Similitude of This Dunya

"This Dunya is an opportunity, so gain benefit from it, " says the Moon when her light became more bright, after greeting with Basmalah and Salaam.

"There is nothing wrong in loving this dunya, because, however it is our means to sustain our lives and to continue our ibadah. The word Dunya, literally means 'closer' or 'lower.' It generally the temporal, earthly world in contrast to the eternal spiritual realm of the hereafter. More colloquially speaking, the dunya is any earthly concern or possession. We, human beings, admittedly love the dunya.

So, when we make the dunya become the goal and not the means to the ultimate goal, it becomes the problem. Shaykh Ibn Ahmad Ibn Ali al-Hakami, rahimahullah, in his poem, Al-Ha'iyyah, describes,

'What concern do I have with this Dunya, it isn’t my aim nor my ultimate objective nor is it my purpose. I do not incline to it or to its leadership, awful and foul is its condition.

It is the abode of worry, anguish and hardship swift is its passing, soon is its end

Joy in it comes with hardship, its sorrow comes with joy. Its profits come with loss and its fiillness is deficient

If it brings laughter, it also brings tears. The one who aims to amass it, foolish, how quickly it will come to an end

O you who pursues the lowly Dunya diligently, seek other than it, it has no loyalty

How many have we seen of those who were keen and eager for it, but did not prosper in gaining it!

There in the verses of al-Hadid and Yunus and in al-Kahf, is clarity and striking examples

And in Ali Imran and the chapter of Fatir. And in Ghafir, there is a declaration of its condition

And in al-Ahqaf is the greatest admonition, along with how many narrations that warrant its abandonment

A group has reflected with a vision of insight at it, and weren’t charmed by its spectacle

They are the people truly dear to Allah and they are His party, for them is Paradise of al-Firdaws, how amazing is that as an inheritance

So say to those who found it sweet, slow down, this sweetness will become a harmful poison

They should be amused and charmed by it as much as they want (but) when the soul reaches the throat, the connection will be cut

On the day every soul shall be recompensed for what it reaped, it would love to offer a ransom , whether it is offspring or wealth

You will receive your book either by the right, if it was good, or otherwise with the left

And it becomes clear, what it hid and exposed and what it put forth from its speech and action

Through the hands of the noble angels, it is written, not aided by any excuse or discussion

There you will know its profit from its loss and find out where you are going and where you will endup

If you were from the happy ones and the pious, you receive Paradise from your good actions

To triumph with Paradise and its Hur to abide blissfillly in its gardens and its shade

Be provided with whatever you desire from its bounties and drink from its Tasnim and its pure waters.'

In actuality, the worldly life is not to be dispraised in and of itself. Instead, the dispraise is directed at the action of the servant whilst in it. The worldly life is merely an archway and a crossing on one’s route to either Paradise or Hellfire. However, since it is the overwhelming case that it contains the lusts, grudges, heedlessness and aversion from Allah and the Hereafter, it consequently becomes the overwhelming traits of its occupants, and this is heavily stressed in its name. Its name carries a dispraised meaning when mentioned unrestricted to anything else. But it remains to be the basis on which one builds their Hereafter and a planting ground for it. In this worldly life, the soul develops its faith, knowledge of Allah, love for Him and he remembers Him yearning to gain His pleasure. And the finest life one can experience in Paradise is only attained through the efforts they made in the worldly life.

Allah says,

اِعْلَمُوْٓا اَنَّمَا الْحَيٰوةُ الدُّنْيَا لَعِبٌ وَّلَهْوٌ وَّزِيْنَةٌ وَّتَفَاخُرٌۢ بَيْنَكُمْ وَتَكَاثُرٌ فِى الْاَمْوَالِ وَالْاَوْلَادِۗ كَمَثَلِ غَيْثٍ اَعْجَبَ الْكُفَّارَ نَبَاتُهٗ ثُمَّ يَهِيْجُ فَتَرٰىهُ مُصْفَرًّا ثُمَّ يَكُوْنُ حُطَامًاۗ وَفِى الْاٰخِرَةِ عَذَابٌ شَدِيْدٌۙ وَّمَغْفِرَةٌ مِّنَ اللّٰهِ وَرِضْوَانٌ ۗوَمَا الْحَيٰوةُ الدُّنْيَآ اِلَّا مَتَاعُ الْغُرُوْرِ

'Know that the life of this world is only amusement and diversion, pomp and mutual boasting among you, and rivaliy in the increase of wealth and children, as the likeness of vegetation after rain, thereof the growth is pleasing to the harvester; afterwards it dries up and you see it turning yellow; then it becomes straw. And in the Hereafter is severe torment (for the disbelievers, evil-doers), and Forgiveness from Allah and His Good Pleasure (for the believers, good-doers), whereas the life of this world is only a deceiving enjoyment.' [QS. Al-Hadid (57):20]

The verse reveals a great parable initiated by Allah with, 'I'lamuu,' which is a term used to spark vigilance that we are being informed of something highly significant so that an individual becomes aware of it and understands it well.

'Amusement,' so the condition of the worldly life is one that occupies the peoples’ bodies and time, which consequently wastes their time and places a toll on their bodies.

'Diversion,' is a distraction for the hearts and diverts them away from the reason they were created.

'Pomp,' in attire, or mode of transport or accommodation. It contains particular things that entrap an individual and lead to overwhelm the heart resulting in it becoming one’s main concern and objective being in amassing it.

'Mutual boasting among you,' meaning whenever a person acquires a portion of the adornments of the worldly life, he exposes his sense of pride in doing so and his haughtiness over others whilst showing that he is experiencing more luxuries and is better than others.

'Rivalry in the increase of wealth and children,' is making his main concern to precede everybody else in amassing wealth, offspring and other that that.

Ibn Qudamah Al-Maqdisi, rahimahullah, said, 'Know—may Allah have mercy on you—that this world is the field whose harvest is the Next World, the market where it is gained, and the place where provision and profitable goods are obtained. In it the forerunners emerge, the God-fearing win, the true are successful, those who work reap profits and the falsifiers lose. This abode is the place of the hopes of the people of the Garden and the people of the Fire.'

Then he, rahimahullah, gave a metaphor illustrating this Dunya and its people. He said, 'It occurred to me that the best and most appropriate metaphor for this world is that of the people on a ship who are driven by the wind to an island, in the ocean in which there are mines of all sorts of gems: rubies, emeralds, chrysolite, coral and pearls, and more, down to carnelian and wormwood. After that, there are smooth rocks, and worthless stones. There are also rivers and gardens, and on the island, there is the king’s guarded estate, which contains his treasures, and slave girls and young slaves. It has borders and is surrounded by a wall.

The people of the ship land on the island and are told, 'You can stay here for a day and night, so take advantage of your short time and take as much as you can of these abundant gems.'

Those who possess firm resolve hasten to take some of those gems and carry them to their stores in the ship. They are serious and work hard. When they are tired, they remember the value and great worth of those gems and their lack of time on that island and their imminent departure, which will prevent them from taking any more provision. And so they refuse to rest and forgo it, instead devoting themselves to effort and striving hard. When they feel sleepy, they call that to mind, and the pleasure of sleep and slumber leaves them, remembering that 'in the morning people praise the travel in the night.'

Others take some of the gems and rest in periods of rest and sleep at times of sleep.

Another group do not approach the gems at all and prefer to sleep, rest, and amuse themselves as follows:

Some of these people turn to building homes, castles and houses.

Some turn to collecting smooth stones, seashells, other stones, and potsherds.

Some people turn to games and trifles and occupy themselves with amusements and listening to diverting stories, saying, 'A bit of gold dust in the hand is better than a promised pearl.'

This third group approach the king’s estate and go around it but do not find a door for it, so they open a crack in the estate and they burst into it. They open the treasures of the king, break its doors and loot it and divert themselves with the king’s slavegirls and slaves and say, 'We have no house but this house.' They remain like this until their period of residence ends and the time of departure is announced and they are summoned to move quickly.

The first group who obtained the gems travel and are delighted with their goods and do not regret the stay except that they wish they could have stayed longer.

The second group are very distressed because they failed to seek goods and were negligent, and so they now lack provision. They are leaving what would profit them and travel in a state of loss.

As for the third group, they are more terrified and suffer a greater calamity. They are told, 'We will not leave you until you are made to carry what you have taken from the king’s treasures on your necks and your backs.'

So they travel in this manner until they reach the city of the greatest king and a call rings out across the city that some people who were in the jewel mines have come. The people of the city meet them and the king and his armies meet them and they ask them to alight and they are told, 'Present your goods to the king.'

The goods of the people who collected the gems are presented and the king praises them and says. 'You are my elite and the people who sit with me and the people whom I love. You will have what you desire of my generosity.' He makes them kings and they can do what they wish. If they ask, they are given. If they intercede, their intercession is granted. If they desire something, it happens. They are told, 'Take what you wish and judge as you wish.' They take castles, houses, houris, gardens, towns, and villages. They ride ships, and slaves and armies go in front of them and around them. They become kings who alight in the presence of the King and sit with him and look at him. They visit him and intercede with him about whomever they wish. If they ask him for something, he gives it to them. If they do not ask, he gives to them first.

The second group are asked, 'Where are your goods?' and they reply, 'We do not have goods!' They are told, 'Woe to you! Were you not in the jewel mines? Were you not in the same place with those who have becomes kings?' They answer, 'Yes, but we preferred diversions and sleep.' Some of them will say, 'We were busy building houses and dwellings.' Others will say, 'We were busy collecting smooth stones and potsherds.'

They will be told, 'Destruction to you! Did you not know how short your stay would be and how precious the gems you have are? Did you not know that that is not an enduring abode nor a place for sleep? Did people not wake you up? Did people not admonish you?' They will reply, 'Yes, by Allah. We knew but we ignored it. We were told to wake up, but we slept on, and we heard and turned a deaf ear.' They will be told, 'Destruction to you till the end of time.'

They bite their hands in regret and weep copiously for their negligence. Then they remain sorrowful and confused and stand wanting to be given some charity by some of those who have become kings such as their intercession or their saying a word to the king on their behalf.

The third group come bearing their burdens on their backs, full of despair and in a state of confusion and befuddlement. Their feet trip, regret overcomes them and they are full of pain. They are disgraced before the communities, and the king puts them far from his house and expels them from his presence and commands that they be taken to prison. So they are dragged to it and are certain of punishment and blame: 'Even if thy are steadfast, the Fire will still be their residence! If they ask for favour, no favour will be given.' [QS. Fussilat (41):24]

Look at the disparity between the two stations and the difference between the two groups in their steadfastness during that brief period in which they resided on that island! This is similar to the example of this world and those who obey Allāh in it, and those who pass through it with neglect and wastage. Strive to be part of the first group who fill the time with acts of obedience and do not waste a minute."

"O my brothers and sisters! Make your heart reflect on the blessings of Allah for which you should be thankful, on your wrongdoing so that you ask forgiveness for it, on your neglect so that you repent, on the creations of Allah and His wisdom so that you recognise His immensity and wisdom, on what is before you so that you seek to prepare for it, or on the judgement respecting something you need to learn.

Moisten your tongue constantly with remembrance of Allah, supplication to Him, asking for His forgiveness, reciting the Qur’ān, reading or teaching knowledge, commanding what is right and forbidding what is wrong, or in putting things right between people.

Occupy your limbs with acts of obedience—and let the most important of them be performing the obligatory prayers in their times in the most complete form—and then in what will be of benefit to people. The best of that is what will be beneficial for their dīn, like teaching people deen and guiding them to the Straight Path. And Allah knows best."

It's suhoor time, the Moon left followed with chanting,

Wahai Tuhan! Jauh sudah, lelah kaki melangkah

[O Lord! It's far enough, tired, this feed walking]

Aku hilang tanpa arah, rindu hati sinar-Mu

[I'm lost without direction, my heart longing for Thy light]

Wahai Tuhan! Aku lemah, hilang terlumur noda

[O Lord! I'm weak, lowly, covered in stains]

Hapuskanlah, terangilah jiwa, dihitam jalanku

[Wipe it, enlighten my soul, in the darkness of my way]

Ampunkanlah aku, t'rimalah taubatku

[Forgive me, accept my repentance]

Sesungguhnya, Engkau Sang Maha Pengampun dosa *)

[Indeed, Thou art the Forgiver of sins]

Citations & References:
- Al-Shaykh Hafiz al-Hakami, The Ode of al-Ha'iyyah, translated by Osman Hamid, 2020, Hikmah Publications
- Muwaffaq Ad-Din Ibn Qudamah al-Maqdisi, Al-Waṣiyya, translated by Aisha Bewley, 2008, Turath Publishing
*) "Taubat" written by Opick

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