The World is a Prison for the Believer

On the 9th of Muharram ul Haram 1435 AH, after Maghrib Salah, a gathering was held in the town of Syed Sarawan Sharif by the arrangements of common public to commemorate the martyrs of Karbala. During the event, a student from Jamia Arifia mentioned the saying in his speech:

"The world is a prison for the believer and a paradise for the disbeliever" (الدنيا سجن المؤمن وجنة الكافر).

In the meantime, the guide and mentor, Huzoor Da'i-e-Islam (may Allah prolong his shadow upon us), graced the gathering with his presence. After the speech concluded, he offered an insightful explanation of this saying. He stated that the world is a prison for the believer, and there seem to be two reasons for this:

1. In this world, a believer cannot follow his desires as he pleases.In contrast, a disbeliever enjoys unrestricted freedom, doing whatever he wishes without concern.

2. When a believer lives according to the commandments of Allah and His Messenger ﷺ and then stands before his Lord and He will reward such obedient servants with immense blessings and unparalleled gift of Paradise. When the believer experiences the vastness and abundance of Paradise, he will look back on his life in this world and realize how constricted it was in comparison. He will say, "Now, I have attained true freedom. Until now, I was confined in a prison."

On the other hand, when the disbeliever tastes the torment of Hellfire, he will come to the bitter realization that the world, with all its fleeting comforts and luxuries, was his paradise and sanctuary.

Wallahu A‘lam bis-Sawab (And Allah knows best).

Checked: By Maulana Saqib Alimi