“The worldly life is a prison for the believer and a paradise for the disbeliever” – Ibn Hajar Al Asqalaani Explains to a Yahoodi
Abu Hurairah [may Allaah be pleased with him] narrated that the Messenger of Allaah [peace and blessings be upon him], said, “The worldly life is a prison for the believer [in Allaah and the final Messenger] and a paradise for the disbeliever [in Allaah and the final Messenger]”.
It has been mentioned about Ibn Hajar Al Asqalaani – the author of Fat’hul Baari – that he used to be the chief of the judges in Egypt in his era, and he used go past the market with an entourage.
So, one day a Yahoodi stopped him and said, “Your Prophet said, ‘The worldly life is a prison of the believer and paradise of the disbeliever’, and how can this be the case whilst you are in a state of luxury and joy, and I am in a state of extreme poverty and low status?”
So, Ibn Hajr said to him, “If in your view I am in state of joy and that people are at my service, then this state is a prison in comparison to what a believer will receive of bliss in Paradise. As for yourself, even though you are in state of extreme poverty and low status, then it is like paradise in comparison to what a disbeliever will receive in the fire”.
So, the Yahoodi was amazed by this statement and then testified that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allaah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allaah.
