now with what has been promised for you in hereafter, it is as if you are in paradise right now.”

Then, the Jewish man embraced Islam.

(Narrated in Faid al-Qadir (3/546))

What an amazing, honorable response. When we understand this hadith through the lens of iman - especially belief in the Last Day - it becomes a powerful motivational reminder of the nature of life in this world.

Here are six major life lessons we can learn from the Hadith, of the perspective on the life of this world:

1. Delayed gratification - be patient. The BEST is yet to come, in the Hereafter.

Imam al-Nawawi said the hadith means that by virtue of following the shari'ah, every believer is imprisoned and prevented in this world from prohibited and makruh (undesirable) desires. Every mukallaf Muslim (i.e. those who have reached maturity and therefore is accountable for his deeds) is commanded to be in complete obedience. However, when he dies - once he is released from this prison - he will no longer have to bear this responsibility. This will entirely change, where Allah SWT promised eternal and true blessings, leisure and comfort where it will forever increase without decreasing even a little. As for disbelievers, they are able to attain some sort of worldly comfort in this life. However, when he dies, he will be forever punished and be in eternal suffering. (Al-Minhaj, 93/18).

Yes, in this life as Muslims, Allah has placed on us restrictions, limitations and must practice restraint to obey His Commandments. And in that sense, it is as if we are in a prison. But the hadith reminds us that the true reward - Paradise - awaits after we depart from this world. Death is actually a form of release, a freedom from these restrictions.
   
The Prophet ﷺ described that a brief moment in paradise is  enough for us to forget ALL the suffering we faced in this worldly existence.
   
Rejoice and be optimistic for what's waiting for you on the other side, in the Hereafter, after you break free from this prison!
   
2. Lowering expectations - It's not supposed to be comfortable!

Prison, like the life of this world, is only a temporary transit phase, so expect it to be uncomfortable and difficult.

Allah also says   
لَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا الْإِنسَانَ فِي كَبَدٍ
”Verily, We have created man in difficulty and hardship”.(Surah Al-Balad, 4)
  
   
3. Don't get attached - The Prophet ﷺ said, “be in this world like a traveler, or a wayfarer” (Al-Bukhari).
Just like the guarantee of death, you (and everyone else) will definitely get out of this prison of dunya! The allure of this world, with its riches and its enjoyment, is indeed very tempting, and it’s easy for us to get lost in the pursuit of attaining these, at the expense of the big picture of our success Hereafter. Whatever limited resources you have in this prison, practice generosity and share those limited blessings to others (i.e. your fellow inmates!), because you will leave your possessions behind anyway. It’s just a matter of time.

4. Defects of worldly pleasures - To a disbeliever, this entire worldly life IS the life. YOLO. Because they don't believe in the concept of accountability of the Last Day, the idea is to enjoy this life to the fullest: hence why the Prophet ﷺ describes it as a "Paradise for the disbeliever".

The believer, on the other hand, recognizes that the life of this world is only a testing ground, the pleasures of this world are designed to be fundamentally defective. No matter how beautiful or enjoyable the pleasures may be, they will always be imperfect. Food, wealth, possessions, fame, entertainment - there’s always a “catch”. Either it’s flawed, gives some unwanted side effects, or will simply deteriorate over time. But the reward in the Hereafter is perfect and everlasting - so keep your eyes on the Prize!

5. A place of reform - As we’ve witnessed in real-life scenarios, many people change for the better, when they are in prison. Thousands of prisoners have reformed themselves, turned to Allah and reverted to Islam while they are incarcerated. Why? Prison allows a unique opportunity: isolation and quiet, which can be difficult amidst the hustle-and-bustle and rat race of society. When we have more time in isolation by ourselves, it gives us moments of opportunity to reflect. To reconnect with our purpose, prioritize our lives.

What can we learn from this?
Firstly, make time for quiet reflection in your own life: whether it is for self-accounting (muhasabah) and repentance, opening up your hearts to Allah in du’aa, or contemplation (tadabbur) of the ayaat (verses) of the Qur’an. Don’t wait until you get to prison to change! Secondly, it’s not prison itself that changes them, because the reality is, there are also many other prisoners who become worse in prison. We need to make the conscious CHOICE and take action to change!

6. Gratitude - If this “prison” of yours is comfortable, then be grateful and content! We should realize that for many of us, QaddarAllah, out of Allah’s Mercy and Kindness, He has granted us very comfortable lives above millions of others across the world. The Prophet ﷺ reminded us that “Whoever among you wakes up secure in his property, healthy in his body, and he has his food for the day, it is as if he were given the entire world!” (at-Tirmidhī #2346), Just watch the news and the state of the world that we are in today in the 21st century: Even basic pleasures is a privilege that many other fellow human beings weren’t granted. Even though prison is supposed to be difficult and uncomfortable, we get it much easier than so many others. Don’t waste this beautiful privilege!

Finally, one might ask - does this mean that when you embrace Islam, you are choosing to be imprisoned?

Here's the perspective we should see it: Having belief & embracing Islam isn't a matter of "choosing" to be be imprisoned; rather, it's to realize that we already ARE living in one.