Worldly life is Prison for the Believer...

Abu Hurairah narrated that the Messenger of Allah (saws) said, “The worldly life is a prison for the believer (in Allah and the final Messenger) and a paradise for the disbeliever (in Allah and the final Messenger).” [Sahih Muslim]

The meaning of the above Hadith:

Imaam An-Nawawi said: "Every believer is imprisoned and prevented – in the worldly life – from evil and repugnant desires and obligated to perform demanding acts of obedience. But after death, he relaxes and receives what Allah promised of permanent bliss and perfect relaxation. As for the disbeliever (in Allah and the final Messenger), he gets what he receives in the worldly life together with the fact that it is very little and disrupted by distress. And after he dies, he finds himself in permanent punishment and eternal wretchedness." [Sharh Saheeh Muslim 18/74]

Imaam Muhammad Ibn Saleh Al-Uthaymeen said: "Regardless how great the affair of the worldly life is – its good days and its dwelling places (surrounded by beautiful trees, plants, scenery  etc), then indeed it is like a prison for the believer, because a believer looks forward to a bliss that is better, more perfect and loftier. As for the disbeliever (in Allah and the final Messenger), the worldly life is his paradise because he enjoys himself in it (i.e. outside the boundaries of halaal and haraam) and forgets the afterlife, and thus becomes like those about whom Allah stated:

"Those who disbelieve enjoy themselves and eat as cattle eat, and the Fire will be their abode." [47:12]

Therefore, when the disbeliever dies, he does not find anything in front of him except the fire and Allah’s punishment, and woe to the people of the fire. So that which is found in the worldly life of distress, grief, sadness and sorrow is like a paradise in relation to the state of affairs of the disbeliever (in Allah and the final Messenger), because he will leave this world to receive Allah’s punishment."

It has been mentioned about Ibn Hajar Al Asqalani – the author of Fathul 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 (saws) 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 Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.

Therefore, we say to the ideologues, Yes indeed freedom is a valuable thing and that is why the believers utilize it to perform deeds that will benefit them in the afterlife, and strive to distance themselves from the chief deceiver shaytaan, because either a person willingly submits to Allah or he is enslaved by other things – desires etc.

Imaam Muhammad Ibn Saleh Al-Uthaymeen said: "If a free person says that he is liberated (or free) and intends by it freedom from slavery to the creation, then yes he is free from slavery to the creation. However, if he intends by this that he is liberated (freed) from servitude to Allah, then indeed he has erred in his understanding of servitude and he does not understand the meaning of freedom because servitude to other than Allah is bondage. As for servitude to Allah, then this is real freedom because if he does not humble himself to Allah, he will humble himself to other than Allah. So he deceives himself when he says that he is free (or liberated) - meaning: he is liberated from obedience to Allah." [Al-Manahi al-Laf’dhiyyah, page:117]