If I Ruled the World

And that's not the way Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى wants you to treat this world. And so Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى throughout the Quran mentions dunya over and over and over again. The life of this world, the life of this world, the life of this world. Illustrating the nature of it, illustrating the way that we should treat it, illustrating the way that we should make use of it.

"And do not forget your share of this world"

Pursue the akhirah, run towards the hereafter:

"Rush to prepare yourself in the hereafter"

But at the same time, don't forget your position in this world. Don't forget what's been presented to you.

And basically the believer sees this dunya as an opportunity to elevate himself in his actual existence, to elevate himself in actual eternity.

The Greatest Spiritual Disease

Now the problem becomes when we condition our belief with our success or failure or ease or hardship in this dunya. And that is the greatest spiritual disease that we have.

And it seems very simple. Subhanallah, it seems like a very simple equation: don't equate hardship in this world with the hatred of Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى. Don't equate test with punishment.

And don't see ease as a sign of goodness so that you become comfortable and complacent. Meaning the way that your status is in the sight of Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى has virtually nothing to do with how your status is in this world. It seems simple enough.

You can talk hours and hours and hours about fitna and the reality of test and trial. But then when you're in that position, suddenly that which was theoretical becomes so difficult to practice. It was so easy when you were listening in the khutbah.

And it was so easy when you were telling that other person, "Hey, you'll get through this. This is a test from Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى." But then it struck you hard and you went, "Whoa! Ya Allah, I know I told that other person to have trust in You. But why are You doing this to me?"

Our Selective Acceptance of Unfairness

And the reality is that in our greed, we're usually okay with the dunya being unfair as long as it's unfair in our favor. Once it becomes unfair against us, then it becomes problematic. As long as it's unfair to 6 billion other people and the rest of the world is burning down and going to hell and all types of things are happening to them, it's okay as long as it's fair to me and I can come to terms with my slate.

But once my slate turns on me, suddenly that which was theoretical becomes so difficult to practice. And you start looking to Allah and you say, "Why? Ya Allah, give me."

The Hadith of Divine Protection

And subhanallah, Sahl ibn Sa'd narrates that the Prophet صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ says:

(Sunan at-Tirmidhi)

"If Allah loves you, He protects him from the dunya. Allah takes him away from the dunya the way that if one of you had a fever or some sort of illness that would be worsened by cold water, but you really, really want that cold water."

I'll never forget, and my wife is here, so I hope she doesn't kill me. But when she was delivering and the nurse was saying that she couldn't have water. And she's looking at me like, "Go get me some water." And I'm like, "I can't."

And the nurse is saying, "You can't have water." And she's looking at me like, "Don't listen to the nurse, go get me some water." Right? And eventually, she's... Alhamdulillah, they settled on ice, right? Just chew the ice or something like that, right?

And I thought about this hadith, subhanallah. Like when you're sick and you really, really, really want water. You really, really want that cold water. But that cold water will increase you in sickness. And the doctor holds it back from you. Knowing that it's not good for your condition right now. But when you're in that pain, can you see outside of that pain? No, that pain is influencing your thought process, your spirituality, your perspective on life, your perspective on death.

You're seeing everything through that lens of pain. And suddenly all you want is, "Ya Allah, get me out of this. Ya Allah, get me out of this pain."

And Allah holds it back from you because He knows it's better for you. Because why would Allah give a drug to an addict and your addiction is dunya? Why would Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى feed your addiction?

The Two Paths to Allah

And many times we think to ourselves, we see a person who's in ease and we see a person who's in hardship. And essentially, and this is one of the very powerful lines of Ibn Ata'illah al-Iskandari رَحِمَهُ اللهُ تَعَالَى

He said that throughout the world's history, Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى overwhelms one group of people with ease and He overwhelms one group of people with hardship and you rarely find people in between. What does that mean?

You know, if you study history, economic inequality is nothing new. People spoke about it before Bernie did. It existed. It's existed throughout our world history. Usually the rich are filthy rich and the poor are really poor.

That's the way the world has worked. The elite usurp the resources that exist in the world and usually the richest people in the world are one or two percent. Now perhaps that inequality gap is larger now than it's ever been before, but it's always existed.

It existed in the society of the Prophet صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ. It existed in this society before now. It's existed throughout most of the world and throughout history that the poor are very poor and that the rich are very very rich.

The Path of Ease vs. The Path of Hardship

And there are two paths to Allah. There is the path of ease which is to be responded to with gratitude in this world. And there's the path of hardship to which the response is patience.

Both of these arrive at Jannah. The majority of people will figure it out in hardship and not in ease. And that's why the majority of Ahl al-Jannah, the majority of the people of Paradise are poor people are فُقَرَاء and مَسَاكِين.

They make up the majority because it's easier to be distracted by wealth than it is to be distracted by hardship. It's far easier.

Now, if these are the two paths to Allah, if I was to present a choice to each and every single one of you and say you can either be put in ease and be grateful or you can be put in hardship and be patient, there isn't a single person in here, I think, that would say, "I'll take the hardship and patience."

Each and every single one of us would say, "Okay, great. Let Allah give us and we'll be in ease and we'll say alhamdulillah, and we'll be all good, right?" That's how each and every single one of us would naturally respond. And we will protest our case to Allah.

"Ya Allah, get me out of this hardship and I will be grateful." But Allah knows what will happen to you. Allah knows what will happen to your personality. Allah knows that if this dunya is given to you, it will distance you. And Allah holds it back. And never equates your situation with your status.

Examples from Surah al-Kahf

Surah al-Kahf, Allah punished a man by giving him an extra garden. Allah loved a couple so He took away their child. Think about that.

If you're that couple and if you're that man whose gardens are increasing, and that couple who just lost a child, and Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى loves that couple. And this person is only further entrenching himself in

disobedience and in disregard and ruining himself in the hereafter. But I want to throw something at you guys inshallah ta'ala with my last few minutes.

Key Principles About Allah's Wisdom

And that is number one, do not ever think that Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى is ever putting you in an unfavorable situation to draw close to Him. What Allah has given you, your share of dunya, your share of hardship, your share of ease, Allah has given you the right slate so that you can respond in the right way. Don't ever think that Allah is putting you in an unfavorable situation.

That's number one.

The Example of Yusuf عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ

Number two, the most noble man in terms of his lineage, in terms of his pure nobility in the worldly sense and also in the hereafter sense. Is who the Prophet صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ said is Yusuf عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ

The Prophet صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ said about Yusuf عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ that he is نَبِيُّ اللَّهِ ابْنُ نَبِيِّ اللَّهِ ابْنُ نَبِيِّ اللَّهِ ابْنُ خَلِيلِ اللَّهِ - the Prophet of Allah, the son of the Prophet of Allah, the son of the Prophet of Allah, the son of the Friend of Allah. There's no man more noble than that.

But subhanallah, the ulama say, look:

"And they sold him for a reduced price - a few dirhams"

Yusuf عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ is pulled out of a well, a slave, the one who's selling him doesn't value him, nor did the one who's purchasing him value him.

Subhanallah, he's the product of a transaction. He's a noble man in the sight of Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى the most noble lineage, a Prophet of Allah. And the one who's selling him just wants to get rid of him, so he only values him at a few coins.

And the one who's purchasing him doesn't see any value in him either, so he gives him a few coins. Yusuf is completely considered devalued in the worldly sense. While still maintaining great nobility in the sight of Allah.

Because this world and everything that is an indicator in this world is worthless to Allah. It is of absolutely no value to Allah.

A Challenge to Our Perspective

But here's the little twist I'm gonna throw at you guys.

Why in the world, why in the world would any of us living in this context that we're in right here allow ourselves the idea or the luxury of dwelling in this idea that we are in the bottom 1% of the world? This group of people that's sitting right here is of the top 1% in terms of privilege in the world. Yet how many of us in our entitlement look to Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى and are saying, "Why me?"

Privileged in regards to our safety and security, privileged in regards to our wealth, because just think about where we are right now and what situation we're in.

Why do we always assume underdog status when we're talking about hardship and ease? Why?

The Story of Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani

And the story that comes to my mind, and it's really mind-blowing because when we're looking at the hardship and the ease, we always again, we say, "Why is it that this person who's a disbeliever, who speaks ill about the deen, who does this and that, why is it that this person has such an easy life? And why is it that that believer has such a difficult life?"

I'm gonna throw a curveball at you guys, alright? Let's switch the occasion around. Let's actually switch the equation. Here's the scenario.

How many of you have heard of al-Hafidh Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani رَحِمَهُ اللهُ تَعَالَى? You know, Tuesday nights at Valley Ranch, we do Fath al-Bari, we do the explanation of Sahih al-Bukhari. The most famous scholar who explains Sahih al-Bukhari is this man Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani.

Great, great, great scholar. You know what else? He was rich, he used to dress elegantly, and he became the qadi of Egypt. He became the judge of Egypt, the great judge of Egypt, of Masr.

And imagine this scenario. Ibn Hajar is walking in the marketplace, the guy is incredibly handsome, he's a good looking man, he's scholarly, you know, he's dressed well, he lives well, he has position in society, and he's walking in the marketplace, and there is a non-Muslim that's selling oil that's used for the lamps. And he's in shabby clothes.

And he looks at Ibn Hajar, and he says to him, "Ya Sheikh, O scholar." He says "What?" He said, "Didn't your prophet صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ say that

(Sahih Muslim)

This world is a prison for the believer, and a paradise for the disbeliever?"

He said, "Yes."

He said, "So what Jannah am I in, and what prison are you in?" Seriously, look at me and look at you. I reject Allah, and he was actually someone that was openly rejecting Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى. "I reject Allah, I reject God, I don't care about this stuff, I don't care about your religion, and I'm living in this misery, in

these shabby clothes, trying to make my way, selling oil for people's lamps, and you, mashallah, scholar, alim (لَا هِجْرَةَ بَعْدَ الْفَتْحِ - la hijrata ba'dal fathi) - there is no explanation after Bukhari, after your explanation apparently, you're amazing, and you live like this, what prison are you in, and what jannah am I in?"

Seriously, the equation has been switched. The disbeliever is asking the believer, "How come you live so well, and I live so bad, if the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said that it's supposed to be the opposite."

Ibn Hajar's Response

And Ibn Hajar, (رحمه الله), he responded, and he says:

"As for me, comparing that which I have, to that which I expect from Allah in the hereafter, I feel like I'm in a prison." Subhanallah. "That which I expect and desire, and that which I hope Allah will give me in the hereafter, I feel like I'm in a prison."

He says:

"And as for you, in regards to that which Allah has promised for people like you that reject Him, that which you're in right now is a jannah."

And the man started to cry, and he came to Ibn Hajar (رحمه الله), and he actually accepted Islam:

"Okay, I get it. I get it."

The True Meaning of the Hadith

What that means is that (الدُّنْيَا سِجْنُ الْمُؤْمِنِ - ad-dunya sijnul mu'min) - that the world is a prison for the believer - does not mean that the believer is inherently unhappy and depressed in this world. What it means is that the believer has so much expectation of Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) in the hereafter. And the believer is so tied to Allah, and his (حُسْنُ الظَّنِّ بِاللَّهِ - husnu adh-dhanni billah) (good expectation of Allah), is so sky high, and his connection to Allah and abandoning of the temporary pleasures of this world is so sky high that he's walking through it and with the ease that comes to him, he says (الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ) and "I will not be deluded by the ease in this world to think this is jannah."

And he restricts himself from the prohibited things. He's imprisoned from the prohibited means of living out his (شهوات - shahawat) (desires). Whereas the person on the other side who continues to reject Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) and still lives a harsh life, even if Allah gave that person a palace, they would still be unhappy.

They would still be in their own jannah. But in the spiritual sense, they'd be in a prison. So yes, (الدُّنْيَا سِجْنُ الْمُؤْمِنِ - ad-dunya sijnul mu'min) the dunya is a prison for the believer, but make no mistake about it, my dear brothers and sisters, the one who connects himself to Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) in this dunya and sees through its flimsy nature is the happiest person in the world.

The True Source of Happiness

As Ibn Sirin (رحمه الله) said when he heard a man say:

"Whoever knows Allah is always depressed."

Meaning if you're a believer, you're always supposed to be sulky and depressed and thinking about death and so on and so forth. And Ibn Sirin responded, he said:

"The one who knows Allah is always in joy."

He's always in joy. And that's the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم).

Closing Du'a

We ask Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) to expose the nature of this dunya to us, to not let us be deluded by it, to not let us be enslaved to it. We ask Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) to give us the best of this dunya, the best of the hereafter and to protect us from the fire of hell.

We ask Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) to make this dunya a means of us excelling in our hereafter and not to make it a means of humiliation for us in the hereafter. As it is in its nature, humiliating and humiliated.

اللهم آمين

السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ