Deeni vs Duniya (Religious vs Worldly) Actions
A friend shared this incident:
“I was studying A Levels and used to attend a tuition centre 30 minutes drive away from my home. One day I had a test so I arrived half an hour early to avoid being late. Seeing a mosque nearby, I decided to sit inside it and start revising my physics book. It was after zohar payer time (afternoon).
After 10 minutes Imam sahib came up to me and enquired “what are you doing”? I explained that I come for tuition nearby but it is not time yet so I decided to sit here and read my book.
Sorry you cannot read a dunyavee (worldly) book in the Mosque, close it or leave the mosque, I was ordered. So I left without arguing with ‘imam sahib’.”

Can you imagine this was done by a person who was representing Islam as Imam? The way of life whose Prophet Muhammad (SAW) was taught reading as first thing by the angel Jibraael AS. And Who (SAW) freed the prisoners of war on the condition that they teach few illiterate Muslims. Now think about this for a moment; what a non-Muslim prisoner can teach a Muslim? Deen?? No way; so was it duniya??
Forget about ordinary people, even Imam sahibs don’t carry right understanding of actions; there is no such distinction as deen or duniya (deen or world) actions. Islam has a simple criteria of right or wrong; allowed or disallowed. And this covers ALL Actions; be it reading Quran, doing trade in bazaar or reading Physics.
What is Important?
We perform many tasks daily which include ibadaats and other life actions. While doing so we give preference to few over others; or in other words we prioritise these actions as ‘we’ understand their importance. Islam has provided us with a proper order of importance for actions. We generally know this order from Islamic point of view but at times it gets ignored while performing actions.
This is especially true when it comes to ibadaat VS so called worldly actions. This is also true when it comes to comparing Fard (obligations) & Sunnah (Mustahabat, Mandubaat). Let me give few examples:
- Is it not common that many Muslims pray Taravih prayer regularly during Ramadhan but would miss Fard prayers on Eid day or during the rest of the year; an example of misunderstanding the importance of Fard over a mandoub/sunnah?
- Is it not common that many Muslims would fulfil all obligations but won’t care about dealing in Interest (Riba)?
- Is it not common that many traders would pray regularly and perform Hajj and umrah but continue lying and cheating in their dealings?
- Is it not common that all the stolen cars are taken to northern areas of Pakistan? Then these are either given back to the owner on payment of ransom money or dismantled and sold as parts. Many people from other parts of the country visit markets there and buy cheaper spare parts knowingly that these come from stolen cars. How can you buy an engine for 2000 Rs where as its original price is 20,000 Rs? Yet majority people in northern area pray regularly and are considered more religious.
- Is it not common that we spend huge amount of money on Mosque decorations, celebrations? Yet there are 1000’s around us staying hungry every night?
I can wirte 100’s of example but to summarise, if we want to spend this life according to Islam, we need to understand All of our actions from Islam’s point of view. This is the most important subject, and requires be understood from two important aspects. One, the concept of Reward and Punishment, and second, all actions are just ‘Action’, neither good nor bad. Let me explain.