The #insignificance of this world #1:
A thing to contemplate on: The words ❝Earth❞ ( الأرض ) and ❝World❞ ( الدنيا ) are mentioned numerous times in the Qur’aan; but never once has Allaah تعالى praised them.
Narrated Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنه: The Prophet ﷺ said: ❝This world is cursed and so are all the things in it, except the remembrance of Allaah and that which He (Allaah) likes, and the scholars and the students (of knowledge).❞
📚 [Tirmidhee (2322), Ibn Maajah (4112) and graded as “Hasan” by Shaikh al-Albaanee in al-Saheehah (2797)]
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Shaikh Ibn al-`Uthaymeen said:
Al-Dunya - the World الدنيا: is this life which we are living in. It was named Dunyaa because of two reasons:
The First: It is أدنى (Adnaa - nearer/closer) than الآخرة (al-Aakhirah - the Hereafter), because it came BEFORE the Hereafter as Allaah تعالى said:
{وللآخرة خير لك من الأولى}
{And indeed the Hereafter is better for you than the present (life of this world).}
📚 [Surah al-Dhuhaa (93): 4]
The Second: It is دنيئة (Danee’ah - ignoble/inferior); it is nothing in comparison to the Hereafter. As Imaam Ahmad has reported that the Prophet ﷺ said:
لموضع سوط أحدكم في الجنة خير من الدنيا وما فيها
❝A place in Paradise (as small) as that occupied by the whip of one of you is better than the world and whatever is in it.❞
📚 [Musnad of Imaam Ahmad (22290) and Saheeh al-Bukhaaree (2892, 3250, 6415) on the authority of Sahl ibn Sa`d رضي الله عنه]
The place, the size of a short and small stick (whip), in Paradise is better than the world and whatever is in it, from its beginning to its end.
📚 [Sharh Riyaadh al-Saaliheen of Shaikh Ibn al-`Uthaymeen (3/355)]
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And in this Hadeeth, al-Dunya refers to all those things which preoccupies, distracts, and distances one from Allaah and His obedience.
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Shaikh Ibn al-`Uthaymeen said:
Al-La`n (Curse: اللعن) means: expelling and driving away from the Mercy of Allaah. So when a person says: “O Allaah! Curse so-and-so”, it means that you want Allaah to expel and deprive that person of His mercy.
📚 [Sharh Riyaadh al-Saaliheen of Shaikh al-`Uthaymeen (6/191)]
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So his ﷺ saying: ❝This world is cursed…❞, it means that the world is furthest away from Allaah, deprived of any honor, nor does He تعالى loves it. We are being informed about the lowly status of this world, something which is unimportant.
❝…and cursed are all the things in it❞, meaning: everything in it is cursed.
The world is cursed because it deceives the people with its splendor, delight, and false hopes, and it distracts and distances them away from the servitude of the Creator, and makes them chase their desires. The world is distant from Allaah because it distances from Allaah.
📚 Source: (Based on the explanation from):
التَّنويرُ شَرْحُ الجَامِع الصَّغِيرِ 3/438
مرقاة المفاتيح شرح مشكاة المصابيح 9/372
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And his ﷺ saying: ❝…except the remembrance of Allaah…❞ meaning: everything on this earth is cursed except the Dhikr (remembrance) of Allaah.
And his ﷺ saying: ❝… and that which He (Allaah) likes…❞ It may mean: “the things which Allaah likes from the Dunya”, example the Masaajid. As the Messenger of Allaah ﷺ said: ❝The parts of the land dearest to Allaah are its Masaajid, and the parts most hateful to Allaah are markets.❞
📚 [Saheeh Muslim (1416)] or as the Messenger of Allaah ﷺ said: ❝The two (optional) Rak`aat (before) the Fajr prayer are better than this world and what it contains.❞ [Saheeh Muslim (1573)]
And it may also mean: “that which is entailed by the remembrance of Allaah”, i.e. obedience to Him, and following His Commandments, shunning that which He has forbidden, enjoining good, forbidding evil – because the Dhikr of Allaah inevitably constitutes all this.
So let nothing from this world distance you, or preoccupy you, or make you negligent of the remembrance of Allaah and all that it entails. As Allaah تعالى said:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لا تُلْهِكُمْ أَمْوَالُكُمْ وَلا أَوْلادُكُمْ عَن ذِكْرِ اللَّهِ وَمَن يَفْعَلْ ذَلِكَ فَأُوْلَئِكَ هُمُ الْخَاسِرُونَ
{O you who Believe! Let not your properties or your children divert you from the remembrance of Allaah. And whosoever does that, then they are the losers.}
📚 [Surah al-Munaafiqoon (63): 9]
📚 Source: (Based on the explanation from):
مرقاة المفاتيح شرح مشكاة المصابيح 9/372
فيض القدير شرح الجامع الصغير 3/549
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And his ﷺ saying: ❝…and the scholars and the students (of knowledge).❞, by “scholars” it implies to only those who have learned the Book of Allaah (the Qur’aan), the Sunnah of His Messenger ﷺ, His Commands, and His Sharee`ah; and “students”, i.e. those who are learning them. So everything from this world is distant from Allaah except for the beneficial knowledge which guides towards Allaah.
And these two (scholar and student) are attached with the phrase, “the remembrance of Allaah”. It is like saying: “the world is abhorred, no one remembers Allaah in it except for the one who is engaged in Dhikr (and obedience), and the scholar (of the Sharee`ah) and the student seeking religious knowledge.” Even though the “scholar” and the “student” are included among those who are engaged in “Dhikr of Allaah”, yet they have been mentioned separately to highlight their noble status and great virtue. As the Prophet ﷺ said: ❝The best amongst you is the one who learns the Qur'an and teaches it.❞
📚 [Saheeh al-Bukhaaree]
📑 Conclusion: The meaning of the Hadeeth is: The world and whatever is in it are furthest away from Allaah, and His Mercy, nor does He look at it – abandoned; except for these four categories; and he ﷺ began with “Dhikr of Allaah” because it is the most noblest of deeds.
The Messenger of Allaah ﷺ said: ❝The Hour (Day of Judgment) will not occur until there is no one left to say: ‘Allaah, Allaah’, on earth.❞
📚 [Saheeh Muslim]
And in another Hadeeth, the wording is: ❝The Hour (Resurrection) will not occur until there is no one left to say: *لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ* (Laa ilaaha illallaah, “There is no one worthy of worship except Allaah) on earth.❞
📚 [Mustadrak of al-Haakim]
📑 NOTE: This Hadeeth is from Jawaami` al-Kalim (words which are concise but comprehensive in meaning; the Prophet ﷺ was given the gift of expressing in a few words all the benefits which were written in the previous scriptures), a treasure which speaks about all that is beneficial, and praiseworthy actions, and warns against the vices.
📚 Source: (Based on the explanation from)
التَّنويرُ شَرْحُ الجَامِع الصَّغِيرِ 3/438
مرقاة المفاتيح شرح مشكاة المصابيح 9/372
فيض القدير شرح الجامع الصغير 3/549