This is extracted from Surah Asr; the 104th surah in the Qur’an.
3Ps of Success
The above diagram can also be interpreted as the 3Ps of success.
An example from the life of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) that encapsulates all three of the above qualities is the incident that took place at Ta’if.
Opposition in Makkah was strong and some of the believers had migrated to Ethiopia to find safety from persecution. The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) visited Ta’if with the intention of inviting people to Islam.
He had to walk the lengthy journey to and from Ta’if. When he (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) got there, however, the people of Ta’if hardly paid attention to the message. In addition, the children of the city were made to attack the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) by pelting him with stones all the way out of the area.
The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was injured and bleeding from this harsh treatment of the people of Ta’if. He (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) sat down in a vineyard to take rest. At that point, the Angel Jibreel appeared in the presence of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) with the offer to crush the people of Ta’if between two mountains in the region, in return for the hardship they had inflicted.
When this incident took place, it was already a sad period in the life of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) as his beloved wife Khadijah (may Allah be pleased with her) and uncle Abu Talib had both passed away in the same year. It was known as the Year of Sorrow.
Being who he was, he could have retaliated. Yet instead of seeking vengeance, despite being offered the opportunity to do so, our Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) exemplified his noble character, his peaceful disposition even in the face of adversity and pain, his piety, and his patience with Allah’s will. His supplication to Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) in that time of pain is captured as follows:
Allahumma ilayka ashkoo
O God to you alone do I complain
Dhu’fa quwwati,
Of my weakness
Wa qillata hilaty,
And my lack of excuse
Wa hawany alla nas,
And the humiliation I suffer at the hands of my fellow-men.
Ya Arham-Ar Rahimin
O Most merciful of those who are merciful.
Anta rabbul mustadaafeen,
You are the Lord of the Weakened
Wa anta rabbi,
And you are my Lord
Ila man takilny,
To whom would You entrust me?
Ila baeedin yatajahhammuny,
To a distant person who is hostile and antagonistic?
Am ila aduwwin mallaktahu amry,
or to an enemy You have given authority over me ?
In lam yakun bika ghadabun alayy,
If You are not angry with me
Falaa ubaali
I do not care
Wa laakinn aafiyatuka heeya awsa’uw lee
Your forgiveness is all that matters to me
A’uzu bi Noori wajhik allazee
I seek protection in the light of Your face
Ashraqtu lahuz- zulumatu
Which dispels all darkness
Wa saluha ‘alayhi amrud-dunya wal-akhirah
And solves all the problems in this life and hereafter
Min an yanzila bi ghadabuka,
Lest Your wrath descend upon me
Aw yahilla alayya sakhatuka,
I desire Your pleasure and satisfaction
Lakal utba
to You is the supplication
Hatta tardha
Until You are pleased
Wa la hawla
And there is no Power
Wa la quwwata
And no Force
illa bika
other than You
This is something to keep in mind when dealing with current issues such as the cartoon-drawing controversy.
Likewise we have the example of Prophet Yusuf (may Allah be pleased with him). A considerable part of the life of Prophet Yusuf (may Allah be pleased with him) is a reflection of the noble qualities of (1) peace, (2) patience, and (3) piety.
He was abandoned by his own flesh and blood, yet he forgave them and treated them well and only responded with peace. He was invited to be promiscuous with a woman of high standing, yet he maintained his piety and feared Allah. He was imprisoned for no justifiable cause, yet he remained patient. The eventual outcome of his life was one of success and recognition, but it took perseverance in holding on to true morally upright character.
Further Resources
[Video] How to Stop Wasting Time
[Video] Time: A Wasted Treasure (aka Social Media, Video Games, etc.) by Imam Wisam Sharieff | Du’a Surah Yusuf Qur’an 12:101 | Du’a: Allahumma Anta Rabbi