Today’s Quranic Word is: Dunya (دُّنْيَا)

As we have seen in the video, the word dunya is usually understood to mean “worldly life”. Sometimes, the worldly life is also referred to as hayyatud dunya.

However, the literal meaning of the word dunya is “closer”. The word dunya is used to refer to this life because the worldly life is closer to us right now compared to life in the hereafter.

Allah constantly reminds us to prepare for the next life while we are in the dunya. That is why He guided us with many different examples of the dunya in the Quran, so that we may better understand this worldly life and how to make the most of it.

In the Quran, Allah gives an example of how fleeting and temporary the worldly life is:

إِنَّمَا مَثَلُ ٱلۡحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنۡيَا كَمَآءٍ أَنزَلۡنَٰهُ مِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ فَٱخۡتَلَطَ بِهِۦ نَبَاتُ ٱلۡأَرۡضِ مِمَّا يَأۡكُلُ ٱلنَّاسُ وَٱلۡأَنۡعَٰمُ حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَآ أَخَذَتِ ٱلۡأَرۡضُ زُخۡرُفَهَا وَٱزَّيَّنَتۡ وَظَنَّ أَهۡلُهَآ أَنَّهُمۡ قَٰدِرُونَ عَلَيۡهَآ أَتَىٰهَآ أَمۡرُنَا لَيۡلًا أَوۡ نَهَارٗا فَجَعَلۡنَٰهَا حَصِيدٗا كَأَن لَّمۡ تَغۡنَ بِٱلۡأَمۡسِۚ كَذَٰلِكَ نُفَصِّلُ ٱلۡأٓيَٰتِ لِقَوۡمٖ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ

[Surah 10:24]

The example of [this] worldly life is but like rain which We have sent down from the sky that the plants of the earth absorb – [those] from which men and livestock eat – until, when the earth has taken on its adornment and is beautified and its people suppose that they have capability over it, there comes to it Our command by night or by day, and We make it as a harvest, as if it had not flourished yesterday. Thus do We explain in detail the signs for a people who give thought.

Allah also described this worldly life as being an amusement, diversion, and delusion.

ٱعۡلَمُوٓاْ أَنَّمَا ٱلۡحَيَوٰةُ ٱلدُّنۡيَا لَعِبٞ وَلَهۡوٞ وَزِينَةٞ وَتَفَاخُرُۢ بَيۡنَكُمۡ وَتَكَاثُرٞ فِي ٱلۡأَمۡوَٰلِ وَٱلۡأَوۡلَٰدِۖ كَمَثَلِ غَيۡثٍ أَعۡجَبَ ٱلۡكُفَّارَ نَبَاتُهُۥ ثُمَّ يَهِيجُ فَتَرَىٰهُ مُصۡفَرّٗا ثُمَّ يَكُونُ حُطَٰمٗاۖ وَفِي ٱلۡأٓخِرَةِ عَذَابٞ شَدِيدٞ وَمَغۡفِرَةٞ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ وَرِضۡوَٰنٞۚ وَمَا ٱلۡحَيَوٰةُ ٱلدُّنۡيَآ إِلَّا مَتَٰعُ ٱلۡغُرُورِ

[Surah 57:20]

Know that the life of this world is but amusement and diversion and adornment and boasting to one another and competition in increase of wealth and children – like the example of a rain whose [resulting] plant growth pleases the tillers; then it dries and you see it turned yellow; then it becomes [scattered] debris. And in the Hereafter is severe punishment and forgiveness from Allah and approval. And what is the worldly life except the enjoyment of delusion.

Beware of Excessive Indulgence in the Worldly Life

Today, there are so many things that divert us from the reality that this life is temporary. It is common to see people excessively indulging in the delusion of enjoyment that this world holds. For example, spending hours on social media or entertainment, which consumes our time whilst distracting us from the remembrance of Allah.

Muslims should not be carried away from the remembrance of Allah by these temporal things and fear their Lord in the proper way He should be feared. Allah says:

يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّاسُ ٱتَّقُواْ رَبَّكُمۡ وَٱخۡشَوۡاْ يَوۡمٗا لَّا يَجۡزِي وَالِدٌ عَن وَلَدِهِۦ وَلَا مَوۡلُودٌ هُوَ جَازٍ عَن وَالِدِهِۦ شَيۡـًٔاۚ إِنَّ وَعۡدَ ٱللَّهِ حَقّٞۖ فَلَا تَغُرَّنَّكُمُ ٱلۡحَيَوٰةُ ٱلدُّنۡيَا وَلَا يَغُرَّنَّكُم بِٱللَّهِ ٱلۡغَرُورُ

[31:33]

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.

This does not mean we should leave entirely what Allah permitted of food, drink, clothing, dwelling places, and women. The Prophet, peace be upon him, confirmed to us that your Lord has rights over you, your body has rights over you, and your family has rights over you – so give each one of them their due.

قَالَ لَهُ سَلْمَانُ قُمِ الآنَ فَقَامَا فَصَلَّيَا فَقَالَ إِنَّ لِنَفْسِكَ عَلَيْكَ حَقًّا وَلِرَبِّكَ عَلَيْكَ حَقًّا وَلِضَيْفِكَ عَلَيْكَ حَقًّا وَإِنَّ لأَهْلِكَ عَلَيْكَ حَقًّا فَأَعْطِ كُلَّ ذِي حَقٍّ حَقَّهُ ‏.‏ فَأَتَيَا النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَذَكَرَا ذَلِكَ فَقَالَ لَهُ ‏ ‘‏صَدَقَ سَلْمَانُ’ ‏”

[Sahih Darussalam]

“Then he (Salman) said: ‘Indeed your self has a right upon you, your Lord has a right upon you, your guest has a right upon you, and your family has a right upon you. So give each the right they are due. The Prophet (s.a.w), and that was mentioned to him, so he said: ‘Salman has told the truth.’

However, it is important to remain sincere and steadfast when enjoying the blessings that Allah gave us. This is so they can become a vehicle that draws us closer to Him on this journey to seek the final home of the Hereafter.

وَٱبۡتَغِ فِيمَآ ءَاتَىٰكَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلدَّارَ ٱلۡأٓخِرَةَۖ وَلَا تَنسَ نَصِيبَكَ مِنَ ٱلدُّنۡيَاۖ وَأَحۡسِن كَمَآ أَحۡسَنَ ٱللَّهُ إِلَيۡكَۖ وَلَا تَبۡغِ ٱلۡفَسَادَ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِۖ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يُحِبُّ ٱلۡمُفۡسِدِينَ

[Surah 28:77]

But seek, through that which Allah has given you, the home of the Hereafter; and [yet], do not forget your share of the world. And do good as Allah has done good to you. And desire not corruption in the land. Indeed, Allah does not like corrupters.”

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The Story of a Person Deceived by the World

In Surah Al-Qasas, Allah told us the story of Qaroon whom He had blessed with the bounties of this world. Qaroon was once among the followers of Prophet Musa, may peace and blessings be upon him. He was even the cousin of this great prophet. However, the world he was given deceived him and he acted arrogantly toward Allah.

It has been reported in Tafseer Ibnu Katheer that the keys to Qaroon’s treasure were made of leather, each key like a finger and each one of them was for a separate storeroom. When he traveled anywhere, the keys were carried on 60 mules with white blazes on their foreheads and white feet.

But Qaroon adamantly said that his blessings were a result of the knowledge he had acquired and he did not attribute anything to Allah. He walked out among his people in a state of pride. Those who desired this worldly life wanted what he had but those who had been given knowledge thought differently. Because of his pride, Allah caused the earth to swallow him.

This story reminds us that although we strive for success in this dunya, we should always stay focused on the Afterlife and not on the distractions of this life.  For Allah SWT reminds us:

بَلۡ تُؤۡثِرُونَ ٱلۡحَيَوٰةَ ٱلدُّنۡيَا – وَٱلۡأٓخِرَةُ خَيۡرٌ وَأَبۡقَىٰٓ

[Quran 87:16-17]

But you prefer the worldly life, While the Hereafter is better and more enduring.

Allah revealed to us that there are two types of people:

Those who seek this dunya alone and those who seek both the dunya and the Hereafter. The latter ones are the best of them. Allah says:

فَإِذَا قَضَيۡتُم مَّنَٰسِكَكُمۡ فَٱذۡكُرُواْ ٱللَّهَ كَذِكۡرِكُمۡ ءَابَآءَكُمۡ أَوۡ أَشَدَّ ذِكۡرٗاۗ فَمِنَ ٱلنَّاسِ مَن يَقُولُ رَبَّنَآ ءَاتِنَا فِي ٱلدُّنۡيَا وَمَا لَهُۥ فِي

ٱلۡأٓخِرَةِ مِنۡ خَلَٰقٍ

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وَمِنۡهُم مَّن يَقُولُ رَبَّنَآ ءَاتِنَا فِي ٱلدُّنۡيَا حَسَنَةٗ وَفِي ٱلۡأٓخِرَةِ حَسَنَةٗ وَقِنَا عَذَابَ ٱلنَّار

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أُوْلَٰٓئِكَ لَهُمۡ نَصِيبٌ مِّمَّا كَسَبُواْۚ وَٱللَّهُ سَرِيعُ ٱلۡحِسَابِ

[2:200-201]

And when you have completed your rites, remember Allah like your [previous] remembrance of your fathers or with [much] greater remembrance. And among the people is he who says, “Our Lord, give us in this world,” and he will have in the Hereafter no share.

But among them is he who says, “Our Lord, give us in this world [that which is] good and in the Hereafter [that which is] good and protect us from the punishment of the Fire.”

Those will have a share of what they have earned, and Allah is swift in account.

May Allah make us among those who strive for the pleasure of Allah. Ameen.

Conjugations of Dunya (دُنْيا) found in the Quran

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Has this article helped remind you of our true purpose in the dunya?

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