6 Steps to Balance Deen and Dunya

 

Do you ever find yourself all caught up with work and other worldly issues that you forget about the Akhira (the hereafter)? Are you engaging in a great deal of good deeds that you forget and neglect your family and financial responsibilities? If you answered yes to one of these questions, it’s okay, you’re not alone. But if you’re the type of person who comes in between, then you’re on the right track. It’s best for you if you coordinate both Deen and Dunya together and not do one thing on the expense of the other.

Some people think that if you want the Akhira you would have to forget about the Dunya because you can’t waste any time on it. Our greatest references in life are the Qur’an, the words of Allah (swt), and the Sunnah, the way of living of our Prophet Muhammad (saw). Both the Qur’an and Sunnah never mentioned that you should totally overlook Dunya just to focus on working for Al Akhira, nor the opposite. That’s because we need this Dunya in order to practice our Deen in. Our Deen was meant to be applied in this Dunya; there won’t be a need to apply in the hereafter.

Islam is middle path, simple, and balanced. This Deen encompasses all the aspects of our life, including financial, social issues, political matters, health, spirituality, manners, and human rights. It’s a legislation that preserves the order of our life. Due to its moderation, it asks us to interconnect them both for our lives to be successful and worthy of Paradise.

There’s no Dunya without Deen, and there’s no Deen without Dunya. They’re inseparable. They’re attached like your body and soul; the Dunya being the body and the Deen being your soul. So, just as a person dies when his soul leaves his body, a person metaphorically dies when his Deen and Dunya separate. That’s why those who think they should focus on Deen alone if they want the Akhira, and those who are absorbed in Dunya and are too busy to improve their Deen because they’re taking care of their worldly needs, have got it all wrong and don’t truly understand the reason of their existence.

Even your Dunya matters can be rewarded in Deen if you make your intention to serve Allah (swt) with it. Let’s say you’re a student. You’ll be regularly busy studying lectures, doing projects, preparing for exams, researching to increase your knowledge, and that sort of stuff. Hence, you have minimal time for developing your Deen a bit more. But, if you intend to do that for the sake of Allah (swt), you’ll be rewarded for that in shaa Allah. So, take the decision that you’re going to accomplish your studies and attain higher education in order to benefit muslims in specific, and humanity in general, and you will be rewarded for that intention in shaa Allah. And if you’re a mother, you’ll also be able to get rewarded for your duties if you seek Allah’s pleasure with them. Teaching your kids, cleaning your house, cooking for your husband and children, taking care of certain errands, and other responsibilities, can all be rewarded by Allah (swt) even if they’re not Deen related.

Hence, if your intention is right, there should be no struggle is balancing between Deen and Dunya. If you do that, then you’ll live in this Dunya and have a great time and still earn Paradise in the hereafter in shaa Allah. After all, Allah (swt) doesn’t want us not to enjoy our life while we’re still in Dunya. He certainly doesn’t ask us to cut ourselves from Dunya to be able to win Paradise in the hereafter! We have to make the most out of this world to earn it; thus engage in it.

If you were to ask “How can I create that balance between Deen and Dunya?”, I would say “It’s simple”. Just weigh every action you want to do against the Qur’an and Sunnah. Would Allah (swt) accept it? Would the Prophet Muhammad (saw) accept it? If it’s approved by both, then you’re allowed to do that action. If it’s despised, then you shouldn’t do it. If a person would weigh his every action this way, he’ll have peace and harmony in his Dunya and hereafter in shaa Allah.

Another important key to attain this balance is to keep the Akhira on top of our priorities and this will guarantee us both Dunya and the Akhira. Ibn Al-Qayyim says:

This Dunya (world) is like a shadow, run after it and you will never be able to catch it, turn your back against it and it has no choice but to follow you.

As simple as that! What more do you want? Just turn your back and it’ll come right after you without any effort! On the other hand, if you exert that effort to catch whatever it is you’re after in Dunya, it’ll run away from you. No matter how much you try you won’t be able to keep up with it.

Now we come to the important part that you’re probably waiting for; the steps you need to follow for you to have that balance between Deen and Dunya. Keep in mind that these steps will grant you both Dunya and the Akhira in shaa Allah. And if you do what Allah (swt) asked us to, He will reward you with more than you deserve because Allah (swt) is generous.

1. Do Faridah

A Fard or Faridah is the religious duty commanded by Allah (swt) for us to fulfill through definite and clear evidence stated in the Qur’an and Sunnah. We are obliged to do them because they are the basics of Islam. These Faridah’s include: praying your daily 5 prayers, making wudu, fasting Ramadan, wearing hijab, paying Zakat when you’re supposed to, doing Hajj if you can, and others. It’s very important that you start by doing your Faridah on a regular basis because they’re the foundation to your life onto which you’ll be building the other good deeds you plan to do. Allah (swt) says:

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ حَقَّ تُقَاتِهِ وَلَا تَمُوتُنَّ إِلَّا وَأَنْتُمْ مُسْلِمُونَ
O you who have believed, fear Allah as He should be feared and do not die except as Muslims [in submission to Him].

[Surat Ali-Imran : 102]
And to truly believe in and submit to Allah, you must perform all the Faridah’s that are required by a muslim.

2. Follow the Sunnah

The Sunnah is everything that was done by prophet Muhammad (saw) and was narrated to us so we can follow his lead. Some Ibada’s weren’t explained explicitly in the Qur’an but were illustrated by prophet Muhammad’s (saw) actions and sayings. Allah (swt) says:

لَقَدْ كَانَ لَكُمْ فِي رَسُولِ اللَّهِ أُسْوَةٌ حَسَنَةٌ لِمَنْ كَانَ يَرْجُو اللَّهَ وَالْيَوْمَ الْآخِرَ وَذَكَرَ اللَّهَ كَثِيرًا
There has certainly been for you in the Messenger of Allah an excellent pattern for anyone whose hope is in Allah and the Last Day and [who] remembers Allah often.

[Surat Al-Ahzab : 21]
So, if you follow the Sunnah, be sure that you’ll be at your excellent behavior because every good deed and action comes from prophet Muhammad’s (saw) Sunnah. Hence, you’ll attain more balance between Deen and Dunya since following the Sunnah means taking and adopting what’s good for both the Dunya and the Akhira.

3. Leave Sins and Harams

Allah (swt) says:

فَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُمْ وَاسْمَعُوا وَأَطِيعُوا وَأَنْفِقُوا خَيْرًا لِأَنْفُسِكُمْ ۗ وَمَنْ يُوقَ شُحَّ نَفْسِهِ فَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ
So fear Allah as much as you are able and listen and obey and spend [in the way of Allah ]; it is better for yourselves. And whoever is protected from the stinginess of his soul – it is those who will be the successful.

[Surat At-Taghabun : 16]
Hence, it’s very important to stop doing all the bad things you might usually do in your everyday life. Don’t think too hard about how you can add good deeds into your daily life until you get rid of the bad ones. That’s when you’ll be sure you’re doing it all right. Think about prophet Muhammad (saw) whenever you intend to do anything. Did he do that when he was still alive? If you were to do that and prophet Muhammad (saw) was sitting right next to you, what would he think and say to you? If it was something that he wouldn’t approve of (and neither would Allah (swt) of course), I’m sure you’ll be shy enough not to do it. Of course, we’re still human, so we’ll still make mistakes. But whenever you do you can always repent and ask Allah (swt) to forgive you. Some of these include:

• Do no harm to anyone
• Don’t despair or be despondent
• Don’t disregard Allah (swt)’s punishment when you do wrong
• Don’t disobey your parents or break family relations
• Don’t take what’s not yours especially what’s for orphans
• Don’t drink liquor or gamble
• Don’t listen to music or sing
• Don’t lie or conceal evidence when it’s needed
• Don’t give false oath or testimony
• Don’t break a promise or be dishonest
• Don’t steal or cheat
• Don’t consume bribes or not fulfill other people’s rights
• Don’t help the oppressors or not help the oppressed
• Don’t extravagance or show pride or arrogance
• Don’t eat non-halal food
• Don’t omit prayer intentionally
• Don’t not pay Zakat
• Don’t backbite or tale tell
• Don’t insult others or fight with other muslims
• Don’t disrespect Islam
• And many more.

4. Do Simple Small Things

Every small deed counts. You don’t have to just do major things to be considered doing good for your Deen. Some of these include:

• Perfect your prayer
• Read more Qur’an
• Voluntarily fast on Monday’s and Thursday’s
• Memorize some Duaa’s
• Make a lot of remembrance of Allah (swt)
• Try to be honest in your workplace
• Be kind to your mother and family
• Remove any harm from the road
• Play with children to make them happy
• Listen to elderly and ask about their needs
• Feed the homeless, etc.

Allah (swt) says:

قُلْ يَا عِبَادِ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا رَبَّكُمْ لِلَّذِينَ أَحْسَنُوا فِي هَٰذِهِ الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةٌ وَأَرْضُ اللَّهِ وَاسِعَةٌ إِنَّمَا يُوَفَّى الصَّابِرُونَ أَجْرَهُم بِغَيْرِ حِسَابٍ
Say, “O My servants who have believed, fear your Lord. For those who do good in this world is good, and the earth of Allah is spacious. Indeed, the patient will be given their reward without account.”

[Surat Az-Zumar : 10]
So, if you believe in Allah (swt) and fear Him, do good in this world. All of the small actions will bring us bonuses in this world and the next in shaa Allah. Plus, you’ll feel fulfilled and happy about yourself and you’ll want to take advantage of every little thing to become a better individual and muslim in society. After all, it all starts with the small things, and those small deeds build up to bigger ones and greater rewards in shaa Allah.

5. Have Fun within Limits

Islam isn’t about being serious all the time and not having fun with your loved ones. On the contrary, even prophet Muhammad (saw) used to play and race with his wife Aisha (radiAllahu anha). The secret to having fun and enjoying your time in this Dunya is to do it within the limits of the Qur’an and Sunnah. So, have fun but don’t do that if it violates any rules.
Some types of fun and entertainment you could engage in are:

• Socializing: Spending time with your family, friends of the same gender, children, spouse, etc.
• Eating out: Go out to restaurants and enjoy your favorite food with your favorite company. It’s also very fun to try new kinds of food, as long as it’s halal!

• Reading: There’s nothing more relaxing than grabbing a book and enjoying where it takes your mind to.
• Going out: Go out and enjoy nature. Go hiking, cycling, traveling, exploring, or just resting beneath the shades of a tree. It’s very mind- and body-relaxing!
• Gaming: Gather around with your family or friends and play games. You have a wide selection of them; board games like Chess or Checkers, computer games, video games, strategy games like Scrabble or Monopoly, etc.
• Sporting: You can do a bunch of fun sports that are also good for your health. You can go swimming, horse-riding, skating, ball sporting, team sporting, etc.

6. Spend About 30 Minutes Daily in Doing Nawafil

Nawafil are the extra Ibada’s that we perform because the prophet Muhammad (saw) did so too. These Nawafil help us stay balanced and motivated. They help us continue walking on the right track and remain in the state of not shifting back and getting caught up in Dunya. Hence, we need to make more Thikr, Tasabeeh, Duaa’s, etc. Allah (swt) says:

فَإِذَا فَرَغْتَ فَانْصَبْ
So when you have finished [your duties], then stand up [for worship].

[Surat Al-Sharh : 7]

وَإِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ فَارْغَبْ
And to your Lord direct [your] longing.

[Surat Al-Sharh : 8]
So, in our free time, we should turn back to Allah (swt) to show our devotion and perform extra Ibada’s, hoping that He (swt) would accept them in shaa Allah. Moreover, Allah (swt) says:

الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَتَطْمَئِنُّ قُلُوبُهُم بِذِكْرِ اللَّهِ أَلَا بِذِكْرِ اللَّهِ تَطْمَئِنُّ الْقُلُوبُ
Those who have believed and whose hearts are assured by the remembrance of Allah. Unquestionably, by the remembrance of Allah hearts are assured.

[Surat Ar-Ra’d : 28]
We should remember Allah as often as possible because only then will our hearts be at ease.

Finally, we should acknowledge that if we only seek Dunya, we won’t get Dunya nor will we get the Akhira. However, if we want the Akhira, we’ll get both Dunya and Akhira in shaa Allah. Allah (swt) says:

وَابْتَغِ فِيمَا آتَاكَ اللَّهُ الدَّارَ الْآخِرَةَ وَلَا تَنسَ نَصِيبَكَ مِنَ الدُّنْيَا وَأَحْسِن كَمَا أَحْسَنَ اللَّهُ إِلَيْكَ وَلَا تَبْغِ الْفَسَادَ فِي الْأَرْضِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يُحِبُّ الْمُفْسِدِينَ
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.”

[Surat Al-Qasas : 77]
and

تِلْكَ الدَّارُ الْآخِرَةُ نَجْعَلُهَا لِلَّذِينَ لَا يُرِيدُونَ عُلُوًّا فِي الْأَرْضِ وَلَا فَسَادًا ۚ وَالْعَاقِبَةُ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ
That home of the Hereafter We assign to those who do not desire exaltedness upon the earth or corruption. And the [best] outcome is for the righteous.

[Surat Al-Qasas : 83]
So, what are you waiting for? Make sure you have the spiritual mindset of a winner in the hereafter in shaa Allah!

Jazakum Allah khayr for taking the time to read this blog post. I hope it was of benefit to you. If you liked it, give it a share! Peace.