Word ‘Dunia’ in Arabic and Our Life

"Rabbana atina fid-dunya hasanatan wa fil 'akhirati hasanatan waqina 'adhaban-nar."

"Our Lord! grant us good in this world and good in the hereafter, and save us from the chastisement of the fire." 

As Moslem, I believe you knows about this pray sentence. I will not tell about all words in that sentence, I will explain the word ”dunia” in that sentence and in the verses of Quran. The word “dunia” in Indonesian language, that word is similar with “dunia” too, and in English, that  is similar with “world” or “realism”.

Actually I just beginning to learn Arabic Language, but I think this explanation will give us something new which I believe many Moslem don’t concern about this. Please see my draft below,

(the picture will be published soon..)

The word “dunia” is formed from basic (lexical)  word “dana” which mean near or short time. This word “dana” then formed by wajan “af’ala” wich mean comparative so the mean of “dunia” is nearer or shorter time. But the word dunia is beginning with “alif-lam” so that the mean of dunia is superlative. Because of that, the dunia (with alif-lam) is meant nearest or shortest time.

As I know (quote from my Ustadz), the whole of word “dunia” in the verse of Quran is beginning with “alif-lam”. So we can deepen our mind with the question WHY? Actually I do not know exactly, but as moslem which is encouraged to learn deeply about Al Quran menaing, finally we can get that message.

Why “dunia” (in Arabic), “dunia” (in Indonesia), “world”/”realism” is meant “nearest” or “shorthest time”? That’s because our life in this world is very short too. This life is just like a dream. When we wake from our dream, we face the real life, the very long life called akhirat. Our “recent life” length is not comparable with our “next life” length.

That’s the message which we can get from the learn word “dunia” in the Arabic. So if we read the pray sentence in the first paragraph, that can be translated to:

"Our Lord! grant us good in this shortest life  and good in the hereafter, and save us from the chastisement of the fire."