حُبّ الدُّنْيَا
Love of the World
Hubb ad-Dunya
Definition
Hubb ad-Dunya is excessive attachment to worldly life - its pleasures, possessions, and status - at the expense of preparation for the Hereafter. It is the root of all sins, as the Prophet described it as the head of every error. This does not mean abandoning the world, but rather having the world in one's hand, not in one's heart.
Signs & Symptoms
- 1Constantly thinking about wealth, possessions, and material goals
- 2Delaying religious obligations for worldly pursuits
- 3Feeling more anxiety about worldly losses than spiritual decline
- 4Inability to sacrifice wealth or time for the sake of Allah
- 5Finding excuses to miss prayers, skip fasting, or delay Hajj
- 6Measuring success and worth by material standards
Dangers & Consequences
- It is the root of all spiritual diseases and sins
- It makes death terrifying instead of a meeting with Allah
- It breeds cowardice and prevents standing for truth
- It leads to haram income and transgression of others' rights
- It causes the ummah's weakness as the Prophet prophesied
Quranic Warnings
اعْلَمُوا أَنَّمَا الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا لَعِبٌ وَلَهْوٌ وَزِينَةٌ وَتَفَاخُرٌ بَيْنَكُمْ وَتَكَاثُرٌ فِي الْأَمْوَالِ وَالْأَوْلَادِ
“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.”
بَلْ تُؤْثِرُونَ الْحَيَاةَ الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةُ خَيْرٌ وَأَبْقَىٰ
“But you prefer the worldly life, while the Hereafter is better and more enduring.”
وَمَا الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا إِلَّا مَتَاعُ الْغُرُورِ
“And what is the worldly life except the enjoyment of delusion.”
Prophetic Guidance
Narrated by Attributed to the Prophet
حُبُّ الدُّنْيَا رَأْسُ كُلِّ خَطِيئَةٍ
“Love of the world is the head of every error.”
Narrated by Thawban
يُوشِكُ الْأُمَمُ أَنْ تَدَاعَى عَلَيْكُمْ كَمَا تَدَاعَى الْأَكَلَةُ إِلَى قَصْعَتِهَا
“The nations will soon call one another against you, just as people call one another to share from a dish of food. They asked: Will that be because of our small numbers? He said: No, you will be numerous but like foam on a river. And Allah will remove the fear of you from the chests of your enemies and cast wahn into your hearts. They asked: What is wahn? He said: Love of the world and hatred of death.”
Stories of the Righteous
Learn from those who came before
Steps to Cure Love of the World
Dua for Cure
اللَّهُمَّ اجْعَلِ الدُّنْيَا فِي يَدِي وَلَا تَجْعَلْهَا فِي قَلْبِي
Recite this dua regularly and with sincerity
Sources & References
5 sources cited on this page