Flower

Attachment to Dunya - part 1

When people talk about “attachment to the dunya” we generally think about perhaps materialistic or tangible things. What we fail to understand is experiences, moments, people, emotions and memories are all a part of Dunya.

Through these attachments we are usually very dependent on them especially when it comes to fulfilling our needs. Sometimes we use these attachments to define parts of us, to define our feelings, our happiness, our contentment with our lives, our fulfilment, our self love self worth, our safety and security. By setting up these dependencies and temporary attachments we are asking for inevitable disappointment.

Think about the way we would act when we think about someone who we can’t imagine our life without left us. If someone we loved suddenly stopped speaking to us. If one of our loved ones pass away. How we’d act if one of our friends switched up on us.

How long will it take us to move on?

The only place in which we should lay out dependencies is within Allah. Allah is the only one we need in our downfalls. Our relationship with Allah is the only relationship which should determine and define our self worth, happiness, contentment with life, fulfilment, safety and security.

We will never truly attain true peace of mine until we realise only Allah is the source of peace and contentment. We experience emotional rollercoasters as our source of fulfilment is with others rather than Allah. Through this we are essentially allowing dunya to break us. We are placing our hope and expectations in people, in relationships.

“Those who rest not their hope on their meeting with Us, but are pleased and satisfied with the life of the present and those who heed not our signs.” (Qur’aan, 10:7)

To avoid placing your hope in dunya. Don’t expect things from anyone. Do not expect your spouse your friends your family to fulfil your every need, to fill your emptiness, to be the reason for your happiness.

Yes you can seek the help of people, you can seek comfort of people.

But understand these people are only tools, a means used by Allah.

“The people cannot even create the wing of a fly” (Qur’aan, 22:73)

If the heart is protected from endless excessive needs of the Dunya, and there is Taqwa and fear of Allah in the heart, then you will gain contentment (رضى). When you have rida it changes your life. You are no longer chasing dunya. Instead, the Dunya chases you.