Renewal of the Heart and Soul

Phase 3 – Cleansing the Soul: Letting Go to Grow

Love of the Dunya vs Love of Allah

Respected listeners, we have been on a journey of cleansing. We diagnosed the sicknesses of the heart. We repented sincerely. We forgave others and released our grudges. We tasted the peace of a clean heart.

But now we must confront the deepest, most subtle sickness of all. The one that lurks beneath every other disease. The one that, if left unchecked, can undo all our progress. That sickness is the love of this world—al-dunya.

Today, we speak about the greatest battle within the believer: Love of the Dunya vs Love of Allah.

What is the dunya? It is not just money and possessions. It is everything that distracts you from Allah. It is your career, your reputation, your relationships, your comforts, your entertainment — when they take the place in your heart that only Allah should occupy.

The Prophet ﷺ warned us with a clarity that should shake us awake:

“حُبُّ الدُّنْيَا رَأْسُ كُلِّ خَطِيئَةٍ”

“The love of this world is the root of every sin.” (Reported in various collections)

Think about this. Every sin, every disobedience, every distance from Allah can be traced back to loving something in this world more than you love Allah ﷻ. You skip prayer because you love sleep or work more. You lie because you love your reputation more. You cheat because you love money more. You hold grudges because you love your ego more.

The dunya is not evil in itself. It is a test. Allah created it and placed us in it. But the moment our heart becomes attached to it, the moment we prioritize it over Him, it becomes a poison.

Allah ﷻ describes the reality of this world:

“اعْلَمُوا أَنَّمَا الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا لَعِبٌ وَلَهْوٌ وَزِينَةٌ وَتَفَاخُرٌ بَيْنَكُمْ وَتَكَاثُرٌ فِي الْأَمْوَالِ وَالْأَوْلَادِ”

“Know that the life of this world is but play and amusement, and adornment and boasting among you, and competition in increase of wealth and children.” (Surah Al-Hadid, 57:20)

Play. Amusement. Adornment. Boasting. Competition. These are the characteristics of the dunya. They are not inherently wrong, but they are fleeting. They end. And if they become your goal, you have traded eternity for a moment.

The Competing Loves

The human heart was designed to love. It must love. The question is not whether you will love, but what you will love. Will you love the Creator or the creation? Will you love the eternal or the temporary? Will you love the Giver or the gifts?

Allah presents this as a clear choice:

“قُلْ إِن كَانَ آبَاؤُكُمْ وَأَبْنَاؤُكُمْ وَإِخْوَانُكُمْ وَأَزْوَاجُكُمْ وَعَشِيرَتُكُمْ وَأَمْوَالٌ اقْتَرَفْتُمُوهَا وَتِجَارَةٌ تَخْشَوْنَ كَسَادَهَا وَمَسَاكِنُ تَرْضَوْنَهَا أَحَبَّ إِلَيْكُم مِّنَ اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ وَجِهَادٍ فِي سَبِيلِهِ فَتَرَبَّصُوا حَتَّىٰ يَأْتِيَ اللَّهُ بِأَمْرِهِ”

“Say, if your fathers, your sons, your brothers, your wives, your relatives, wealth which you have obtained, commerce wherein you fear decline, and dwellings with which you are pleased are more beloved to you than Allah and His Messenger and striving in His cause, then wait until Allah executes His command.” (Surah At-Tawbah, 9: 24)

This is not a minor warning. It is a declaration that our love will be tested. And the results of that test have eternal consequences.

Signs That You Love the Dunya Too Much

How do you know if the dunya has captured your heart? Here are some signs:

• You are devastated by worldly losses but unmoved by spiritual losses.
• You worry more about your provision than about your prayers.
• You constantly compare yourself to those who have more, never to those who have less.
• You find it easy to miss prayers but hard to miss meals.
• You think more about your retirement than about your grave.

The Prophet ﷺ described the one enslaved by the dunya:

“تَعِسَ عَبْدُ الدِّينَارِ وَعَبْدُ الدِّرْهَمِ وَعَبْدُ الْخَمِيصَةِ”

“Perish the slave of the dinar, the slave of the dirham, and the slave of fine clothing.” (Sahih al-Bukhari)

A slave is someone who is owned. If your heart is owned by money, by status, by possessions — you are not free. You are a slave to the dunya.

The Way Out

The cure for love of dunya is not to hate the world. It is to love Allah more. When your heart is full of love for Him, everything else falls into its proper place. You still enjoy the blessings of this world, but you are not attached to them. They pass through your hands but not your heart.

My brothers and sisters, examine your heart. What do you truly love? Where does your heart run? Let this Ramadhan be the moment you reorient your love toward its only worthy object.

“وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَشَدُّ حُبًّا لِّلَّهِ”

“But those who believe are stronger in love for Allah.” (Surah Al-Baqarah, 2: 165)

May Allah make us among them. Ameen.