‘The world is a prison for a believer and a paradise for the disbeliever’

Shaykh Muhammad bin Al Uthaymin, mentions a short story in his book, ” The Islamic Awakening”..he writes, Historians mention an interesting incident in the life of Hafiz Ibn Hajr- ( may Allah have mercy on him). He was the judge of Egypt during his era, and when he would go to his place of work, he would arrive in a carriage that was drawn by horses or mules in a procession. One day, he passed by a jew who was a seller of oil, and it was common for a seller of oil to wear dirty clothes. The Jew halted the process and said to Ibn Hajr (may Allah have mercy on him), Indeed, your Prophet says :’ The world is a prison for a believer and a paradise for the disbeliever’. Yet you are the judge of judges of Egypt, in ease comfort and joy, enjoying a position . And here I`m, in this state of punishment and misery , how can this be? ”

In response to his question Al- Hafiz Ibn Hajr intelligently replied :” If this is the situation that I`m in a state of comfort and ease and you are in bad state, then my state here is the state that is like a prison compared to the ease and comfort of paradise. And the misery you are in is paradise when compared to the punishment of hellfire”.

His answer engraved this jewish man`s heart who then embraced Islam..