Why most people think that to follow Islam we have to stay away from all worldly desires and needs! Most of us believe that if we have to be religious and pious we must avoid all worldly requirements and wishes! In other words we can follow one at a time, either Deen or Duniya.
There is a misunderstanding among many people that Islam is tough and a difficult religion to follow. In fact, Islam is not an ascetic religion that expects its followers to abandon the world and worship Allah all day and night in a cave.
Instead Islam forbids such tendency in behavior to develop and encourages people to interact with society and live normal lives within the boundaries set by Allah.
Perhaps most of the people avoid meeting friends, relatives and neighbors, because they believe that if they indulge in meeting people they will not be able to perform their religious duties well.
Likewise we always hear women complaining about load of house-chores, husband’s and children’s everyday duties, so the excuse, they hardly find time to fulfill spiritual responsibilities.
Since Islam is a simple and straight forward religion, so it gives emphasis to all Muslims to live a simple and humble life as well. We are never asked to do something beyond our capacity, we are never asked to give up our genuine worldly desires, abilities, social lives or money, we are never asked to pray all day and night or fast the whole year…in fact such things are prohibited.
Allah ordains in the Quran:
“Allah intends for you ease, and does not want to make things difficult for you” (Surah Al Baqara: 185]; and “Allah does not want to place you in difficulty” (Surah Al Maedah: 06).
Islam emphasizes that we live a balanced life in this world, fulfilling our obligations and duties to Allah as well as our responsibilities towards society and even our own selves.
Thus Islam obliges us to worship Allah only, to be good to the rest of the creation, never harm others, stay away from all types of prohibited matters and have honest character and personality.
None of these things is beyond human capabilities or unusual, there is nothing prohibited that is necessary in our lives, rather only that which is defeating to accomplished human life.
If we see through Islamic point of view, every act we do whether big or small are counted in our good deeds (hasanat), like cooking, cleaning, bringing up kids, serving the family, visiting relatives and neighbors, helping the needy, visiting the sick, even a smile is a sadaqah to be rewarded by Allah.
Obviously Islam guides us to worship Allah only, pray five times a day, fast one month a year, give two and a half percent of our excess wealth in charity, make Hajj once in lifetime (if possible) and keep away from all forbidden acts. None of these is beyond human capability.
A man once asked the Messenger of Allah (pbuh), “Do you think that if I only perform the obligatory prayers, fast the whole month of Ramadan, treat as lawful that which is lawful and treat as forbidden that which is forbidden, and do nothing further, shall I enter paradise?
He (pbuh) replied, “Yes!” (Muslim)
In fact, our prophet (pbuh) resisted any tendency towards religious excessiveness. He once said to his close companion Abdullah ibn ‘Amr:
“Have I heard right that you fast every day and stand in prayer all night?”
Abdullah replied:
“Yes, O Messenger of Allah”
The Prophet (pbuh) said:
“Do not do that. Fast, as well as, eat and drink. Stand in prayer, as well as, sleep. This is because your body has a right upon you, your eyes have a right upon you, your wife has a right upon you, and your guest has a right upon you.” (Al-Bukhari, 127)
Allah not only wants us to enjoy ourselves in the Hereafter but also in this world.
He mentions in the Quran to pray for both, this world and hereafter:
“Our Lord, give us what is good in this world and also what is good in the Hereafter” (Surah Al Baqara: 201)
Furthermore He says:
“O you who believe! Make not unlawful the good things Allah has made lawful to you. But commit no excess, for Allah does not like those given to excess. Eat of the things which Allah has provided you, lawful and good, but fear Allah, in whom you believe”’ (Surah Al Maedah: 87-88).
It is substantial to maintain a balance between the various obligations… our obligations to Allah, our obligations towards others and ourselves. Allah has formed a natural equilibrium amid what is easy to follow for humans and what is the minimal obligation needed to be a morally, ethically and spiritually pious person.
The most significant aspect of Islam is that it is a religion that is concerned with both this life as well as the hereafter. Islam is about moderation in each and every affair whether religious or otherwise.
Thus we, as Muslims and true believers, must be careful that our acts are within the framework set by Allah, and the essence of message in Islam is to lead a life in balance avoiding excessiveness and recklessness. This is very much practical, simple and rewarding too.
Question: How do we balance Deen and Dunya? In dunya we have our work, our wives and children. How do we strike a balance?
Answer: Our Deen does not tell us to shun society and live in caves. On the contrary, our deen tells us that we have to be models in society; we have to be good to our spouses and to our children and we have to build relationships of love. In fact our deen thrives on relationships of sanctified love.
The balance is this: a person must weigh every action against the shariah and sunnah. The action is allowed if sanctioned by shariah and sunnah, but should be shunned if not. If a person weighs every action this way then there will be peace both in this life and in the Hereafter.
Islam does not ask for us to live in isolation, to cut ourselves off from society, or to completely deprive ourselves of what Allah Ta’ala has made halaal (permissible). Our religion is not one of extremes – we shouldn’t be excessive in our eating, we eat to sustain ourselves; we shouldn’t be excessive in our spending, but we are not tight-fisted or miserly.
Improve your secret and private life, and Allah will improve your public and social life. Make matters well between you and Allah, and Allah will make matters well between you and people. Work for the Hereafter and Allah will be enough for you in your worldly concerns” [Imam Sufyaan AthThawri, rahimahuAllah]
O children of Adam, take your adornment at every masjid, and eat and drink, but be not excessive. Indeed, He likes not those who commit excess. Say, “Who has forbidden the adornment of Allah which He has produced for His servants and the good [lawful] things of provision?” Say, “They are for those who believe during the worldly life [but] exclusively for them on the Day of Resurrection.” Thus do We detail the verses for a people who know. (Quran, Chapter# 7, Verses#31-32)
you can only attain excellence in Deen through excellence in Dunya. Sadly people don’t see this and they preach the opposite which is a confusion with Hindu theology – Sanyas, leaving the Dunya for spiritual growth. There is no Sanyas in Islam. Rasoolullahﷺ said, ‘La Ruhbaniya fil Islam.’ (There is no asceticism in Islam).
Love of Dunya that people talk about has nothing to do with wealth. It has to do with the love of material things to the exclusion of the love of Allahﷻ. A beggar on the street is not the most spiritual of beings. As a matter of fact he may be far less spiritual than someone who has a lot more but is focused on charity. He loves what little he has and the fact that he believes that he has to beg all day so much that he doesn’t bother to pray. When did you ever see a beggar praying, even when they all go to the nearest masjid on Juma to beg? So love of Dunya has nothing to do with how much of it you have. It has to do with how much you love it in relation to how much you love Allahﷻ. As long as you love Allahﷻmore, you can be the king of the world but the Dunya will not distract you from Deen. So there is no friction between Dunya and Deen. They are intrinsically linked and completely indispensable for success in each other.
Secondly Dunya is the only way that you will attain perfection in the Aakhira. Dunya is the only way to earn Jannah. You don’t earn Jannah by leaving Dunya but by using Dunya. It is like telling someone sitting in a car, ‘The best way to reach your destination is to get out of your car and walk.’ You may still get to your destination but you will get there with great difficulty and very slowly. But if you remained in your car and drove on the right road, you would get there much faster and much more comfortably. This is what the Sahaba did. They had the best of both worlds. The problem is that people only tell you stories of the Sahaba in the days of the inception of Islam. Stories of deprivation and struggle. Not the stories of how they handled Dunya when the conquests started and there was literally money to burn. Did they fall into evil? Did they forget Allahﷻ? Did they leave Salah and sit in their shops? Or did they establish Islam on the face of the earth?
Dunya, lived according to the Deen, is Ibaadah. It is Deen itself. It is the reason for the Deen. If this Dunya didn’t exist there would be no need for Deen. To live in this Dunya according to the Deen is the most powerful way to do Da’awa. Dunya is the way to attain the pleasure of Allahﷻ. Dunya is the tilth for the Aakhira – as Rasoolullahﷺ reminded us. How are you going to get a harvest if you leave your fields fallow? You want a good harvest you have to spend every waking moment in your fields, ploughing, winnowing, planting, watering and praying for success in the harvest. People who tell you to leave the Dunya don’t know agriculture. If you want to learn agriculture, go to a farmer. That is why the importance of Tarbiyya in Islam which we have completely discarded.
You should love the Dunya – but for the right reasons. You should run behind the Dunya – but for the right reasons. You should use the Dunya – in the right way.
That is the way – the ONLY WAY – to attain Jannah.
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad 
is His slave and Messenger.
There is no contradiction whatsoever – praise be to Allaah – between the verses that you referred to in the question. Al-Bukhari 
clarified the meaning of the verse in Surah Al-A’raaf [Quran 7] as he entitled a chapter at the beginning of the Book of Dress as “The Book of Dress and the saying of Allaah {Say, “Who has forbidden the adornment of [i.e. from] Allaah which He has produced for His servants.} [Quran 7:32] and the Prophet also said: ''Eat, drink, wear clothes, and give alms without extravagance and without conceit.” And Ibn ‘Abbaas 
said: “Eat and drink what you wish and wear what you wish but avoid two things: extravagance and conceit.”
interpreted this Hadeeth to mean what exceeds one’s need or what was spent as a way of ostentation. It is for this reason that Al-Munthiri entitled a chapter in his book “At-Targheeb Wat-Tarheeb” as “The chapter of warning against building in excess of one’s need out of ostentation and piling up of worldly things”. Also, Al-Bayhaqi entitled a chapter in his book “Shua’ab Al-‘Eemaan” as “The chapter of dispraising building palaces and homes that one is not in need of.” Besides, Al-Haafith Ibn Hajar said in “Fat’h Al-Baari”: “This means building what is surplus to one’s need.” It is appropriate here to mention the last part of the statement of the Permanent Committee of Fatwa (in Saudi Arabia) about these Ahaadeeth as it said: “As for these Ahaadeeth and others of the same meaning, then some of them are Saheeh [sound], some of them are Hasan [good] and some others are not authentic, so the Ahaadeeth that are authentic are understood to mean dispraising whoever does so for the purpose of ostentation, extravagance and prodigality, and this differs according to the circumstance, person, place and time…but if the building is high for a valid purpose, like providing services and accommodation for the needy, or taking it as a means of earning one’s living, or that one has many people whom he has to spend on, and the like, then this is permissible in our view, as things (acts) are judged according to their intended goals. The Prophet said: ''Indeed, actions are judged according to their intentions and every person will get the reward of what he has intended.” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]
is His slave and Messenger. clarified the meaning of the verse in Surah Al-A’raaf [Quran 7] as he entitled a chapter at the beginning of the Book of Dress as “The Book of Dress and the saying of Allaah {Say, “Who has forbidden the adornment of [i.e. from] Allaah which He has produced for His servants.} [Quran 7:32] and the Prophet also said: ''Eat, drink, wear clothes, and give alms without extravagance and without conceit.” And Ibn ‘Abbaas said: “Eat and drink what you wish and wear what you wish but avoid two things: extravagance and conceit.” in his book “At-Tahreer wat-Tanweer” said: “The verse {If you should desire the worldly life and its adornment,…} [Quran 33:28] means ‘if you prefer the luxury of this life over being preoccupied with acts of obedience and being ascetic…’”: "…and expand my house for me…” is a Hasan [good] Hadeeth reported by Imaam Ahmad in his “Musnad”. It is evidence for the permissibility of expanding one’s dwelling. This is also supported by what is reported by Ibn Hibbaan from Ismaa’eel Ibn Muhammad Ibn Sa’ad Ibn Abi Waqqaas from his father from his grandfather (Sa’ad Ibn Abi Waqqaas ) who said: “The Prophet said: “Among the things that bring happiness to a believer in this life are four things: a righteous wife, a spacious house. a righteous neighbor and a good steed”. For more benefit, please refer to Fatwa 92273. stated that the correct opinion in this regard is that the best of them is the one who is the most pious of them. ordered Al-‘Abbaas to demolish the room which he had built, as this is a Mursal Hadeeth (i.e. narrated by a Tabi’ie (successor of the Prophet’s companions). who said that the Prophet said: ''Indeed a Muslim is rewarded (in the Hereafter) for whatever he spends except for something that he spends on building." [Al-Bukhari], then some scholars interpreted this Hadeeth to mean what exceeds one’s need or what was spent as a way of ostentation. It is for this reason that Al-Munthiri entitled a chapter in his book “At-Targheeb Wat-Tarheeb” as “The chapter of warning against building in excess of one’s need out of ostentation and piling up of worldly things”. Also, Al-Bayhaqi entitled a chapter in his book “Shua’ab Al-‘Eemaan” as “The chapter of dispraising building palaces and homes that one is not in need of.” Besides, Al-Haafith Ibn Hajar said in “Fat’h Al-Baari”: “This means building what is surplus to one’s need.” It is appropriate here to mention the last part of the statement of the Permanent Committee of Fatwa (in Saudi Arabia) about these Ahaadeeth as it said: “As for these Ahaadeeth and others of the same meaning, then some of them are Saheeh [sound], some of them are Hasan [good] and some others are not authentic, so the Ahaadeeth that are authentic are understood to mean dispraising whoever does so for the purpose of ostentation, extravagance and prodigality, and this differs according to the circumstance, person, place and time…but if the building is high for a valid purpose, like providing services and accommodation for the needy, or taking it as a means of earning one’s living, or that one has many people whom he has to spend on, and the like, then this is permissible in our view, as things (acts) are judged according to their intended goals. The Prophet said: ''Indeed, actions are judged according to their intentions and every person will get the reward of what he has intended.” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim] ordered the Muslims not to build a house containing more than three rooms, we did not come across it. Even if it is authentic, it is understood to mean what we have already explained.: ''O Allaah, keep me alive as a poor man.”, then the authenticity of this Hadeeth is a controversial issue among the scholars of Hadeeth. Some of them classified it as fabricated, or Dha’eef [weak], and some others said it is a Saheeh Hadeeth. If we presume that it is Saheeh, it is desirable for a Muslim to supplicate with it as a way of imitating the Prophet . However, the meaning of this Hadeeth as Al-Mubaarak Poori said in his book “Tuhfatul ‘Ahwathi” is: “i.e. include me among their group, which means make me one of them, but his request does not mean poverty, rather it means humbleness, humility and submissiveness to Allaah.”
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