Is your iTunes library full of music or Quran? In this thought-provoking episode of The Deen Show, Shaykh Kamal El-Mekki returns to help viewers evaluate where they stand when it comes to the love of this temporary world (dunya). Using an interactive format, the show examines everyday scenarios to determine whether Muslims are prioritizing their desires over their obligations to Allah. The concept is simple: if it pulls you away from your Creator, it is dunya — and dunya is a distraction you cannot afford.
The Traveler’s Mindset: How to Live in This World Without Being Consumed by It
The Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, taught us to be in this world like a traveler who rests under a tree for a moment before moving on. Shaykh Kamal illustrates this with a powerful analogy: if you are driving from New York to California and you see furniture on sale for almost nothing, would you stop and load up your car? Of course not — your focus is on the destination, not the scenery along the way. Similarly, our focus should be on the Akhirah (Hereafter), not on amassing worldly possessions and pleasures.
“Take from this dunya what you need to make it through the journey. Don’t amass tons of mansions and hundreds of things you don’t need. The Prophet said: be like a traveler who rests under a tree and then moves on.”
Signs You May Be Chasing the Dunya
- Your playlist has more music than Quran recitation and Islamic lectures
- You would rather go to the nightclub than the masjid
- Material possessions and social status are interfering with your obedience to Allah
- You are chasing relationships outside of marriage instead of pursuing what is halal
“In Islam, it’s not that you’re supposed to be a hermit or live in a cave. But the first things first: establish the link with Allah, which is the prayer. The prayer will prevent sins and reprehensible acts.”
Islam does not ask you to abandon the world entirely, but it does demand that you keep this world in its proper place — in your hand, not in your heart. Every rule Allah has given, from growing the beard to establishing the prayer, carries wisdom that becomes clear when you examine it sincerely. The priority for anyone new to Islam, or anyone striving to improve, is simple: establish the prayer first, and everything else will begin to fall into place. Evaluate your life honestly, and where you find the dunya has crept in, make the change before it is too late.
