[Jorcelirl]

When parent plays with their baby and throws the baby up in the air and catches the child, there is a point of anxiety in the child while in mid-air. But when the child reaches back to the parents safe hands the baby is happy and laughing.

That split second of anxiety in mid-air is what Dunya is. We came from Allah and we are going back to Allah. And there is that small moment of anxiety which is Dunya, but relax we are in good hands. Compared to the infinite Akhirah the Dunya is just a split second.


Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi rajiyoon. 'Surely we belong to Allah and to Him shall we return'.

[Cersdog]

interesting perspective

[DeedPatmeda]

Allah the Almighty describes this world (Dunya) as a Deception in the Quran:



“Everyone shall taste death.
And only on the day of Resurrection shall you be paid your wages in full.
And whoever is removed away from the fire and admitted to Paradise he indeed is successful.
The life of this world is only the enjoyment of deception (a deceiving thing).”

(Aal-‘Imraan 3: 175)

[Theorsell]

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “The life of this world compared to the Hereafter is as if one of you were to put his finger in the ocean and take it out again then compare the water that remains on his finger to the water that remains in the ocean.” [Sahîh Muslim (2858)]

[enasseneiff]

Imam Ghazali Rahmatullahi Alayhi says that if the entire world was to be filled with sesame seeds and after every 1000 years, a bird was to come and eat one seed and then go back and return after a thousand years, even then this world would one day come to an end but this is not the case of the hereafter which will remain for eternity.

[altosburg]

"O mankind, fear your Lord and fear a Day when
no father will avail his son, nor will a son avail his father at all.
Indeed, the promise of Allah is truth, so let not the worldly life delude you
and be not deceived about Allah by the Deceiver."

(Suratul Luqman 31:33)

[Narkeere]

"The worldly life is but a moment; so make it a moment of obedience."

[Imam Shafi (Rahmatullahi 'alayh)]

[wrefrinny]

458. Abu Sa'id al-Khudri said, "One day the Prophet sat on the minbar and we sat around him. He said,
'Part of what I fear for you after I have gone is the beauty and attraction of this world which will be opened up to you.' "

[Riyad as-Salihin]

[85IbLcwQ]

574. Ibn 'Umar said, "The Messenger of Allah took me by the shoulder and said,
'Be in this world as if you were a stranger or a traveller on the road.' "

[Riyad As Saliheen]

[9V42h1eT]

I believe I heard this quote attributed to Imam Ahmad.

When a person is born, the azan and iqamah are called, but the prayer is delayed until after his death. Meaning, the duration of a man's life is like the time between the azan and the prayer.


EDIT: Reference:
[Manaqib al-Imam Ahmad by Ibn al-Jawzi]

[SweetCaroline]

The following is from the book "Removing the Safety Net" by Shaykh Yunus Patel (RA)

The Dash of Life

"As someone aptly mentioned: Our life is like the ‘dash’ between the date of birth and date of passing away, which we find inscribed on some tombstones – especially those of the non-Muslims. Though this ‘dash’ of life is so short, it is such a significant stage in our journey, that it either ‘makes’ or ‘breaks’ our Hereafter.

This little dash either delivers a person to Jannat or delivers him to Jahannum. So before someone mentions the date of our departure, we should convert the ‘dash’ of life, to time well spent in procuring the requirements and ‘supplies’ for the long journey ahead. The requirements are Imaan and Islam and the supplies are our good deeds."

WEBSITE : http://yunuspatel.co.za

[lopesmili]

The description of shortness of Dunya by Imam Ghazzali explained by sheikh Zakir Mahmood:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZQbHhZ6I10

[bactrimtab]

for this reminder.

[bestworkothlo]

The Deception Of This World (The Dunya)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zEdgSEnr38

[AbraroLib]

Ibn 'Umar said, "The Messenger of Allah , took me by the shoulder and said,
'Be in this world as if you were a stranger or a traveller on the road.' "

[Riyad As Saliheen]

[WGfg4CCZ]

The Almighty says, "Whoever puts his trust in Allah; He will be enough for him."
(Quran 65:3)

[slowlexrese]

Imam Ghazali tells a story of a man walking in the jungle. A roaring lion ran towards him and the man ran as fast as he could to escape from it. He noticed a well in front of him and he jumped inside hoping to escape from the lion. As he was falling inside the well, he grabbed onto the rope and saved himself. The man was so relieved but when he looked down he saw a big snake at the bottom of the well. It had its jaws wide open ready to swallow him up. The man then looked up and saw two mice nibbling at the rope. A black mouse and a white were both chewing into the rope. The scary lion was still prowling outside the well. The man's heart was pounding as he wondered how he could escape from this. Then he noticed a honeycomb in front of him which had delicious honey dripping from it. He stuck his finger into the honey and put it inside his mouth. It was delicious and for a moment he forgot about the lion, the snake and the two mice chewing at the rope.

Imam Ghazali explained that the lion is like the angel of death which is always looming above us.
The snake was like his grave which all humans will face.
The black mouse and white mouse were like the day and night which is always nibbling at our life (the rope).
The honey was like this dunya and with its sweetness makes us forget the purpose of our life and the reality of death.

[Staillateno]

'Umar(ra) said, "I heard the Messenger of Allah say,
"If you were to rely on Allah as He should be relied on, He would provide for you as He provides for the birds.
They go out in the morning hungry and return in the evening full."
[at-Tirmidhi]

[teentodiefows]

The Woman: A Parable:

© Nuh Ha Mim Keller 2001

A man was walking through the marketplace one afternoon when, just as the muezzin began the call to prayer, his eye fell on a woman's back. She was strangely attractive, though dressed in fulsome black, a veil over head and face, and she now turned to him as if somehow conscious of his over-lingering regard, and gave him a slight but meaningful nod before she rounded the corner into the lane of silk sellers. As if struck by a bolt from heaven, the man was at once drawn, his heart a prisoner of that look, forever. In vain he struggled with his heart, offering it one sound reason after another to go his way-wasn't it time to pray?-but it was finished: there was nothing but to follow.

He hastened after her, turning into the market of silks, breathing from the exertion of catching up with the woman, who had unexpectedly outpaced him and even now lingered for an instant at the far end of the market, many shops ahead. She turned toward him, and he thought he could see a flash of a mischievous smile from beneath the black muslin of her veil, as she-was it his imagination?-beckoned to him again.

The poor man was beside himself. Who was she? The daughter of a wealthy family? What did she want? He requickened his steps and turned into the lane where she had disappeared. And so she led him, always beyond reach, always tantalizingly ahead, now through the weapons market, now the oil merchants', now the leather sellers'; farther and farther from where they began. The feeling within him grew rather than decreased. Was she mad? On and on she led, to the very edge of town.

The sun declined and set, and there she was, before him as ever. Now they were come, of all places, to the City of Tombs. Had he been in his normal senses, he would have been afraid, but indeed, he now reflected, stranger places than this had seen a lovers' tryst.

There were scarcely twenty cubits between them when he saw her look back, and, giving a little start, she skipped down the steps and through the great bronze door of what seemed to be a very old sepulcher. A soberer moment might have seen the man pause, but in his present state, there was no turning back, and he went down the steps and slid in after her.

Inside, as his eyes saw after a moment, there were two flights of steps that led down to a second door, from whence a light shone, and which he equally passed through. He found himself in a large room, somehow unsuspected by the outside world, lit with candles upon its walls. There sat the woman, opposite the door on a pallet of rich stuff in her full black dress, still veiled, reclining on a pillow against the far wall. To the right of the pallet, the man noticed a well set in the floor.

"Lock the door behind you," she said in a low, husky voice that was almost a whisper, "and bring the key."

He did as he was told.

She gestured carelessly at the well. "Throw it in."

A ray of sense seemed to penetrate for a moment the clouds over his understanding, and a bystander, had there been one, might have detected the slightest of pauses.

"Go on," she said laughingly, "You didn't hesitate to miss the prayer as you followed me here, did you?"

He said nothing.

"The time for sunset prayer has almost finished as well," she said with gentle mockery. "Why worry? Go on, throw it in. You want to please me, don't you?"

He extended his hand over the mouth of the well, and watched as he let the key drop. An uncanny feeling rose from the pit of his stomach as moments passed but no sound came. He felt wonder, then horror, then comprehension.

"It is time to see me," she said, and she lifted her veil to reveal not the face of a fresh young girl, but of a hideous old crone, all darkness and vice, not a particle of light anywhere in its eldritch lines.

"See me well," she said. "My name is Dunya, This World. I am your beloved. You spent your time running after me, and now you have caught up with me. In your grave. Welcome, welcome."

At this she laughed and laughed, until she shook herself into a small mound of fine dust, whose fitful shadows, as the candles went out, returned to the darkness one by one

[DrazAdwamoi]

Dunya is deceiving and very short. A mere trial