What is success? Everyone is chasing after what they think it is. Success might be graduating from college. Getting a nice job. Getting a promotion. Buying your house. Wearing nice clothes? Having nice jewelry? Some are willing to trade anything in this world for their success. They’re willing to even sell their souls. They’re shedding blood, sweat and tears.. But is what they’re gaining truly success?
Throughout the Quran Allah tells us what is true success. In Suratul Buruj Allah says ba’da aqool aoothu billahi minash-shaytanir- rajeem.
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَعَمِلُوا۟ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتِ لَهُمْ جَنَّـٰتٌۭ تَجْرِى مِن تَحْتِهَا ٱلْأَنْهَـٰرُ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ ٱلْفَوْزُ ٱلْكَبِيرُ ١١
Indeed, those who have believed and done righteous deeds will have gardens beneath which rivers flow. That is the great attainment / that is the great success. (85:11)
Jannah. Jannah is the true success. Not the worldly life, because the worldly life will perish, and no matter how much you attain, you’ll never be satisfied. Think about when you got a brand new car, a brand new game, brand new shoes. Think about the time you waited and saved and strived to get what you wanted. How did it feel to finally get what you worked so hard for? What you waited so long for? It felt great didn’t it? But then after a week or two weeks, or a month or a year. How did it feel then? You’ve already moved on to the next thing. But with Jannah it’s eternal pleasure. Rather than things getting tiresome they become more enjoyable. Things don’t fade away like they do here. Nothing rots. Nothing gets old. Nothing gets boring. Jannah is the only place where man’s neverending desire can be fulfilled. As the Prophet PBUH said,“If the son of Adam had a valley full of gold, he would want to have two valleys. Nothing fills his mouth but the dust of the grave.” (Bukhari and Muslim)
1. The Successful are Muttaqeen
But how do we attain Jannah? How do we attain success? Who are these successful people? Allah says
إِنَّ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ مَفَازًا ٣١
Indeed, for the righteous/ the muttaqeen is attainment/ is success – (78:31).
So one quality of the successful people are those with Taqwa. Taqwa as we all know has many meanings, and in the first verses of Suratul Baqarah Allah explains who are the people of taqwa, the muttaqeen. (2:1-5)
الٓمٓ ١
Alif, Lām, Meem.
2:2
ذَٰلِكَ ٱلْكِتَـٰبُ لَا رَيْبَ ۛ فِيهِ ۛ هُدًۭى لِّلْمُتَّقِينَ ٢
This is the Book about which there is no doubt, a guidance for the muttaqeen – those conscious of Allāh –
The Quran is a gift from Allah. Without the Quran there would be no sure guidance. All other scriptures are corrupt. All other ways of life are doomed. The solution to all the world’s problems are in this Quran. It’s in Islam.
إِنَّ ٱلدِّينَ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ ٱلْإِسْلَـٰمُ ۗ
The only accepted religion in the sight of Allah is Islam (3:19).
The only guidance from Allah is Islam. The only solution for the world is Islam. And Islam is based on the revelation sent by Allah in the Quran and the sunnah.
But the Quran and the Sunnah isn’t guidance for everyone. No. It’s only guidance for those who believe in Allah, constantly think of Allah, fearing His punishment and hoping for His reward. It’s only guidance for the muttaqeen. And who are the Muttaqeen?
2. They Have Imaan
ٱلَّذِينَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِٱلْغَيْبِ
The people of Taqwa believe in the unseen. They have imaan. They have firm belief in Allah, and His angels, His previous revelations, His Prophets and Messengers, His day of Judgment, and His qadr (predestination).
We have not seen Allah, but we believe. We have not seen His angels, but we believe. We have not seen his books, his prophets, his day of judgment nor qadr, but we believe in it. All of it. And that is a quality of those of taqwa.
3. They Establish Prayer
وَيُقِيمُونَ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ
The muttaqeen establish the salaah. The salaah is the first thing we’ll be questioned on. It’s the 2nd pillar of Islam. After the 1st pillar it’s the only pillar in which you have no excuse not to do. If you don’t have money you don’t have to give zakah. If you’re too poor or too sick you don’t have to perform hajj. If you have certain sickness then you don’t have to fast. But prayer, you must perform whether standing, sitting, or laying down. Even in war, you still must pray. Leaving the prayer takes you out of Islam until you return to it.
عَنْ جَابِرٍ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ إِنَّ بَيْنَ الرَّجُلِ وَبَيْنَ الشِّرْكِ وَالْكُفْرِ تَرْكَ الصَّلَاةِ
Jabir reported: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Verily, between a man and idolatry and unbelief is abandoning the prayer.” (Muslim)
It’s a proof of if you’re a hypocrite or a true believer. It’s easy to say you believe, but will you take action and prove your belief? You can claim you love your parents, but if you rarely do anything they ask and rarely listen to them, then this is proof of your actual love for them. Or the quality of your love.
Dangers of Prioritizing the Dunya
But we all love money. If the president of your company wanted to meet you. You would wear your best clothes. Smell your best. You would listen to every word, and follow every command just hoping he would give some reward in exchange. Allah is more deserving of our time and energy, but when it comes to Allah we’re tired and lazy, but when it comes to work we’re willing to spend overtime for a possible promotion. We’ll work ourselves to the bone. But we won’t gain more than what’s already written for us.
What does Allah say about these people? They are the greatest losers.
قُلْ هَلْ نُنَبِّئُكُم بِٱلْأَخْسَرِينَ أَعْمَـٰلًا ١٠٣
Say, [O Muḥammad], “Shall we [believers] inform you of the greatest losers as to [their] deeds?
ٱلَّذِينَ ضَلَّ سَعْيُهُمْ فِى ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا وَهُمْ يَحْسَبُونَ أَنَّهُمْ يُحْسِنُونَ صُنْعًا ١٠٤
[They are] those whose effort is lost in worldly life, while they think that they are doing well in work.”(18: 103-104).
I’m not saying don’t work, but I’m saying as the Prophet PBUH said:
سَاعَةٌ وَسَاعَةٌ
“a time for this and a time for that.” (Ibn Majah)
A time for work and a time for sleep. A time for prayer and a time with family. A time for your body and a time for your soul. Give everything it’s right. Don’t tip the scale in favor of the dunyah.
4. They Give in Charity
وَمِمَّا رَزَقْنَـٰهُمْ يُنفِقُونَ
The people of Taqwa, the muttaqeen, spend out of what Allah has given them. Whether it’s money, time, knowledge, strength, or whatever Allah has given them. One way is spending your time in the remembrance of Allah. Whether just for yourself or for others.
وَٱذْكُرُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ كَثِيرًۭا لَّعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ
And think about Allah a lot so that you may be successful (62:10).
Using Allah’s Gifts for the Ummah
Spend your time in positive environments. Humans are influenced by their surroundings. When you surround yourself with negative influences it has an effect on you. Allah is telling us how to succeed in this life, by constantly remembering Allah. This is protection and a reminder of our purpose which is to worship Him.
How can a person be involved in evil and with evil company when he’s constantly reminding himself of Allah. He’ll dislike that company and prefer the company of those who are righteous and this is a sign that insha Allah he too is righteous.
Either you’re getting closer to Jannah or getting closer to naar. Those who bring you closer to naar will curse each other on the day of judgment and those who brought each other closer to jannah will praise and thank each other on the day of judgment.
Allah has given all of us strengths and weaknesses. You might be creative, you might be good with numbers, you might be good at memorizing, you might be patient with kids and so on. Use these gifts Allah gave us, not just to make money but to please Allah. Dedicate your time to the masjid and to good projects.
There’s a lot our ummah needs. Our ummah needs all of us to be daees, to educate with what we know, to write books, to come up with beneficial technology, to fight and defend. Our ummah does not need lazy Muslims who kill time.
5. They Believe in the Whole Quran and They Submit to it
وَٱلَّذِينَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِمَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكَ
And who believe in what has been revealed to you. The muttaqeen they believe in the Quran, all of it, and in the sahih hadith. They believe and submit to it.
قُلْ: آمَنْت بِاَللَّهِ ثُمَّ اسْتَقِمْ”
The Prophet PBUH said: “Say, I believe in Allah and then be steadfast.” (Muslim)
Like a soldier. Like a servant or a slave. Like the rest of creation. The muttaqeen they submit to the will of Allah.
ۚ وَقَالُوا۟ سَمِعْنَا وَأَطَعْنَا ۖ غُفْرَانَكَ رَبَّنَا وَإِلَيْكَ ٱلْمَصِيرُ
And they say, “We hear and we obey. [We seek] Your forgiveness, our Lord, and to You is the [final] destination.” (2:285)
Whether you like something or you don’t like something, if it’s from Allah or His messenger you must first submit and accept it, and insha Allah wisdom and knowledge will come to make the matter clearer to you. But if it doesn’t you still must submit. Our religion is not a religion based solely on logic. If that was the case we would wipe the bottom of our feet and not the top. It is a religion from the Creator and Knower of everything. We have no right to argue. The slave, the servant the worshipper has no right to argue with his Creator.
وَمَآ أُنزِلَ مِن قَبْلِكَ
And the muttaqeen believe in the revealed texts through the prophets who came before. Our religion isn’t something new. It’s a continuation of the same message from the prophets before. The prophets are all brothers. They’re on the same team. We don’t compare them or differentiate between them. We don’t argue who’s the best or who’s better. And we never speak ill of any of them. They are the best of mankind, and they are all destined for paradise. We are the true followers of Isa AS and Musa AS and Ibrahim AS and all the prophets. We pray like they prayed We fast like they fasted. We dress modestly like how they dressed. And most importantly we worship Allah alone without any partners just like them.
6. Paradise and Hellfire are Real to Them
وَبِٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ هُمْ يُوقِنُونَ
And the muttaqeen are certain of the hereafter. It’s a reality that governs their lives. Non-muslims work towards short sighted goals. Towards getting a house, getting a promotion, finishing school, towards retirement. As such they’ll do all the haram under the sun to achieve what they like. Whereas our primary goal is akhira. Everything else is secondary. If we can’t buy a house except with interest, then it’s the apartment life for us. If we didn’t get that promotion, alhamdulilah something better awaits. We don’t put our hope in the dunyah.
7. They are Guided
أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ عَلَىٰ هُدًۭى مِّن رَّبِّهِمْ ۖ وَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْمُفْلِحُونَ ٥
Those are upon right guidance from their Lord, and it is those who are the successful. No one else. No other group. Not the Christians not the Jews. Not the atheists not the agnostics. Not the secularists, the communist, the socialists, the feminists, the materialists. None of them are upon right guidance and none of them will be successful.
The only successful people are the believers. The muttaqeen. The people of taqwa, who are guided by Allah and they believe in the unseen, they establish prayer, they dedicate their lives to Islam, they believe in the Quran and hadith and in the hereafter. It is these people who are successful due to Allah’s guidance.
Final Thoughts
This is a reminder for myself and you all to govern our lives based on Islam. Before we make a decision we weigh the pros and cons in light of Islamic teachings. Should I go to that Christmas party? My boss is expecting me there, and so are my co-workers. What will they think if I don’t attend? Should I care about what the people think more than what Allah thinks? If the people wanted to aid me or harm me, could they do so, if Allah willed otherwise?
This is a reminder to dedicate our lives to Allah, from the time we wake up till the time we sleep. To make the most use of the time we have.
We ask Allah to relieve the pain of those suffering around the world. We ask Allah to grant success to the Muslims of Syria, Palestine, Somalia, Sudan, Libya, and everywhere. We ask Allah to help the sick and have mercy upon the dead. We ask Allah to help the Muslims suffering from financial difficulty and debt.
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