who prepares for the Hereafter becomes the beloved of Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ. The path to the world apparently looks easy due to Nafsani (carnal) desires and high hopes, but its end is very bad. The path to the Hereafter apparently looks tough, but its destination is the beautiful and everlasting place of Paradise. Since the world is very close to us compared to the Hereafter, our heart is very quickly attracted to it, whereas, the Hereafter is after the world, hence people become heedless of it. Remember! It is one of the reasons to call the world by the (name دنیا) world that the world is closer to us than the Hereafter. 

Why world is called world?

Shaykh-e-Tareeqat, Ameer-e-Ahl-e-Sunnat, the founder of Dawat-e-Islami, ‘Allamah Maulana Abu Bilal Muhammad Ilyas Attar Qaadiri Razavi دَامَـتْ بَـرَكَـاتُـهُـمُ الْـعَـالِـيَـه has narrated on page 260 of his book ‘Nayki ki Da’wat’ [Call to Righteousness]: The word (دُنۡيَا) [i.e. the world] literally means ‘closeness’. That is to say, it is called the world because it is closer to humans than the Hereafter, or due to the reason that, it is closer to the heart because of its desires and (carnal) pleasures. (Al-Hadiqa-tun-Nadiyyah, vol. 1, pp. 17)

What is the world?

Sayyiduna ‘Allamah Badruddin ‘Ayni رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ تَـعَالٰی عَـلَيْه has said: Before the home of the Afterlife, all creatures are [referred to as] the world. (‘Umda-tul-Qaari, vol. 1, pp. 52) Therefore from this viewpoint, gold, silver and every essential and inessential thing bought by them is included in the world. (Al-Hadiqa-tun-Nadiyyah, vol. 1, pp. 17)

Which world is good and which is condemnable?

Dear Islamic brothers! Remember! There are three types of worldly things:

1     There are only two worldly things that help a person in the Hereafter and their benefit is obtained even after the death. (1) Knowledge and (2) Deed. Deed means that one should worship Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ with sincerity.