Surah Al-Baqarah 2:189

Verse and Translation

يَسۡـَٔلُونَكَ عَنِ ٱلۡأَهِلَّةِ‌ۖ قُلۡ هِىَ مَوَٲقِيتُ لِلنَّاسِ وَٱلۡحَجِّ‌ۗ وَلَيۡسَ ٱلۡبِرُّ بِأَن تَأۡتُواْ ٱلۡبُيُوتَ مِن ظُهُورِهَا وَلَـٰكِنَّ ٱلۡبِرَّ مَنِ ٱتَّقَىٰ‌ۗ وَأۡتُواْ ٱلۡبُيُوتَ مِنۡ أَبۡوَٲبِهَا‌ۚ وَٱتَّقُواْ ٱللَّهَ لَعَلَّڪُمۡ تُفۡلِحُونَ (١٨٩)

“They ask you, [O Muhammad], about the new moons. Say, “They are measurements of time for the people and for Hajj.” And it is not righteousness to enter houses from the back, but righteousness is [in] one who fears Allah. And enter houses from their doors. And fear Allah that you may succeed.”

Commentary

The phases of the moon have attracted the attention of mankind in every age, and different kinds of rites and superstitions have been connected with these in every country. The Arabs also had some superstitions connected with these. They took omens from them for journeys, marriage ceremonies, business, etc., and performed some superstitious practices, for they believed that the phases and the eclipse of the moon affected their fortunes. Therefore they questioned the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) concerning this. Allah answered their question and informed them that the phases of the moon were nothing but a natural calendar in the sky to indicate dates of the month to the people simultaneously throughout the world. Hajj has been specially mentioned in this connection because of its religious, cultural and economic importance to the Arabs. Four months of the year were fixed for Hajj and Umrah during which war was suspended and the routes were made safe, and business flourished on account of peace.

One of their superstitious customs was that as soon as they put on the Ihram (the ceremonial dress for Hajj) they would not enter their houses by the front doors, but would enter them by jumping over the walls or through windows in the rear of their houses. In this verse, Allah has not only refuted this superstitious custom but also warned that virtue has nothing to do with the superstitious rites and customs which were being practised merely in blind imitation of their forefathers, for they did not affect the fortune of man in any way.

[Maududi]

Al-Awfi related that Ibn Abbas said, “The people asked Allah’s Messenger about the crescent moons. Thereafter, this verse was revealed, so that they mark their acts of worship, the iddah (the period of time a divorced woman or a widow is required to wait before remarrying) of their women and the time of their Hajj (pilgrimage to Makkah).”

Abdur-Razzaq reported that Ibn Umar narrated that Allah’s Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “Allah has made the crescents signs to mark fixed periods of time for mankind. Hence, fast on seeing it (the crescent for Ramadan) and break the fast on seeing it (the crescent for Shawwal). If it (the crescent) was obscure to you then count thirty days (mark that month as thirty days).)

Allah said, “And it is not righteousness to enter houses from the back, but righteousness is [in] one who fears Allah. And enter houses from their doors.”

Al-Bukhari recorded that Al-Bara’ said, “During the time of Jahiliyyah, they used to enter the house from the back upon assuming the Ihram. Thereafter, Allah revealed [this verse].

Al-Hasan said, “When some people during the time of ignorance would leave home to travel, and then decide not to travel, they would not enter the house from its door. Rather, they would climb over the back wall.

“And fear Allah” means to do what He has commanded you and refrain from what He has forbidden for you, “that you may succeed” tomorrow when you stand before Him and He thus rewards you perfectly.

[Ibn Kathir]

Foundational Attributes

piety, trustworthiness

December 15, 2016 | khuluq

Surah Al-Baqarah 2:1-5

Verse and Translation

الٓمٓ (١) ذَٲلِكَ ٱلۡڪِتَـٰبُ لَا رَيۡبَ‌ۛ فِيهِ‌ۛ هُدً۬ى لِّلۡمُتَّقِينَ (٢) ٱلَّذِينَ يُؤۡمِنُونَ بِٱلۡغَيۡبِ وَيُقِيمُونَ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَمِمَّا رَزَقۡنَـٰهُمۡ يُنفِقُونَ (٣) وَٱلَّذِينَ يُؤۡمِنُونَ بِمَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيۡكَ وَمَآ أُنزِلَ مِن قَبۡلِكَ وَبِٱلۡأَخِرَةِ هُمۡ يُوقِنُونَ (٤) أُوْلَـٰٓٮِٕكَ عَلَىٰ هُدً۬ى مِّن رَّبِّهِمۡ‌ۖ وَأُوْلَـٰٓٮِٕكَ هُمُ ٱلۡمُفۡلِحُونَ (٥)‏

“Alif. Lam. Mim. This is the Scripture whereof there is no doubt, a guidance unto those who ward off (evil). Who believe in the Unseen, and establish worship, and spend of that We have bestowed upon them; And who believe in that which is revealed unto thee (Muhammad) and that which was revealed before thee, and are certain of the Hereafter. These depend on guidance from their Lord. These are the successful.“

 

Commentary

“Alif. Lam. Mim”: Letters of the Arabic alphabet like Alif, Lam, Mim, called the mugatta’at, which are pre-fixed to a number of the Surahs of the Qur’an, were in common use in the Arabic literature of the period when the Qur’an was. revealed. The poets and rhetoricians made use of this style, and instances of this can even be found in the pre-Islamic prose and poetry which has survived. As their significance was appreciated by all concerned, none objected to or questioned their use, because it was no enigma to them. Even the bitterest opponents of the Qur’an, who never missed an opportunity, did not raise any objection against their use. But as their use was abandoned with the passage of time” it became difficult for the commentators to determine their exact meaning and significance. An ordinary reader, however, need not worry about their meanings because they make no difference as tar as the Guidance of the Qur’an is concerned.

“This is the Scripture whereof there is no doubt”: Its simple meaning is, “No doubt, this is the Book of Allah”, but it may also imply that this is the Book which contains nothing doubtful. It is not like the common books on metaphysics and religion which are based on mere speculation and guess-work. Therefore even their authors cannot be free from doubts concerning their own theories, in spite of their assertion that they are convinced of them. In contrast to them, this Book is based on the Truth: its Author is He Who possesses full knowledge of the Reality. Therefore, there is indeed no room for doubt about its contents.

“a guidance unto those who ward off (evil)”: That is, though there is nothing but guidance in this Book, there are a few pre-requisites for benefiting from it. The first pre-requisite is that one should be inclined to avoid vice, and should seek and practise virtue. But there is no guidance in the Qur’an for the people who do not bother to consider whether what they are doing is right or wrong, who follow the ways of the world or their own whims and lusts or move aimlessly in the ways of life.

“Who believe in the Unseen”: The second condition for obtaining guidance from the Qur’an is that one must believe in the “unseen” — those realities which cannot be perceived by the senses and which do not come within human experience and observation, e.g. the essence and attributes of Allah, Angels, Revelation, Heaven, Hell, etc. These things must be taken on trust from the experts (Prophets) just as we do in many cases in the physical world. Therefore, only such a person, who believes in the “unseen”, can benefit from the Guidance of the Qur’an. As for the one who believes only in those things which can be seen, tasted and smelt, or can be measured and weighed, cannot get any guidance from this Book.

“and establish worship”: The third condition to benefit from the Qur’an is that one should be willing and ready to put into practice the teachings of the Qur’an. As the Salat ( Prayer) is the first and foremost obligatory duty enjoined by the Qur’an, it is the practical proof and permanent test of the sincerity of one’s Faith. Therefore, after a person’s profession of Islam, the moment he hears the call to the Prayer (which sounds regularly five times a day from every mosque in the Muslim world), he should join the congregation for the Salat, because this determines whether he is sincere in his profession or not. If he does not attend to the call and join the congregation, it is an indication that he is not sincere in his profession. It must also be noted that “iqama-tus-Salat¦(the establishment of Prayer is the comprehensive term. It means that Salat should be performed in congregation and that permanent arrangements should be made for it in every habitation; otherwise Salat will not be considered to have been established, even if every inhabitant of a place offers the Salat individually.

“and spend of that We have bestowed upon them”: The fourth condition to benefit from the Qur’an is that one should be willing to part with one’s money according to the instructions of the Book in order to render the rights of Allah and Man and should make monetary sacrifices for the cause of Islam which he has accepted.

“who believe in that which is revealed unto thee (Muhammad) and that which was revealed before thee”: The fifth condition is that one should believe in the truth of all those Books which Allah sent down by Revelation to the Prophet Muhammad (upon whom be His peace and blessings) and the Prophets before him at different times in different countries. Those who do not believe in any kind of guidance from Allah, cannot at all benefit from the guidance of the Qur’an. Likewise those who profess to believe in the necessity of guidance from Allah but do not turn to Revelation and the Prophets for it, or who dub their’ own theories as “divine light”, cannot obtain any guidance from it. Moreover, guidance is also denied to those who believe only in that revealed Book or Books in which their forefathers believed and reject all other guidance received from the same Source. Apart from all such people, the Qur’an guides only those who believe that they stand in need of Divine Guidance as well as admit that it does not come to every man individually but reaches humanity only through the Prophets and revealed Books.Then those who want guidance should not be slaves to any racial or national prejudices but should be seekers after truth and should submit to it wherever and in whatever form they find it.

“and are certain of the Hereafter”: This is the sixth and last condition. “Hereafter” is a comprehensive word which applies to the collection of many beliefs, which are as follows: (a) Man has not been created irresponsible in the world but he is answerable to Allah for all his deeds here. (b) The present world order is not everlasting, but has to come to an end at a time only known to Allah. (c) After the present order has been brought to an end, Allah will create a new world, when He will bring back to life all human beings, born from the beginning of creation till Resurrection, simultaneously and will call them to account for their deeds, and then will reward them justly accordingly to what they had done in the world. (d) Those, who will be judged as good by Allah, will go to Paradise, and those who will be judged as bad will be cast into Hell. (e) The criterion of success or failure is not the prosperity or adversity of this worldly life, but successful in actual fact will be he who comes out successful in Allah’s final judgement, and failure he who is a failure there. Those who do not believe in the life-after-death with the above implications, cannot benefit from the Qur’an because the one who entertains’ even the slightest doubt about these; not to speak of rejecting them, can never follow the way of life which the Qur’an prescribes.

[Maududi]

The Qur’an is itself a form of guidance, but the guidance in it is only granted to the righteous, just as Allah said,

(O mankind! There has come to you a good advice from your Lord (i. e. the Qur’an, enjoining all that is good and forbidding all that is evil), and a healing for that (disease of ignorance, doubt, hypocrisy and differences) which is in your breasts, a guidance and a mercy (explaining lawful and unlawful things) for the believers) [Quran; 10:57].

Ibn Abbas said about, “guidance for the Muttaqin” that it means, “They are the believers who avoid Shirk with Allah and who work in His obedience.” Ibn `Abbas also said that Al-Muttaqin means, “Those who fear Allah’s punishment, which would result if they abandoned the true guidance that they recognize and know. They also hope in Allah’s mercy by believing in what He revealed.”

At-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah narrated that Atiyah As-Sa’di said that the Messenger of Allah said, “The servant will not acquire the status of the Muttaqin until he abandons what is harmless out of fear of falling into that which is harmful.”

Huda (guidance) here means the faith that resides in the heart, and only Allah is able to create it in the heart of the servants.

Huda also means to explain the truth, give direction and lead to it. Allah, the Exalted, said,(And verily, you (O Muhammad) are indeed guiding (mankind) to the straight path (i.e. Allah’s religion of Islamic Monotheism)) [Quran; 42:52]

The root meaning of Taqwa is to avoid what one dislikes. It was reported that Umar bin Al-Khattab asked Ubayy bin Kab about Taqwa. Ubayy said, “Have you ever walked on a path that has thorns on it?”. Umar said, “Yes.” Ubayy said, “What did you do then” He said, “I rolled up my sleeves and struggled.” Ubayy said, “That is Taqwa.”

Ibn Jarir (At-Tabari) commented, “The preferred view is that they be described as having faith in the Unseen by the tongue, deed and creed. In this case, fear of Allah is included in the general meaning of Iman, which necessitates following deeds of the tongue by implementation. Hence, Iman is a general term that includes affirming and believing in Allah, His Books and His Messengers, and realizing this affirmation through adhering to the implications of what the tongue utters and affirms.”

Linguistically, in the absolute sense, Iman merely means trust, and it is used to mean that sometimes in the Qur’an.

However, when Iman is used in an unrestricted manner, it includes beliefs, deeds, and statements of the tongue. We should state here that Iman increases and decreases.

Ibn `Abbas said that, “And perform the Salah” means “Perform the prayer with all of the obligations that accompany it.” Ad-Dahhak said that Ibn Abbas said, “Iqamat As-Salah means to complete the bowings, prostrations, recitation, humbleness and attendance for the prayer.” Qatadah said, “Iqamat As-Salah means to preserve punctuality, and the ablution, bowings, and prostrations of the prayer.” Muqatil bin Hayyan said Iqamat As-Salah means “To preserve punctuality for it, as well as completing ones purity for it, and completing the bowings, prostrations, recitation of the Qur’an, Tashahhud and blessings for the Prophet. This is Iqamat As-Salah.”

Ali bin Abi Talhah reported that Ibn Abbas said, “And spend out of what We have provided for them” means, “The Zakah due on their wealth.” As-Suddi said that Abu Malik and Abu Salih narrated from Ibn Abbas, as well as Murrah from Ibn Mas`ud and other Companions of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), that “And spend out of what We have provided for them” means, “A man’s spending on his family. This was before the obligation of Zakah was revealed.” Juwaybir narrated from Ad-Dahhak, “General spending (in charity) was a means of drawing nearer to Allah, according to one’s discretion and capability. Until the obligation of charity was revealed in the seven verse of Surat Bara’ah (chapter 9), were revealed. These abrogated the previous case.”

In many instances, Allah mentioned prayer and spending wealth together. Prayer is a right of Allah as well as a form of worshipping Him. It includes singling Him out for one’s devotion, praising Him, glorifying Him, supplicating to Him, invoking Him, and it displays one’s dependence upon Him. Spending is form of kindness towards creatures by giving them what will benefit them, and those people most deserving of this charity are the relatives, the wife, the servants and then the rest of the people. So all types of required charity and required spending are included in Allah’s saying, “And spend out of what we have provided for them”.

The Two Sahihs recorded that Ibn `Umar said that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “Islam is built upon five (pillars): Testifying that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, establishing the prayer, giving Zakah, fasting Ramadan and Hajj to the House.”

In the Arabic language, the basic meaning of Salah is supplication. In religious terminology, Salah is used to refer to the acts of bowing and prostration, the remaining specified acts associated with it, specificed at certain times, with those known conditions, and the characteristics, and requirements that are well-known about it.

Ibn Abbas said that, “And who have faith in what is revealed to you and in what was revealed before you.” means, “They believe in what Allah sent you with, and in what the previous Messengers were sent with, they do not distinguish between (believing) them, nor do they reject what they brought from their Lord.”

“And in the Hereafter they are certain” that is the resurrection, the standing (on the Day of Resurrection), Paradise, the Fire, the reckoning and the Scale that weighs the deeds (the Mizan). The Hereafter is so named because it comes after this earthly life.

The people described here (2:4) are those whom Allah described in the preceding verse, “Those who have faith in the Ghayb and perform Salah, and spend out of what we have provided for them.”

Mujahid once stated, “Four Ayat at the beginning of Surat Al-Baqarah describe the believers, two describe the disbelievers, and thirteen describe the hypocrites.” The four Ayat mentioned in this statement are general and include every believer, whether an Arab, non-Arab, or a person of a previous Scripture, whether they are Jinns or humans. All of these attributes complement each other and require the existence of the other attributes. For instance, it is not possible that one believes in the Unseen, performs the prayer and gives Zakah without believing in what the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and the previous Messengers were sent with. The same with certainty in the Hereafter.

Also, Allah the Exalted described the believers, “The Messenger (Muhammad) believes in what has been revealed to him from his Lord, and (so do) the believers. Each one believes in Allah, His Angels, His Books, and His Messengers. (They say,) ‘We make no distinction between any of His Messengers'” [Quran; 2:285] and, “And those who believe in Allah and His Messengers and make no distinction between any of them (Messengers)” [Quran; 4:152]

This is a sample of the Ayat that indicate that the true believers all believe in Allah, His Messengers and His Books.

The faithful among the People of the Book, have a special significance here, since they believe in their Books and in all of the details related to that, so when such people embrace Islam and sincerely believe in the details of the religion, then they will get two rewards. As for the others, they can only believe in the previous religious teachings in a general way.

For instance, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) stated, “When the People of the Book narrate to you, neither reject nor affirm what they say. Rather, say, ‘We believe in what was revealed to us and what was revealed to you.'”

However, the faith that many Arabs have in the religion of Islam as it was revealed to Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) might be more complete, encompassing and firmer than the faith of the People of the Book who embraced Islam. Therefore, if the believers in Islam among the People of the Book gain two rewards, other Muslims who have firmer Islamic faith might gain an equal reward that compares to the two the People of the Book gain (upon embracing Islam). And Allah knows best.

“And they are the successful” meaning, in this world and the Hereafter. They shall have what they seek and be saved from the evil that they tried to avoid. Therefore, they will have rewards, eternal life in Paradise, and safety from the torment that Allah has prepared for His enemies.

[Ibn Kathir]

Foundational Attributes

humility, knowledge, charity, piety, wisdom

December 12, 2016 | khuluq

Conflict Resolution and Reconciliation

Encountering and dealing with conflicts is part and parcel of life. Differences occur even within a group of people as much as it occurs between groups. Handling these effectively is vital for personal success as well as for successful leadership.

Example from Uhud

One of the key incidents from early Islamic history is the disruption that occurred during the battle of Uhud. A few companions of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) failed to follow the instructions given to them before the battle and, as a result, caused severe losses to the Muslim army, including injury to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) himself, the death of his uncle, and the death of around 70 other companions.

The situation was serious and the companions who failed to follow the instructions had to be dealt with effectively.

Surah Aal-Imran 3:159

Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) revealed at that time:

فَبِمَا رَحۡمَةٍ۬ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ لِنتَ لَهُمۡ‌ۖ وَلَوۡ كُنتَ فَظًّا غَلِيظَ ٱلۡقَلۡبِ لَٱنفَضُّواْ مِنۡ حَوۡلِكَ‌ۖ فَٱعۡفُ عَنۡہُمۡ وَٱسۡتَغۡفِرۡ لَهُمۡ وَشَاوِرۡهُمۡ فِى ٱلۡأَمۡرِ‌ۖ فَإِذَا عَزَمۡتَ فَتَوَكَّلۡ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ‌ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُحِبُّ ٱلۡمُتَوَكِّلِينَ

“So by mercy from Allah, [O Muhammad], you were lenient with them. And if you had been rude [in speech] and harsh in heart, they would have disbanded from about you. So pardon them and ask forgiveness for them and consult them in the matter. And when you have decided, then rely upon Allah. Indeed, Allah loves those who rely [upon Him].”
[Surah Aal Imran; 3:159]

Five Steps for Conflict Resolution and Reconciliation (CRR)

From the above we are able to extract some important leadership lessons in the form of steps to handle those involved in a conflict:

  1. Be lenient (not harsh) when dealing with them.
  2. Lovingly forgive them (verbally) by speaking with them.
  3. Make dua and ask Allah to forgive them (in order to cleanse your own heart of any ill feelings towards them; i.e. tazkiya – Purification of the Soul)
  4. Include them in future counsel meetings (shura) so that they are not publicly humiliated by having their rank diminished as a result of their mistakes.
  5. Sincerely ask for their opinion during counsel meetings (shura) accept their input if applicable. Thereby they do not feel any enmity/ill will or feel that they have been included in the meeting as merely a symbolic gesture.

This is the command of Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) to Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) despite the painful circumstances. So how much more observant must we be in our dealings with the people we lead and interact with on a daily basis (e.g., children, spouse, relatives, community members, colleagues at work, etc.)?

November 14, 2016 | khuluq

Glossary

This page provides an explanation of Arabic terminology used throughout this website.

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z

 

A

Afterlife:

Akhirah: Commonly used to refer to the “after life” or the eternal life. Muslims consider death as a beginning and not an end, since the present life is merely a testing ground that contributes towards determining one’s state in the permanent after life. Hence, success is not only considered in terms of this life but also in terms of the akhirah.

Al-Insan Al-Kamil: literally – the person who has reached perfection. It is an honorific title used to describe Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). It is also considered the prototype that every Muslim aspires to work towards, even if he never fully attains it. Further reading >>.

Al-Firdaus Al-A’laa: The highest garden in Paradise (Jannah). Further reading >>.

 

B

Barakah: Defined as divine blessing that creates increase in whatever it is attached to. Having barakah in time, for example, means one is able to achieve more in a specific time than in time without barakah.

 

D

Da’wah: An Arabic word which means to invite or summon someone. This term is often used to describe when Muslims share their faith with others, in order to teach them more about Islam. Syn: proselityze, teach, share, preach, invite.

Dhikr:

Dunya:

F

Falah: Success (especially from self-improvement), happiness and well-being. In the Islamic context, according to the Qur’an, actions conforming to Allah’s commands will all lead to falaḥ.

Fardh:

Fawaz: success, victory, prosperity

 

H

Hadith: What the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, did, or approved of. These have been collected with a strict verification mechanism across the ages until today. Further reading >>.

Haram:

Hereafter:

I

Ibadah: Any act performed for the sake of seeking the pleasure of Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He); i.e. an act of worship. This is not limited to ritual prescriptions such as praying or reciting the Qur’an, but also to day-to-day acts such as bearing a cheerful disposition towards fellow human beings for the sake of pleasing Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He).

Ihsan: Translated as excellence. This is mentioned in hadith Jibreel and other hadith and it is applicable to all aspects of a Muslim’s dealings such as work, relationships, and ritual worship.

Ihya: Ihya Ulum al-Din (The Revival of the Religions Sciences) is widely regarded as one of the great works of Muslim spirituality and has, for centuries, been widely read in the Muslim world.

M

Mafsada (plural: mafa’sid): Evil, namely anything which violates the five essential values of deen, i.e. life, intellect, lineage, and property.

Makruh:

Maslaha (plural: masa’lih): considerations of public interest, human welfare, utility and human good. Ash-Sha’tibi said, “What concerns the subsistence of human life, the wholeness of his way of life, and the acquiring of what man’s emotional and intellectual faculties require of him in their absolute sense.”

Mustahab:

R

Rak’at/Rak’ah:

Rida:

Ruqya:

S

Sakinah: This term is used to denote tranquility or peace of mind that descends on a believer who completely submits himself to the Oneness of God.

Sajdah at-Tilawah: The prostration made at the recitation of specific ayahs in the Qur’an. It is narrated that when the son of Adam recites the Ayat of Sajdah (prostration) and then falls down in prostration, the Satan goes into seclusion and weeps and says, “Woe unto me, the son of Adam was commanded to prostrate, and he prostrated and Paradise was entitled to him and I was commanded to prostrate, but I refused and am doomed to Hell.” [Extracted from Sahih Muslim]

Shari’ah (alt. shariah, sharia): Shariah literally means ‘a well-trodden path to water,’ the source of all life, representing the Path to Allah, as given by Allah, the Originator of all life. It refers to the disciplines and principles that govern the behavior of a Muslim individual towards his or herself, family, neighbors, community, city, nation and the Muslim polity as a whole, the Ummah. One of its chief objectives is mercy, although unfortunately today it is misrepresented as barbarism. Read more>>.

Shaytan (alt. shaitan; plural – shayateen): Linguistically refers to a demonic spirit although this term is commonly used to refer specifically to Iblees (Satan).

Shura: Seeking counsel from others.

Sunnah: what the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, did, or approved of for us to follow. The sunnah is understood through hadith collections that narrate various incidents from the life of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).

 

T

Tahajjud – Loosely translated as “the night prayer”, Tahajjud is a highly recommended prayer observed typically in the last part of the night. It is a time of approaching Allah Glorified and Exalted be He, seeking closeness and a response to our needs.Abu Huraira reported Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) as saying: When half of the night or two-third of it is over. Allah, the Blessed and the Exalted, descends to the lowest heaven and says: Is there any beggar, so that he be given? Is there any supplicator so that he be answered? Is there any beggar of forgiveness so that he be forgiven? (And Allah continues it saying) till it is daybreak. [Sahih Muslim]

Tahara:

Tazkiya:  Purification of the soul, limbs, and senses. See Formula for Success.

Tawfeeq (alt. tawfiq):  Divine assistance facilitating success. (Note: some scholars translate tawfeeq as success itself.)

Q

Qiyam-al-Lail: Engaging in prayer during the night.

W

Wajib:

Wudu:

 

October 29, 2016 | khuluq

Supplications for Character, Success, etc.

“Dua is worship.”
[Abu Dawud]

Dua (supplication) is a gift. Through dua, one is able to connect with the Lord of the worlds and ask for one’s needs, as Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) says in the Qur’an:

وَقَالَ رَبُّكُمُ ادْعُونِي أَسْتَجِبْ لَكُمْ ۚ

“And your Lord says, ‘Call upon Me; I will respond to you.'”

[Qur’an; 40:60]

 

وَإِذَا سَأَلَكَ عِبَادِى عَنِّى فَإِنِّى قَرِيبٌ‌ۖ أُجِيبُ دَعۡوَةَ ٱلدَّاعِ إِذَا دَعَانِ‌ۖ فَلۡيَسۡتَجِيبُواْ لِى وَلۡيُؤۡمِنُواْ بِى لَعَلَّهُمۡ يَرۡشُدُونَ (١٨٦)

“And when My servants ask you, [O Muhammad], concerning Me – indeed I am near. I respond to the invocation of the supplicant when he calls upon Me. So let them respond to Me [by obedience] and believe in Me that they may be [rightly] guided.”

[Qur’an; 2:186]

“There is nothing more noble to Allah the Glorified, than supplication.” [Ibn Majah]

“Your Lord is munificent and generous, and is ashamed to turn away empty the hands of His servant when he raises them to Him.” [Abu Dawud]

“Whomsoever of you the door of supplication is opened for, the doors of mercy have been opened for him. And Allah is not asked for anything – meaning – more beloved to Him, than being asked for Al-Afiyah.” And the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “The supplication benefits against that which strikes and that which does not strike, so hold fast, oh worshippers of Allah, to supplication.” [Tirmidhi]

Dua, in essence, springs from the heart. One may supplicate at any time and in any language or not using any words at all but rather asking in one’s heart. However, among the good observances with regarding to making dua is to utilize the comprehensive and eloquent supplications taught to us in the Qur’an and hadith and also to seize opportune moments such as the time of rainfall, the time after the call to prayer has been completed and before the prayer has commenced, the last third of the night, while on a journey, on the day of Arafah, while one is fasting, etc.

The response to one’s supplications may not be immediately or outwardly visible every time. The response to an accepted supplication varies by Allah’s (Glorified and Exalted be He) wisdom and infinite knowledge. For instance, wealth may be withheld from a person because Allah knows that particular person would end up in more harm than good when given wealth, and therefore he is protected by having it withheld.

وَلَوْ بَسَطَ اللَّـهُ الرِّزْقَ لِعِبَادِهِ لَبَغَوْا فِي الْأَرْضِ وَلَـٰكِن يُنَزِّلُ بِقَدَرٍ مَّا يَشَاءُ ۚ إِنَّهُ بِعِبَادِهِ خَبِيرٌ بَصِيرٌ ﴿٢٧﴾

“And if Allah had extended [excessively] provision for His servants, they would have committed tyranny throughout the earth. But He sends [it] down in an amount which He wills. Indeed He is, of His servants, Acquainted and Seeing.” [Qur’an; 42:27]

No accepted supplication is wasted as Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) is in control and He delivers in the best way at the best time. Some supplications receive a response in this life, while others may be replaced with something better, or something good in the Hereafter, or even perhaps by having a calamity averted.

“There is none who utters a supplication, except that Allah gives him what he asked, or prevents evil from him that is equal to it – as long as he does not supplicate for something evil, or the cutting of ties of the womb.” [Tirmidhi]

Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) has mentioned three possibilities with regards to dua and Divine decree. Firstly, it is possible that the dua is stronger than the Decree and thus repels it permanently. Secondly, it is possible that the dua is weaker than the Decree, so the Decree occurs but the dua softens it a little bit. Thirdly, they could be of equal strength, so that each prevents the other from acting. Either way, our dua is certainly worthwhile.

Ibn al-Qayyim is also reported to have said, “Du’a is of the most beneficial cures, and it is the enemy of all diseases. It fights them, and cures them, and prevents their occurrence, and causes them to be raised up or reduced after its occurence. It is the weapon of the believer.” [Source]

“Nothing increases one’s life span except righteousness and nothing repels the Divine decree except supplication, and a man may be deprived of provision by a sin that he commits.’” [Ibn Majah]

“There is no believing servant who supplicates for his brother behind his back (in his absence) that the Angels do not say: The same be for you too.” [Sahih Muslim]

“One of you is granted an answer (to his supplication) provided he does not say, ‘I prayed but I was not granted an answer.'” [Sunan Abi Dawud]

“The supplication of Dhun-Nun (Prophet Yunus) when he supplicated, while in the belly of the whale was: ‘There is none worthy of worship except You, Glory to You, Indeed, I have been of the transgressors. (Lā ilāha illā anta subḥānaka innī kuntu minaẓ-ẓālimīn)’ So indeed, no Muslim man supplicates with it for anything, ever, except Allah responds to him.” [Tirmidhi]

“No precaution can protect against the decree of Allaah. Du’aa’ is beneficial with regard to what has been decreed and what has not been decreed. The du’aa’ meets the calamity that has been decreed and wrestles with it, until the Day of Resurrection.” (Narrated by al-Tabaraani, 2/800 (33). Al-Albaani said in Saheeh al-Jaami’, 7739, (it is) hasan).

It was narrated from Ibn ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (Peace be upon him) said: “Du’aa’ may be of benefit with regard to what has already happened or what has not yet happened, so adhere to Du’aa’, O slaves of Allaah.” Narrated by al-Tirmidhi (3548)

“There are three supplications which are answered: the supplication of the person who is wronged, the supplication of the traveller, and the supplication of a parent for his child.” [Al-Adab Al-Mufrad]

“Beware of the supplication of the oppressed; for indeed there is no barrier between it and Allah.” [Jami At-Tirmidhi]

Tariq bin Ashyam (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:  Whenever a man entered the fold of Islam, the Prophet (Peace be upon him) would show him how to perform Salat and then direct him to supplicate:  “Allahumm-aghfir li, warhamni, wa-hdini, wa ‘afini, warzuqni (O Allah! Forgive me, have mercy on me, guide me, guard me against harm and provide me with sustenance and salvation).” [Muslim] In another narration Tariq said:  A man came to the Prophet (Peace be upon him) and said to him:  “O Messenger of Allah! What shall I say if I want to pray to my Rubb?”  He (Peace be upon him) said, “Say:  ‘Allahumma-ghfir li, warhamni, wa ‘afini, warzuqni (O Allah! Forgive me, have mercy on me, protect me and provide me with sustenance).’  Surely, this supplication is better for you in this life and in the Hereafter.”  [Riyad as-Salihin]

Supplicating to Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) is a demonstration of our humility before Him. It shows that a person has embraced the concept that everything happens by Divine Will and Power and therefore it makes sense to ask Him (Glorified and Exalted be He) for everything we want.

اللَّهُمَّ طَهِّرْ قَلْبِي مِنَ النِّفَاقِ وَعَمَلِي مِنَ الرِّيَاءِ وَلِسَانِي مِنَ الْكَذِبِ وَعَيْنِي مِنَ الْخِيَانَةِ فَإِنَّكَ تَعْلَمُ خَائِنَةَ الأَعْيُنِ وَمَا تُخْفِي الصُّدُورُ

Allahumma tahhir qalbee  minan-nifaaq, wa ‘amali minar riya, wa lisaani minal kazib, wa ‘ayni minal khiyaanati,  fa innaka ta’alamu khaainatal a’yuni wa ma tukhfis sudoor.

‘O Allah! Purify my heart from hypocrisy, my deeds from any kind of riya (ostentation), my tongue from lying, and my eye from treachery. For indeed You know the treachery of the eyes and what the hearts conceal.’

 

اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الشِّقَاقِ وَالنِّفَاقِ وَسُوءِ الأَخْلاَقِ

Allahumma inni a’udhu bika minash-shiqaqi wan-nifaqi, wa suw’il-akhlaq

“Oh Allah, I seek refuge with You from opposing the truth, hypocrisy and bad manners.” [Sunan An-Nasai]

 

‏اللهم إني أعوذ بك من منكرات الأخلاق، والأعمال، والأهواء

Allahumma inni a’udhu bika min munkaratil-akhlaqi, wal-a’mali, wal- ahwa’i

“Oh Allah! I seek refuge in You from undesirable manners, deeds, and aspirations.” [Tirmidhi]

 

اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الْهَمِّ وَالْحَزَنِ وَالْعَجْزِ وَالْكَسَلِ وَالْبُخْلِ وَضَلَعِ الدَّيْنِ وَغَلَبَةِ الرِّجَالِ

Allāhumma innī a`ūdhu bika minal-hammi wal-ḥazani wal-`ajzi wal-kasali wal-bukhli wa ḍala`id-dain wa ghalabatir-rijāl

“Oh Allah, I seek refuge in You from sadness, grief, helplessness, laziness, being stingy, overwhelming debt, and the overpowering of men.” [Tirmidhi]

 

Abdullah ibn `Umar (Allah be pleased with him) relates that the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) used to say:
Allahumma asaluka al-sihhata wa al-`iffata wa al-amanata wa husna al-khuluqi wa al-rida bi’l qadr.

“O Allah I ask you for good health, dignified restraint, trustworthiness, good character, and contentment with Divine decree.” [Bayhaqi]

 

Umm ad-Darda’ said, “Abu’d-Darda’ stood up in the night to pray. He was weeping and said, ‘O Allah! You made my physical form good, so make my character good!’ until morning. I said, ‘Abu’d-Darda’, your only supplication for the entire night was for good character!’ He replied, ‘Umm ad-Darda’, the Muslim makes his character good with the result that his good character takes him into the Garden. He makes his character bad with the result that his bad character takes him into the Fire…'” [Adab Al-Mufrad]

“Oh Allah, I ask You for sound health with faith, faith with good manners, success here/in this world/life followed by success in the Hereafter, mercy from You, health and safety and Your forgiveness and pleasure.” [Abu Hurayrah-Mustadrak Hakim 119/1919]

 

اللهم أرني الحق حقاً وارزقني اتباعه ، وأرني الباطل باطلا وارزقني اجتنابه

Allahumma ariniyal haqqa haqqaw warzuqniyat tiba’ah, wa ariniyal batila batila warzuqana ijtinabih

“O Allah! show us the truth as true, and inspire us to follow it. Show us falsehood as falsehood, and inspire us to abstain from it.” [See Sharhul Ihya, vol.10 pg.106]

 

اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الأَرْبَعِ مِنْ عِلْمٍ لاَ يَنْفَعُ وَمِنْ قَلْبٍ لاَ يَخْشَعُ وَمِنْ نَفْسٍ لاَ تَشْبَعُ وَمِنْ دُعَاءٍ لاَ يُسْمَعُ

Allahumma! Inni a’udhu bika minal-arba’: min ‘ilmin la yanfa’u, wa min qalbin la yakhsha’u, wa min nafsin la tashba’u, wa min du’a’in la yusma

O Allah, I seek refuge with You from four things: From knowledge that is of no benefit, from a heart that does not fear (You), from a soul that is never satisfied, and from a supplication that is not heard. [Ibn Majah]

 

اللهم آت نفسي تقواها، وزكها أنت خير من زكاها، أنت وليها ومولاها

Allahumma ati nafsi taqwaha, wa zakkiha Anta khairu man zakkaha, Anta waliyyuha wa maulaha.

Grant me the sense of piety and purify my soul as You are the Best to purify it. You are its Guardian and its Protecting Friend. [Riyad-us-Saliheen]

 

اللَّهُمَّ انْفَعْنِي بِمَا عَلَّمْتَنِي وَعَلِّمْنِي مَا يَنْفَعُنِي وَزِدْنِي عِلْمًا

Allahummanfa’ni bima ‘allamtani, wa ‘allimni ma yanfa’uni, wa zidni ‘ilma

“O Allah, benefit me by that which You have taught me, and teach me that which will benefit me, and increase me in knowledge.” [Ibn Majah]

 

سُبْحَانَكَ لَا عِلْمَ لَنَا إِلَّا مَا عَلَّمْتَنَا ۖ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ الْعَلِيمُ الْحَكِيمُ

Subhaanaka la ilma lanaa illaa maa allamtanaa innaka anta al-aleemul hakeem
“Exalted are You; we have no knowledge except what You have taught us. Indeed, it is You who is the Knowing, the Wise.” [Qur’an; 2:32]

 

رَبِّ زدْنيِ عِلْماً وَ رْزُقْنيِ فَهْماً

Rabbi zidni ‘ilman war zuqni fahmaa
“O Allah! Advance me in knowledge and [true] understanding.”

 

بٙارٙكٙ اللّٰهُ لِي وٙلٙكُم فِي القُرآنِ الكٙرِيم
و نٙفٙعنِي وٙإِيّٙاكُم بِالآيٙاتِ وٙ ذِكرِ الحٙكِيم
إِنّهُ جٙوٙادٌ مٙلِكٌ بٙرٌّ رٙبٌ رٙئُوفٌ رٙحِيم

Barakallahu lee wa lakum fil quranil kareem
Wa nafa’nee wa iyyakum bil aayaati wa dhikril hakeem
Innahu jawaadun malikun barrun rabbur ra’oofur raheem

“May Allah bless me and you through the guidance of this noble Quran. And may its teachings and remembrances benefit me and you. Truly Allah is the Possessor of wealth, the Sovereign,  the All-Good, the One Who has authority and power over us, the Loving and Infinitely Merciful.”

 

اللَّهُمَ حَبَّبْ إِلَيْنَا الْإِيمَانَ وَزَيِّنْهُ فِي قُلُوبِنَا، وَكَرِّهْ إِلَيْنَا الْكُفْرَ وَالْفُسُوقَ وَالْعِصْيَانَ، وَاجْعَلْنَا مِنَ الرَّاشِدِينَ

Allahumma habbab ilaynal-eemana wa zayyinhu fee quloobina, wa karrih ilaynal-kufra wal-fusooqa wal-isyaana, waj-alna minar raashideen.

“O Allah make our faith beloved to us and beautify it in our hearts and make hateful to us disbelief, wickedness and disobedience. And make us of the rightly guided.”

 

اللّهُمَّ لا سَهْلَ إلا ما جَعَلْتَهُ سَهْلا وَأنتَ تَجْعَلُ الحَزْنَ إذا شِئْتَ سَهْلا

Allahumma la sahla illa maa ja’altahu sahlan, wa Anta taj’alu l-hazna idha shi’ta sahla.

“O Allah! There is no ease except that which You make easy, and indeed You, when You want, make difficulties easy.” [Sahih Ibn Hibban]

 

اللَّهُمَّ أَصْلِحْ لِي دِينِيَ الَّذِي هُوَ عِصْمَةُ أَمْرِي وَأَصْلِحْ لِي دُنْيَاىَ الَّتِي فِيهَا مَعَاشِي وَأَصْلِحْ لِي آخِرَتِي الَّتِي فِيهَا مَعَادِي وَاجْعَلِ الْحَيَاةَ زِيَادَةً لِي فِي كُلِّ خَيْرٍ وَاجْعَلِ الْمَوْتَ رَاحَةً لِي مِنْ كُلِّ شَرٍّ

” O Allah, set right for me my religion which is the safeguard of my affairs. And set right for me the affairs of my world wherein is my living. And set right for me my Hereafter on which depends my after-life. And make the life for me (a source) of abundance for every good and make my death a source of comfort for me protecting me against every evil.” [Sahih Muslim]

 

اللهم إني عبدُك وابنُ عبدِك وابنُ أَمَتِك، ناصِيَتِي بِيَدِكَ، مَاضٍ فِيَّ حُكْمُكَ، عَدْلٌ فِيَّ قَضَاؤُكَ، أَسْأَلُكَ بِكُلِّ اسْمٍ هُوَ لَكَ، سَمَّيْتَ بِهِ نَفْسَكَ، أَوْ عَلَّمْتَهُ أَحَداً مِنْ خَلْقِكَ، أَوْ أَنْزَلْتَهُ فِي كِتَابِكَ، أَوِ اسْتَأْثَرْتَ بِهِ فِي عِلْمِ الْغَيْبِ عِنْدَكَ: أَنْ تَجْعَلَ الْقُرْآنَ رَبِيعَ قَلْبِي، وَنُورَ صَدْرِي، وَجَلَاءَ حُزْنِي، وَذَهَابَ هَمِّي

Allahumma inni `abduka wabnu `abdika wabnu amatik nasiyati bi-yadik madin fiyya hukmuk `adlun fiyya qada’uk as’aluka bi-kulli ismin huwa lak sammayta bihi nafsak aw `allamtahu ahadan min khalqak aw anzaltahu fi kitabik awista’tharta bihi fi `ilmi al-ghaybi `indak an taj`ala al-Qur’ana al-karima rabi`a qalbi wa-nura sadri wa-jala’a huzni wa-dhahaba hammi.

O Allah, I am Your slave, son of Your male servant, and son of Your female servant. My forelock is in Your Hand. Your command for me prevails. Your judgement concerning me is just. I beseech You through every name You have, by which You have called Yourself, or which You have sent down in Your Book, or which You have taught to any one of Your creations, or which You have preferred to keep to Yourself among Your guarded secrets, to make the Great Qur’an the springtime of my heart, the light of my chest, the remover of my sadness, and the pacifier of my worries. [Ahmad]

 

رَبِّ أَوۡزِعۡنِىٓ أَنۡ أَشۡكُرَ نِعۡمَتَكَ ٱلَّتِىٓ أَنۡعَمۡتَ عَلَىَّ وَعَلَىٰ وَٲلِدَىَّ وَأَنۡ أَعۡمَلَ صَـٰلِحً۬ا تَرۡضَٮٰهُ وَأَدۡخِلۡنِى بِرَحۡمَتِكَ فِى عِبَادِكَ ٱلصَّـٰلِحِينَ

“My Lord, enable me to be grateful for Your favor which You have bestowed upon me and upon my parents and to do righteousness of which You approve. And admit me by Your mercy into [the ranks of] Your righteous servants.” [Qur’an; 27:19]

 

The daughter of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), Fatima (may Allah be pleased with her) came to him asking for a servant. He said, “May I inform you of something better than that? When you go to bed, recite ‘Subhan Allah’ thirty three times, ‘Alhamdulillah’ thirty three times, and ‘Allahu Akbar’ thirty four times. [Sahih Bukhari]

Sending Praise on the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “If anyone invokes blessings on me once, Allah will bless him ten times.” [Abu Dawud]

It was asked, “Messenger of Allah, you have commanded us to invoke blessing on you and to salute you. As regards salutation we have already learnt it. How should we invoke blessing?” He (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “Say: ‘O Allah, bless Muhammad and Muhammad’s family as You did bless Abraham and Abraham’s family. O Allah, grant favours to Muhammad and Muhammad’s family as You did grant favours to Abraham; You are indeed praiseworthy and glorious.'” [Abu Dawud]

Furthermore, couching one’s supplications with an opening of praise on Allah and sending prayers on the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and a closing of the same is said to increase the strength of the supplication.

Apart from the prescribed supplications, one may also choose one’s own words in praising and asking, as long as there is no deviation from correct belief about Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) and His messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).

Wa akhiru da’wana an al-hamdu li-Llahi rabb il-‘alamin! (10:10)
Was-salatu was-salamu ‘ala rasulihil-karim! Rabbana taqabbal minna innaka antas-Sami’ ul-‘Alim! Subhana Rabbuka rabb ul-‘izzati ‘amma yasifun. Wa salamun ‘alal-mursalin. Wal-hamdu li-Llahi rabb il-‘alamin! Amin!

In the end our claim is that all praise be to Allah, the Lord of the World and blessings and greetings to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). Our Lord! Accept from us this duty! Lo! Thou, only Thou, art the Hearer, the Knower! Gloried be thy Lord, the Lord of Majesty, From that which they attribute (unto Him)! Peace be unto His messengers! Praise be to Allah the Almighty, Lord of the Worlds! Be it so!

 

Further Reading

Duas for Success (IqraSense)

The Beautiful Dua of a Bedouin

Allahumma Anta Rabbi Dua

Etiquette of Dua

Story: The Power of Dua

Book of Remembrances

Why is it taking so long for my Prayers to be Answered

The Delayed Dua Syndrome

Nasiri Dua:  So Powerful, Rulers Would Ban It From Mosques

Supplication is the Essence of Worship: The Reality and Proper Manners of Asking Allah (Dua)

October 7, 2016 | khuluq

Formula for Success

IMFS(D&A) = 7(S + T)

D&A = for Dunya (this life) and Akhirah (eternal life)

S =

Salah (prayer) – As Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) says in the Qur’an:

ٱتۡلُ مَآ أُوحِىَ إِلَيۡكَ مِنَ ٱلۡكِتَـٰبِ وَأَقِمِ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ‌ۖ إِنَّ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ تَنۡهَىٰ عَنِ ٱلۡفَحۡشَآءِ وَٱلۡمُنكَرِ‌ۗ وَلَذِكۡرُ ٱللَّهِ أَڪۡبَرُ‌ۗ وَٱللَّهُ يَعۡلَمُ مَا تَصۡنَعُونَ

“Recite, [O Muhammad], what has been revealed to you of the Book and establish prayer. Indeed, prayer prohibits immorality and wrongdoing, and the remembrance of Allah is greater. And Allah knows that which you do.” [Qur’an; 29:45]

 

Siyam (fasting)

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ كُتِبَ عَلَيۡڪُمُ ٱلصِّيَامُ كَمَا كُتِبَ عَلَى ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبۡلِڪُمۡ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تَتَّقُونَ

“O you who have believed, decreed upon you is fasting as it was decreed upon those before you that you may become righteous.” [Qur’an; 2:183]

 

Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet (peace be upon him said) said, “(Allah said), ‘Every good deed of Adam’s son is for him except fasting; it is for Me. and I shall reward (the fasting person) for it.’ Verily, the smell of the mouth of a fasting person is better to Allah than the smell of musk.” [Sahih Bukhari]

 

Sabr (patience) – This can be translated as patience, persistence, perseverance, commitment, consistence, contentment, countenance and endurance. Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) tells us in the Qur’an:

وَلَنَبۡلُوَنَّكُم بِشَىۡءٍ۬ مِّنَ ٱلۡخَوۡفِ وَٱلۡجُوعِ وَنَقۡصٍ۬ مِّنَ ٱلۡأَمۡوَٲلِ وَٱلۡأَنفُسِ وَٱلثَّمَرَٲتِ‌ۗ وَبَشِّرِ ٱلصَّـٰبِرِينَ / لَّذِينَ إِذَآ أَصَـٰبَتۡهُم مُّصِيبَةٌ۬ قَالُوٓاْ إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّآ إِلَيۡهِ رَٲجِعُونَ / أُوْلَـٰٓٮِٕكَ عَلَيۡہِمۡ صَلَوَٲتٌ۬ مِّن رَّبِّهِمۡ وَرَحۡمَةٌ۬‌ۖ وَأُوْلَـٰٓٮِٕكَ هُمُ ٱلۡمُهۡتَدُونَ

“And We will surely test you with something of fear and hunger and a loss of wealth and lives and fruits, but give good tidings to the patient, Who, when disaster strikes them, say, “Indeed we belong to Allah , and indeed to Him we will return.” Those are the ones upon whom are blessings from their Lord and mercy. And it is those who are the [rightly] guided.” [Qur’an; 2:155-157]

وَٱسۡتَعِينُواْ بِٱلصَّبۡرِ وَٱلصَّلَوٰةِ‌ۚ وَإِنَّہَا لَكَبِيرَةٌ إِلَّا عَلَى ٱلۡخَـٰشِعِينَ

“And seek help through patience and prayer, and indeed, it is difficult except for the humbly submissive [to Allah]” [Qur’an; 2:45]

Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyya stated in Al-Fawaa’id (page 139) that, “Patience in resisting desires is easier than patience in dealing with the consequences that result from going along with desires, because it either leads to pain and punishment or it prevents a more complete pleasure, . . . or it deprives one of a blessing, having which is more pleasurable and better than fulfilling desires, or it cuts off an oncoming blessing, or it has a negative impact on one’s character that will remain, because deeds have a great impact on one’s character and behavior.”

 

Shukr (gratitude)

وَمَا ڪَانَ لِنَفۡسٍ أَن تَمُوتَ إِلَّا بِإِذۡنِ ٱللَّهِ كِتَـٰبً۬ا مُّؤَجَّلاً۬‌ۗ وَمَن يُرِدۡ ثَوَابَ ٱلدُّنۡيَا نُؤۡتِهِۦ مِنۡہَا وَمَن يُرِدۡ ثَوَابَ ٱلۡأَخِرَةِ نُؤۡتِهِۦ مِنۡہَا‌ۚ وَسَنَجۡزِى ٱلشَّـٰكِرِينَ

“And it is not [possible] for one to die except by permission of Allah at a decree determined. And whoever desires the reward of this world – We will give him thereof; and whoever desires the reward of the Hereafter – We will give him thereof. And we will reward the grateful.” [Qur’an; 3:145]

وَقَلِيلٌ۬ مِّنۡ عِبَادِىَ ٱلشَّكُورُ

“…And few of My servants are grateful.” [Qur’an; 34:13]

 

مَّا يَفۡعَلُ ٱللَّهُ بِعَذَابِڪُمۡ إِن شَكَرۡتُمۡ وَءَامَنتُمۡ‌ۚ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ شَاڪِرًا عَلِيمً۬ا

“What would Allah do with your punishment if you are grateful and believe? And ever is Allah Appreciative and Knowing.” [Qur’an; 4:147]

 

وَڪَذَٲلِكَ فَتَنَّا بَعۡضَہُم بِبَعۡضٍ۬ لِّيَقُولُوٓاْ أَهَـٰٓؤُلَآءِ مَنَّ ٱللَّهُ عَلَيۡهِم مِّنۢ بَيۡنِنَآ‌ۗ أَلَيۡسَ ٱللَّهُ بِأَعۡلَمَ بِٱلشَّـٰڪِرِينَ

“And thus We have tried some of them through others that the disbelievers might say, “Is it these whom Allah has favored among us?” Is not Allah most knowing of those who are grateful?” [Quran; 6:53]

 

إِنَّا هَدَيۡنَـٰهُ ٱلسَّبِيلَ إِمَّا شَاكِرً۬ا وَإِمَّا كَفُورًا

“Indeed, We guided him to the way, be he grateful or be he ungrateful.” [Qur’an; 76:3]

 

Sadaqah (charity) – Sadaqah encompasses all forms of giving, including zakah (obligatory giving for the purification of your own soul [not wealth]). As Muslims we believe that, “Every good deed is charity.” [Al-Bukhari].

We also learn from the hadith that, “Wealth is not diminished by giving (in charity). Allah augments the honour of one who forgives; and one who displays humility towards another seeking the Pleasure of Allah, Allah exalts him in ranks.” [Muslim]

“If you want to really live, you have to give – giving is living. The life of the prophets was all about giving. Martyrs (shuhada) give their life so they can live forever. That is why the prophets live until today–because they gave everything. Those who love selflessly give. Having more is giving more because when you give you live.”

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) is reported to have said, “Who among you considers the wealth of his heirs dearer to him than his own wealth?” They replied, “O Allah’s Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)! There is none among us but loves his own wealth more.” The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “So his wealth is whatever he spends (in Allah’s cause) during his life (on good deeds) while the wealth of his heirs is whatever he leaves after his death.” [Sahih Bukhari]

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) is reported to have said, “Giving in charity is an obligation upon every Muslim”. It was said (to him), “What about one who does not find (the means) to do so?” He (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “Let him work with his hands, thus doing benefit to himself and give in charity.” It was said to him, “What if he does not have (the means) to do so?” He (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “Then let him assist the needy, the aggrieved.” It was said, “What about if he cannot even do this?” He (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “Then he should enjoin good.” He was asked, “What if he cannot do that?” The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “He should then abstain from evil for verily, that is a charity from him”. [Bukhari and Muslim]

“Everyone of you will speak to his Rubb without an interpreter between them. He will look to his right side and will see only the deeds he had previously done; he will look to his left and will see only the deeds he had previously done, and he will look in front of him and will see nothing but Fire (of Hell) before his face. So protect yourselves from Fire (of Hell), even by giving half a date- fruit (in charity)”. [Bukhari and Muslim]

Shariah (Islamic law) – This refers to moral code and religious law – Islamic Law which deals with several topics including: crime, politics and economics, as well as personal matters such as sexual intercourse, hygiene, diet, prayer, everyday etiquette and fasting.

 

Sunnah – The sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) includes his specific words, habits, practices, and silent approvals. It addresses ways of life when dealing with friends, family and government. The sunnah is a source of Islamic law, second only to the Qur’an.

إِنَّ أَوۡلَى ٱلنَّاسِ بِإِبۡرَٲهِيمَ لَلَّذِينَ ٱتَّبَعُوهُ وَهَـٰذَا ٱلنَّبِىُّ وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ‌ۗ وَٱللَّهُ وَلِىُّ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ

“Indeed, the most worthy of Abraham among the people are those who followed him [in submission to Allah] and this prophet, and those who believe [in his message]. And Allah is the ally of the believers.” [Qur’an; 3:68]

 

T =

Tawheed (belief in the oneness of God) – Tawhid meaning doctrine of “the oneness” of God; also transliterated as Tawheed and Tauheed) is the concept monotheism in Islam. It is the religion’s most fundamental concept and holds that God (Allah) is One (Al-ʾAḥad) and Single (Al-Wāḥid).

 

قُلۡ هُوَ ٱللَّهُ أَحَدٌ / ٱللَّهُ ٱلصَّمَدُ / لَمۡ يَلِدۡ وَلَمۡ يُولَدۡ / وَلَمۡ يَكُن لَّهُ ۥ ڪُفُوًا أَحَدٌ

“Say, ‘He is Allah, [who is] One, Allah, the Eternal Refuge. He neither begets nor is born, Nor is there to Him any equivalent.'” [Qur’an; 112:1-4]

The classical definition of tawhid was limited to declaring or preferring belief in one God and the unity of God. Although the monotheistic definition has persisted into modern Arabic, it is now more generally used to connote “unification, union, combination, fusion; standardization, regularization; consolidation, amalgamation, merger;”

The Qu’ran asserts the existence of a single and absolute truth that transcends the world; a unique, independent and indivisible being, who is independent of the entire creation. God, according to Islam, is a universal God, rather than a local, tribal, or parochial one—God is an absolute, who integrates all affirmative values and brooks no evil.

Tawhid constitutes the foremost article of the Muslim profession. The first part of the Shahada is the declaration of belief in the Oneness of God. To attribute divinity to a created entity, known as shirk, is an unpardonable sin according to the Qur’an. Muslims believe that the entirety of the Islamic teaching rests on the principle of Tawheed. There is an uncompromising monotheism at the heart of the Islamic beliefs, which is seen as distinguishing Islam from other major religions.

 

Tazkiya (purification of the soul, limbs and senses) – Evidences for the importance of this include the following:

هُوَ ٱلَّذِى بَعَثَ فِى ٱلۡأُمِّيِّـۧنَ رَسُولاً۬ مِّنۡہُمۡ يَتۡلُواْ عَلَيۡہِمۡ ءَايَـٰتِهِۦ وَيُزَكِّيہِمۡ وَيُعَلِّمُهُمُ ٱلۡكِتَـٰبَ وَٱلۡحِكۡمَةَ وَإِن كَانُواْ مِن قَبۡلُ لَفِى ضَلَـٰلٍ۬ مُّبِينٍ۬

“It is He who has sent among the unlettered a Messenger from themselves reciting to them His verses and purifying them and teaching them the Book and wisdom – although they were before in clear error” [Qur’an; 62:2]

 

وَٱلشَّمۡسِ وَضُحَٮٰهَا / وَٱلۡقَمَرِ إِذَا تَلَٮٰهَا / وَٱلنَّہَارِ إِذَا جَلَّٮٰهَا / وَٱلَّيۡلِ إِذَا يَغۡشَٮٰهَا / وَٱلسَّمَآءِ وَمَا بَنَٮٰهَا / وَٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَمَا طَحَٮٰهَا / وَنَفۡسٍ۬ وَمَا سَوَّٮٰهَا / فَأَلۡهَمَهَا فُجُورَهَا وَتَقۡوَٮٰهَا / قَدۡ أَفۡلَحَ مَن زَكَّٮٰهَا / وَقَدۡ خَابَ مَن دَسَّٮٰهَا

“By the sun and its brightness, and [by] the moon when it follows it, and [by] the day when it displays it, and [by] the night when it covers it, and [by] the sky and He who constructed it, and [by] the earth and He who spread it, and [by] the soul and He who proportioned it, and inspired it [with discernment of] its wickedness and its righteousness, He has succeeded who purifies it, and he has failed who instills it [with corruption].” [Qur’an; 91:1-10]

 

قُل لِّلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ يَغُضُّواْ مِنۡ أَبۡصَـٰرِهِمۡ وَيَحۡفَظُواْ فُرُوجَهُمۡ‌ۚ ذَٲلِكَ أَزۡكَىٰ لَهُمۡ‌ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ خَبِيرُۢ بِمَا يَصۡنَعُونَ

“Tell the believing men to reduce [some] of their vision and guard their private parts. That is purer for them. Indeed, Allah is Acquainted with what they do.” [Qur’an; 24:30]

 

“Beware, in the body there is a piece of flesh; if it is sound, the whole body is sound and if it is corrupt the whole body is corrupt, and hearken it is the heart.” [Sahih Muslim]

One of the keys to tazkiya is lowering the gaze (ghadd al-basr), which means restraining the gaze and not allowing it to wander or dwell upon anything. This includes refraining from looking at people’s ‘awrahs, which includes the beauty of a non-mahram woman.

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in Majmoo’ al-Fataawa (15/414): Allaah, may He be glorified and exalted, has enjoined us in His Book to lower the gaze, which is of two types: refraining from looking at ‘awrahs and refraining from looking at the site of desire. The former refers to a man refraining from looking at the ‘awrah of another person. The second refers to looking at uncovered parts of a non-mahram woman.

Just as lowering the gaze includes not looking at the ‘awrahs of other people and other haraam things, it also includes refraining from looking into people’s houses. A man’s house conceals his body just as his garments conceal him. Allaah has mentioned lowering the gaze and guarding one’s private parts after the verse about asking for permission to enter, because the house covers a person just as the clothes on his body do. Haraam kinds of looking include looking at ‘awrahs, which is of two types: the ‘awrah behind a garment and the ‘awrah behind doors.

Another form of restraining the gaze is refraining from looking at what people have of wealth, wives, children, worldly goods and so on.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) is reported to have said, “He who believes in Allah and the Last Day must either speak good or remain silent.” [Muslim]

It was narrated that Abu Musa said: “I said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, whose Islam is most virtuous?’ He said: ‘The one from whose tongue and hand the Muslims are safe.'” [Sunan an-Nasa’i]

 

يَـٰٓأَيُّہَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ ٱجۡتَنِبُواْ كَثِيرً۬ا مِّنَ ٱلظَّنِّ إِنَّ بَعۡضَ ٱلظَّنِّ إِثۡمٌ۬‌ۖ وَلَا تَجَسَّسُواْ وَلَا يَغۡتَب بَّعۡضُكُم بَعۡضًا‌ۚ أَيُحِبُّ أَحَدُڪُمۡ أَن يَأۡڪُلَ لَحۡمَ أَخِيهِ مَيۡتً۬ا فَكَرِهۡتُمُوهُ‌ۚ وَٱتَّقُواْ ٱللَّهَ‌ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ تَوَّابٌ۬ رَّحِيمٌ۬

“O you who have believed, avoid much [negative] assumption. Indeed, some assumption is sin. And do not spy or backbite each other. Would one of you like to eat the flesh of his brother when dead? You would detest it. And fear Allah; indeed, Allah is Accepting of repentance and Merciful.” [Qur’an; 49:12]

 

Tawbah (repentance)

وَتُوبُوٓاْ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ جَمِيعًا أَيُّهَ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنُونَ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تُفۡلِحُونَ

“And turn to Allah in repentance, all of you, O believers, that you might succeed.” [Qur’an; 24:31]

وَمَن لَّمۡ يَتُبۡ فَأُوْلَـٰٓٮِٕكَ هُمُ ٱلظَّـٰلِمُونَ

“And whoever does not repent – then it is those who are the wrongdoers.” [Qur’an; 49:11]

Narrated Anas bin Malik: Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said, “If Adam’s son had a valley full of gold, he would like to have two valleys, for nothing fills his mouth except dust. And Allah forgives him who repents to Him.” [Sahih Bukhari]

Abu Ayyub Ansari reported that Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said: If you were not to commit sins, Allah would have swept you out of existence and would have replaced you by another people who have committed sin, and then asked forgiveness from Allah, and He would have granted them pardon. [Sahih Muslim]

 

Taqwah (God-consciousness) – Abu Dharr said: “The Messenger of Allah said to me: ‘Have Taqwa of Allah wherever you are, and follow an evil deed with a good one to wipe it out, and treat the people with good behavior.” [Tirmidhi]

 

Tawakkul (trusting in God) – Perhaps one of the most comforting reminders of placing our trust in Allah can be found in the following ayah of the Quran:

مَن كَانَ يُؤۡمِنُ بِٱللَّهِ وَٱلۡيَوۡمِ ٱلۡأَخِرِ‌ۚ وَمَن يَتَّقِ ٱللَّهَ يَجۡعَل لَّهُ ۥ مَخۡرَجً۬ا / وَيَرۡزُقۡهُ مِنۡ حَيۡثُ لَا يَحۡتَسِبُ‌ۚ وَمَن يَتَوَكَّلۡ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ فَهُوَ حَسۡبُهُ ۥۤ‌ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ بَـٰلِغُ أَمۡرِهِ

“And whoever fears Allah – He will make for him a way out, and will provide for him from where he does not expect. And whoever relies upon Allah – then He is sufficient for him. Indeed, Allah will accomplish His purpose.” [Qur’an; 65:2-3]

Umar bin Al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “If you were to rely upon Allah with the required reliance, then He would provide for you just as a bird is provided for, it goes out in the morning empty, and returns full.” [Tirmidhi]

Tasbih (extolling God) – Tasbih is a form of dhikr (remembrance) that involves the repetitive utterances of short sentences glorifying God, in Islam.

يَـٰٓأَيُّہَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ ٱذۡكُرُواْ ٱللَّهَ ذِكۡرً۬ا كَثِيرً۬ا

“O you who have believed, remember Allah with much remembrance” [Qur’an; 33:41]

 

It was narrated from Abu Hurairah that: the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) passed by him when he was planting a plant, and said: “O Abu Hurairah, what are you planting?” I said: “A plant for me.” He said: “Shall I not tell you of a plant that is better than this?” He said: “Of course, O Messenger of Allah.” He said: “Say: ‘Subhan-Allah, wal-hamdu-lillah, wa la ilaha illallah, wa Allahu Akbar (Glory is to Allah, praise is to Allah, none has the right to be worshiped but Allah and Allah is the Most Great.)’ For each one a tree will be planted for you in Paradise.” [Sunan Ibn Majah]

Similarly, there are various remembrances that are easy on the tongue and high in virtue. These can be easily incorporated into one’s day so that reward is being reaped throughout day-to-day activities.

 

Tilawat (recitation of Qur’an)

وَٱتۡلُ مَآ أُوحِىَ إِلَيۡكَ مِن ڪِتَابِ رَبِّكَ‌ۖ لَا مُبَدِّلَ لِكَلِمَـٰتِهِۦ وَلَن تَجِدَ مِن دُونِهِۦ مُلۡتَحَدً۬ا

“And recite, [O Muhammad], what has been revealed to you of the Book of your Lord. There is no changer of His words, and never will you find in other than Him a refuge.” [Qur’an; 18:27]

 

Abu Umamah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:  I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) saying. “Read the Qur’an, for it will come as an intercessor for its reciters on the Day of Resurrection.” [Muslim]

 

Further Resources

The Blessings and Benefits of Fajr Prayer in Islam

Various recitations (qira’ats) of the Qur’an: Shaykh Dr. Yasir Qadhi

August 16, 2016 | khuluq

Attributes for Success

وَمَن يُطِعِ ٱللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ ۥ يُدۡخِلۡهُ جَنَّـٰتٍ۬ تَجۡرِى مِن تَحۡتِهَا ٱلۡأَنۡهَـٰرُ خَـٰلِدِينَ فِيهَا‌ۚ وَذَٲلِكَ ٱلۡفَوۡزُ ٱلۡعَظِيمُ

“…whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger will be admitted by Him to gardens [in Paradise] under which rivers flow, abiding eternally therein; and that is the great attainment.”
[Qur’an; 4:13]

 

Using the selection of verses about success, we have extracted the following key attributes that contribute to success in this life and in the Hereafter.

Some of these attribute are derived directly through the verses, while others have been derived from indications in hadith about their relevance to well-being and success. The aim is to provide a holistic view of the sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).

The last sermon of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) emphasises good character. This sermon alone is sufficient to draw the conclusion that the religion of Islam is a framework for developing good character . The sermon of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) is not only remarkable for its eloquence, but it contains a sublime message for the whole of the human race. It was a declaration of human rights, women’s rights[1], and moral values. The world has not been able to lay down better principles of ethics and morality than those enunciated in it. Every word of it breathes a spirit of magnanimity and aims at establishing righteousness and fair dealing among men on a workable basis. It establishes brotherhood among Muslims irrespective of the divergence of their geographical, racial, and colour backgrounds and provides an outline of a social order, perfectly free from oppression and injustice. It was the declaration of finality of Prophet Muhammad’s (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) prophethood. The religion was being perfected by this final message from The Creator to His creatures for all times to come.

It is interesting to note that many of these attributes overlap with contemporary advice for worldly success in its secular definition.

Click on an attribute to read more.

We have aimed to stay clear of hadith that we could not verify with reasonable assurance. There may, however, be citations to hadith that are considered weak.

(Regarding the text attributed to the companions (may Allah be pleased with them) and other scholars, the exact wording or attribution of each saying to the person indicated cannot be guaranteed 100%. Unlike hadith, there is no method to verify and grade these sayings. However these are provided here as useful words of wisdom, even if the wording and attribution may be inaccurate in some cases.)

Character Patience Perseverance Knowledge Health Humility
Forgiveness Friendship Teaching Commitment Optimism Piety
Repenting Consistency Courage Conviction Compassion Gratitude
Wisdom  Self-Discipline Motivation Creativity Leadership Cleanliness
 Peace Trustworthy/Authoritative Co-existence Skillful Diplomacy Contentment
Integrity Love Happy Calm Dignity Charity
Honesty Generosity Intention Justice

 

Attribute Qur’an Hadith Sayings of Companions (R.A.)
 Sayings of Islamic Scholars (Rahimahumullah)
1. Character

(Synonyms: conduct, personality, quality)

 “And indeed, you are of a great moral character.” [Qur’an; 68:4]

 

“There has certainly been for you in the Messenger of Allah an excellent pattern for anyone whose hope is in Allah and the Last Day and [who] remembers Allah often.” [Qur’an; 33:21]

 

“…And do not approach immoralities – what is apparent of them and what is concealed…” [Qur’an; 6:151]

 “The most beloved to me amongst you is the one who has the best character and manners.” [Sahih Bukhari]

 

“I was sent to perfect good character.” [Muwatta Malik]

 

Abu Hurairah narrated that The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:  “The most complete of the believers in faith, is the one with the best character among them. And the best of you are those who are best to your women.” [Darussalam]

 

“Every deen has an innate character. The character of Islam is modesty” [Muwatta Malik]

 

“Nothing is placed on the Scale that is heavier than good character. Indeed the person with good character will have attained the rank of the person of fasting and prayer.” [Tirmidhi]

 

“O Allah, I seek refuge in You from evil character, evil actions, and evil desires.” [Tirmidhi]

 

“I guarantee a house in the surroundings of Paradise for a man who avoids quarrelling even if he were in the right, a house in the middle of Paradise for a man who avoids lying even if he were joking, and a house in the upper part of Paradise for a man who made his character good.” [Abu Dawud]

 

Narrated Abu Umamah that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “I guarantee a house in the surroundings of Paradise for a man who avoids quarrelling even if he were in the right, a house in the middle of Paradise for a man who avoids lying even if he were joking, and a house in the upper part of Paradise for a man who made his character good.” [Abu Dawud]

 

On the authority of Abu Dharr Jundub ibn Junadah, and Abu Abdur-Rahman Muadh bin Jabal (may Allah be pleased with him), that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: Have taqwa (fear) of Allah wherever you may be, and follow up a bad deed with a good deed which will wipe it out, and behave well towards the people. [Arba’oon An-Nawawi]

 

Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “Shall I not tell you whom the (Hell) Fire is forbidden to touch? It is forbidden to touch a man who is always accessible, having polite and tender nature.” [At- Tirmidhii]

 

Jabir narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Indeed the most beloved among you to me, and the nearest to sit with me on the Day of Judgment is the best of you in character. And indeed, the most disliked among you to me, and the one sitting furthest from me on the Day of Judgement are the Thartharun, and the Mutashaddiqun and the Muthafaihiqun.” They said: “O Messenger of Allah! We know about the Thartharun, and the Mutashaddiqun, but what about the Muthafaihiqun?”‘ He said: “The arrogant.” [Tirmidhi]

 

Abu Hurairah narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was asked about that for which people are admitted into Paradise the most, so he said:  “Taqwa of Allah, and good character.” And he was asked about that for which people are admitted into the Fire the most, and he said: ” The mouth and the private parts.”
 “If you want to control other people, first control yourself.” [Abu Bakr As-Siddiq]

 

“The foundation of a man is his intellect, his honour is in his religion, and his chivalry is in his character.” [Umar Al-Khattab; Ihya Ulum ad-Deen]

 

“Whoever does not think that his speech is part of his deeds and that his character is part of his religion will be destroyed without even realizing.” [Abu Hurayrah]

 

“Whoever educates himself and improves his own morals and character is
superior to the man who tries to teach and train others.”  [Ali ibn Abi Talib]

 “Humility is a part of noble character, and arrogance is the habit of villains. Humility inherits love, and contentment inherits comfort.” [Imam Ash-Shafi’i]

 

“He who is devoid of manners is devoid of knowledge. He who has no patience has no religion. He who has no piety is far from Allah’s intimacy.” [Hassan Al-Basri]

 

Ali said, “He who is devoid of sunnah of Allah, His messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and His intimate friends is devoid of everything.” He was asked, “What is the sunnah of Allah?” He replied, “It is to hide the shortcomings and secrets of people.” He was next asked, “What is the sunnah of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)?” He replied, “Good manners with people.” He was then asked, “What is the sunnah of alwiya?” He replied, “It is to endure patiently the bad manners of people.”

 

“Do not mix except with those who have good character; for the one who has good character brings nothing but good, whilst the one who has bad character brings nothing but evil.” [Al-Fudayl ibn Ayyad]

 

“A man who wanted to write hadîth would [learn] manners and worship for twenty years before starting.” [Sufyan Ath-Thawri]

 

“Goodness of character was the attribute of the master of messengers, and is the fruit of the pious and self-discipline of the people of constant worship. Bad character is a mortal poison, which set a distance between man and the proximity of the Lord of the Worlds, and induced him to follow the path of Satan the accursed. Foul characteristics are the very sickness of hearts and the diseases of the soul, constituting an illness which deprives man of everlasting life.” [Imam Al-Ghazali]

 

“A man of bad character punishes his own soul.” [Imam Al-Ghazali]
2. Patience

(Syn: tolerance, acceptance)

 “O you who have believed, seek help through patience and prayer. Indeed, Allah is with the patient.” [Qur’an; 2:153]

 

“And We will surely test you with something of fear and hunger and a loss of wealth and lives and fruits, but give good tidings to the patient, who, when disaster strikes them, say, “Indeed we belong to Allah , and indeed to Him we will return.” Those are the ones upon whom are blessings from their Lord and mercy. And it is those who are the [rightly] guided.” [Qur’an; 2:155-157]

 

“O you who have believed, persevere and endure and remain stationed and fear Allah that you may be successful.” [Qur’an; 3:200]

 

“Those will be given their reward twice for what they patiently endured and [because] they avert evil through good, and from what We have provided them they spend.” [Qur’an; 28:54]

 

“O My servants who have believed, fear your Lord. For those who do good in this world is good, and the earth of Allah is spacious. Indeed, the patient will be given their reward without account.” [Qur’an; 39:10]

 

“Indeed, Allah is with the patient.” [Qur’an; 8:46]

 

“…And the angels will enter upon them from every gate, [saying], “Peace be upon you for what you patiently endured. And excellent is the final home.” [Qur’an; 13:23-24]

 

“Except for those who are patient and do righteous deeds; those will have forgiveness and great reward.” [Qur’an; 11:11]

 

“…And We have made some of you [people] as trial for others – will you have patience? And ever is your Lord, Seeing.” [Qur’an; 25:20]

 Narrated Anas: The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “The real patience is at the first stroke of a calamity.” [Sahih Bukhari]

 

Abu Musa Al-Ash’ari (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, “When a man’s child dies, Allah, the Exalted, asks His angels, ‘Have you taken out the life of the child of My slave?’ and they reply in the affirmative. He (Subhanahu wa Ta’aala) then asks, ‘Have you taken the fruit of his heart?’ and they reply in the affirmative. Thereupon He asks, ‘What did my slave say?’ They say: ‘He praised You and said: Inna lillahi wa inna ilaihi raji’un (We belong to Allah and to Him we shall return).’ Allah says: ‘Build a house for my slave in Jannah and name it Baitul-Hamd (the House of Praise).”‘ [Tirmidhi]

 

“And know that victory comes with patience, relief with affliction, and hardship with ease.” [40 Hadith Nawawi]

 “Patience is the fruit of faith”. [Ali Ibn Abi Talib]

 

“Patience is to faith what the head is to the body. When patience goes, faith goes and when the head goes, the body goes.“ [Ali Ibn Abi Talib]

 “Our happiness in this life and our salvation in the Hereafter depend on patience. “ [Ibn Al Qayyim]

 

“Guidance is not attained except with knowledge and correct direction is not attained except with patience.” [Ibn Taymiyyah]
3. Perseverance

(Syn: persistence, determination, continued attempts, Grit, Sisu)

 “And seek help through patience and prayer, and indeed, it is difficult except for the humbly submissive [to Allah ]” [Qur’an; 2:45]

 

“So be patient, [O Muhammad]. Indeed, the promise of Allah is truth. And ask forgiveness for your sin and exalt [ Allah ] with praise of your Lord in the evening and the morning.” [Qur’an; 40:55]

 

“And I do not acquit myself. Indeed, the soul is a persistent enjoiner of evil, except those upon which my Lord has mercy. Indeed, my Lord is Forgiving and Merciful.” [Qur’an; 12:53]

 

“Men are in charge of women by [right of] what Allah has given one over the other and what they spend [for maintenance] from their wealth. So righteous women are devoutly obedient, guarding in [the husband’s] absence what Allah would have them guard. But those [wives] from whom you fear arrogance – [first] advise them; [then if they persist], forsake them in bed; and [finally], strike them. But if they obey you [once more], seek no means against them. Indeed, Allah is ever Exalted and Grand.” [Qur’an; 4:34]

 Abu Huraira (Allah be pleased with him) reported the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) as saying: For one among my Ummah who shows endurance against the hardships and rigours of Medina, I would be an intercessor or a witness on his behalf on the Day of Resurrection. [Sahih Muslim]

 

Abu Huraira reported that Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said: The supplication of every one of you is granted if he does not grow impatient and says: I supplicated but it was not granted. [Sahih Muslim]

 

Narrated Ka`b: The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “The example of a believer is that of a fresh tender plant, which the wind bends lt sometimes and some other time it makes it straight. And the example of a hypocrite is that of a pine tree which keeps straight till once it is uprooted suddenly. [Sahih Bukhari]

 

On the authority of Abu Amr Sufyan bin Abdullah ath-Thaqafee (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: I said, “O Messenger of Allah, tell me something about al-Islam which I can ask of no one but you.” He (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “Say I believe in Allah — and then be steadfast.” [Muslim]

 “Patience is the healthiest ingredient of our life.” [Umar ibn Khattab]

 

“Beware of persistence on sins, for it is the greatest of the greater sins and a serious crime.” [Ali ibn Abi Talib]

 

“There are four qualities such that if you were to be given them, you will not be harmed even if the world were to be taken away from you. They are:
good character, restraint in food, truthful words, and upholding a trust.” [Adab Al-Mufrad]

 

 

 “Al-sabr is to persevere in holding back from what Allah has forbidden, and  acceptance of what Allah the Mighty and Majestic has commanded.” [Hassan Al-Basri]

 

“Satan rejoiced when Adam (peace be upon him) came out of Paradise, but he did not know that when a diver sinks into the sea, he collects pearls and then rises again.” [Ibn al-Qayyim]

 

“There cannot be a major sin along with seeking Allah’s forgiveness, nor a minor sin while being persistent upon it.” [Ibn Abbas]
4. Knowledge

(Syn: wisdom, education, expertise, intelligence, judgement)

 “And so those who were given knowledge may know that it is the truth from your Lord and [therefore] believe in it, and their hearts humbly submit to it. And indeed is Allah the Guide of those who have believed to a straight path.” [Qur’an; 22:54]

 

“So high [above all] is Allah , the Sovereign, the Truth. And, [O Muhammad], do not hasten with [recitation of] the Qur’an before its revelation is completed to you, and say, “My Lord, increase me in knowledge.”” [Qur’an; 20:114]

 Narrated Anas bin Malik: that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “Whoever goes out seeking knowledge, then he is in Allah’s cause until he returns.” [Jami at-Tirmidi]

 

Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to say, “O Allah! Grant me benefit in what you have taught me, and teach me useful knowledge and provide me with knowledge that will benefit me.” [Nasa’i and Al-Hakim]

 

Ibn ‘Umar (May Allah be pleased with them) reported:
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Envy is justified in regard to two types of persons only: a man whom Allah has given knowledge of the Qur’an, and so he recites it during the night and during the day; and a man whom Allah has given wealth and so he spends from it during the night and during the day.” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

 

“If anyone travels on a road in search of knowledge, Allah will cause him to travel on one of the roads of Paradise. The angels will lower their wings in their great pleasure with one who seeks knowledge, the inhabitants of the heavens and the Earth and the fish in the deep waters will ask forgiveness for the learned man. The superiority of the learned man over the devout is like that of the moon, on the night when it is full, over the rest of the stars.” [Abu Dawud]

 

“And whoever follows a path to seek knowledge therein, Allah will make easy for him a path to Paradise. No people gather together in one of the Houses of Allah, reciting the Book of Allah and studying it among themselves, except that sakeenah (tranquility) descends upon them, and mercy envelops them, and the angels surround them.” [40 Hadith Nawawi]

 “Seek knowledge, because seeking it for the sake of Allah is a worship. And knowing it makes you more God-fearing; and searching for it is jihad, teaching it to those who do not know is charity, reviewing and learning it more is like tasbeeh. Through knowledge Allah will be known and worshipped. With the knowledge Allah will elevate people and make them leaders and imams, who will in turn guide other people.” [Muadh Ibn Jabal]

 

“Knowledge enlivens the soul.” [Ali ibn Talib]

 

“Knowledge is a comforting friend in times of loneliness, the best companion during travels, and the inner friend who speaks to you in your privacy.” [Muadh ibn Jabal]

 

‘Knowledge calls out to action. If it responds to it [then it stays], but otherwise it departs.” [Ali ibn Abi Talib]

 “All humans are dead, except those who have knowledge. And all those who have knowledge are asleep, except those who do good deeds. And those who do good deeds are deceived, except those who are sincere. And those who are sincere are always in a state of worry.” [Imam Ash-Shafi’i]

 

“Knowledge exists potentially in the human soul like the seed in the soil; by learning the potential becomes actual.” [Imam Al-Ghazali]

 

“When you do not have knowledge, someone could bring you dirt and you will believe it to be gold.” [Ibn al-Qayyim]

 

“When one dwells into knowledge-seeking, he will step into three phases. In the first phase, he will be arrogant. In the second phase, he will be humble. In the third phase, he realises he knows nothing.” [Sufyan at-Thawri]

 

“Knowledge is not what is memorized. Knowledge is what benefits.”  [Imam Ash-Shafi’i]

 

 

 
5. Health

(Syn: wellness, well-being)

 “O mankind!  There has come to you a good advice from your Lord (i.e. the Quran), and a healing for that which is in your hearts.” [Qur’an; 10:57]

 

“And We send down from the Quran that which is a healing and a mercy to those who believe…” [Qur’an; 17:82]

 Narrated Ibn `Abbas: The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “There are two blessings which many people lose: (They are) Health and free time for doing good.” [Sahih Bukhari]

 

“The human does not fill any container that is worse than his stomach. It is sufficient for the son of Adam to eat what will support his back. If this is not possible, then a third for food, a third for drink, and third for his breath.” [Tirmidhi]

 “To eat less is healthy, to speak less is wisdom, and to sleep less is worship. To speak less is wisdom, to eat less is healthy and to mingle less with the people is safe and serene.” [Umar Ibn Al Khattab]

 

 “Earn virtues in your spare time, because, your death might come upon a sudden Many healthy people I have seen who were free of disease, but then their soul parted upon a sudden.” [Imam Al-Bukhari]

 

Luqman Hakim once advised his son, “O my dear son, there are there parts to a human being: ruh (spirit), nafs (soul) and body (of flesh and blood). The ruh is for Allah, the nafs is for your deeds, and your body is for the insects.”
6. Humility

(Syn: humbleness)

 “And turn not your face away from men with pride, nor walk in insolence through the earth.  Verily, God likes not each arrogant boaster.” [Qur’an; 31:18]

 

“And the slaves of God are those who walk on the earth in humility and calmness, and when the foolish address them (with bad words) they reply back with mild words of gentleness.” [Qur’an; 25:63]

 

“Whenever We sent a prophet to a society, We took up its people in suffering and adversity, in order that they might learn humility. [Qur’an; 7:94]

 Abu Huraira reported Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) as saying: Charity does not in any way decrease the wealth and the servant who forgives Allah adds to his respect, and the one who shows humility Allah elevates him in the estimation (of the people). [Sahih Muslim]

 

Jundub reported Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) as saying: He who wants to publicise (his deeds), Allah will publicise (his humility), and he who makes a hypocritical display (of his deeds), Allah will make a display of him. [Sahih Muslim]

 

‘Iyad bin Himar (May Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, “Verily, Allah has revealed to me that you should adopt humility. So that no one may wrong another andno one may be disdainful and haughty towards another.”
[Muslim]

 

It was narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “He who has, in his heart, an ant’s weight of arrogance will not enter Jannah.” Someone said: “A man likes to wear beautiful clothes and shoes?” Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “Allah is Beautiful, He loves beauty. Arrogance means ridiculing and rejecting the Truth and despising people.” [Muslim]

 “When you offer any sadaqah to a beggar, do it with humility and respect, for what you are offering is an offer to Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He).” [Abu bakr As-Siddiq]

 

“There is greatness in the fear of God, contentment in faith of God, and honour
in humility.” [Abu Bakr As-Siddiq]

 

“When a noble man learns knowledge he becomes humble, [whereas] when an ignoble person gains knowledge, he [becomes]  conceited.” [Abu Bakr As-Siddiq]

 “If you are aware of your humility, then you are arrogant.” [Ibn Ata’illah]

 

“The sign of God’s love is to bestow three attributes on His lover: A generosity like that of the sea, a kindness like that of the sun, and, a humility like that of the earth.” [Bayazid]

 

“The more humble,  needy and subdued you are before Allah, the closer you will be to Him.” [Ibn Taymiyyah]

 

“I know of nothing more useful to you than four matters: surrender to Allah, to humbly entreat Him, to think the best of Him, and to perpetually renew your repentance to Him, even if you should repeat as in seventy times in a day.” [Ibn Ataullah]

 

“When someone offends me, I’ll think that God sends that person to teach me humility.” [Ibn Qayyim]

 

“To be humble is to accept the truth and submit to it even when you heard it from the tongue of a child, an uneducated one, or an ignorant person.” [Fudayl ibn Iyad]

 

“Don’t be arrogant just because you worship a lot. For consider what happened to Iblees (Satan) after he spent thousands of years of worship.” [Hasan al-Basri]
7. Forgiveness

(Syn: releasing ill feelings, showing compassion, amnesty, clemency)

 “And the men and the women who remember Allah much with their hearts and tongues. Allah has prepared for them forgiveness and a great reward (i.e. Paradise)” [Qur’an; 33:35]

 

“Hold to forgiveness, command what is right, and turn away from the ignorant.” [Qur’an; 7:199]

 

“…and let them pardon and overlook. Would you not like that Allah should forgive you?” [Qur’an; 24:22]

 

“And indeed, the Hour is coming; so forgive with gracious forgiveness.” [Qur’an; 15:85]

 

“Who spend [in the cause of Allah] during ease and hardship and who restrain anger and who pardon the people – and Allah loves the doers of good;” [Qur’an; 3:134]

 

“And whoever is patient and forgives – indeed, that is of the matters [requiring] determination.” [Qur’an; 42:43]

 

“Kind speech and forgiveness are better than charity followed by injury. And Allah is Free of need and Forbearing.” [Qur’an; 2:263]

 

“And the retribution for an evil act is an evil one like it, but whoever pardons and makes reconciliation – his reward is [due] from Allah . Indeed, He does not like wrongdoers.” [Qur’an; 42:40]

 The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “Sometimes I perceive a veil over my heart, and I supplicate Allah for forgiveness a hundred times in a day.” [Muslim]

 

On the authority of Anas (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) say: Allah the Almighty said: O son of Adam, so long as you call upon Me and ask of Me, I shall forgive you for what you have done, and I shall not mind. O son of Adam, were your sins to reach the clouds of the sky and were you then to ask forgiveness of Me, I would forgive you. O son of Adam, were you to come to Me with sins nearly as great as the earth and were you then to face Me, ascribing no partner to Me, I would bring you forgiveness nearly as great as it. [Hadith Qudsi]

 

Narrated Anas ibn Malik: I never saw the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) that some dispute which involved retaliation was brought to him but he commanded regarding it for remission. [Abu Dawud]

 

It was narrated that Anas bin Malik said: “A man brought the killer of his relative to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: ‘Pardon him,’ but the refused. He said: ‘Take the blood money,’ but he refused. He said: ‘Go and kill him, but then you will be like him.’ Someone caught up with him and reminded him that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) had said: ‘Go and kill him, but then you will be like him.’ So he let him go. [Ibn Majah]

 

“Love your beloved moderately, perhaps he becomes hated to you someday. And hate whom you hate moderately, perhaps he becomes your beloved someday.” [Tirmidhi]

 

“The Compassionate One has mercy on those who are merciful. If you show mercy to those who are on the earth, He Who is in the heaven will show mercy to you.” [Abu Dawud]

 “Forgive people so that God may forgive you.” [Umar ibn Al-Khattab]

 

“I ask Allah for forgiveness if I have done wrong, and I have already forgiven if I have been wronged by other.” [Uthman ibn Affan]

 “I seek forgiveness from Allah for the lack of my sincerity when I say I seek the forgiveness of Allah.” [Rabiah Al-Adawiyyah]

 

 
8. Friendship

(Syn: companionship, harmony, devotion, accord, closeness)

 “And the believers, men and women, are protecting friends of one another, they enjoin the right and forbid the wrong” [Qur’an; 9:71]

 

“The believers are naught else than brothers. Therefore make peace between your brethren and observe your duty to Allah that haply ye may obtain mercy” [Qur’an; 49:10]

 Abu Hurairah narrated that the Messenger of Allah(peace be upon him) said: “A man is upon the religion of his friend, so let one of you look at whom he befriends.” [Tirmidhi]

 

“Do not harbour grudge against one another, nor jealousy, nor enmity; and do not show your backs to one another; and become as fellow brothers and slaves of Allah. It is not lawful for a Muslim to avoid speaking with his brother beyond three days.” [Bukhari and Muslim]

 “He is a friend who brings to your attention your faults and to sing praises of a person in his presence is similar to slaughtering him.” [Umar ibn Al-Khattab]

 

“A mu’min (believer) does not keep as his friend one who is opposed to Almighty Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) and His Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) even though that person may be his mother or father.” [Umar ibn Al-Khattab]

 Above all other things, the one thing that I found to benefit a person most in this world and the Hereafter is a suitable brother (friend).” [Sufyan Ath-Thawri]

 

“O my Lord, whatever share of this world You have bestowed on me, bestow it to my enemies, and whatever share of the next world You have for me, give it to my friends.
You are enough for me.”
[Rabia Al-Adawiyya]

 
9. Teaching

(Syn: education, instruction, knowledge-sharing)

 “And He taught Adam all the names, then presented them to the angels; He said : Tell Me the names of those if you are right.” [Qur’an; 2:31]

 

“Who taught by the pen, Taught man what he knew not.” [Qur’an; 96:4-5]

 Ibn Mas`ud (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “Envy is permitted only in two cases: A man whom Allah gives wealth, and he disposes of it rightfully, and a man to whom Allah gives knowledge which he applies and teaches it.” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

 

Narrated ‘Abdullah bin ‘Amr: that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “Convey from me, even if it be an Ayah, and narrate from the Children of Isra’il, and there is no harm, And whoever lies upon me purposely, then let him take his seat in the Fire.” [Tirmidhi]

 

The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “Every Muslim has five rights over another Muslim (i.e., he has to perform five duties for another Muslim): to return the greetings, to visit the sick, to accompany funeral processions, to accept an invitation, to respond to the sneezer [i.e., to say: ‘Yarhamuk-Allah (may Allah bestow His Mercy on you),’ when the sneezer praises Allah].” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

 “Learn knowledge and teach it to the people. Learn how to have yourselves an aura of dignity and peace. Be humble to those that have taught you knowledge. And do not be haughty scholars; otherwise, your knowledge will not rise due to your ignorance.” [Umar ibn Al- Khattab]

 

“Whoever educates himself and improves his own morals and character is superior to the man who tries to teach and train others.”  [Ali ibn Abi Talib]

 “Even if a person reads and teaches a hundred thousand books on intellectual and knowledgeable issues but does not act on any of it, then it will not benefit him at all.” [Imam Al-Ghazali]

 

“Knowledge gives birth to other knowledge! Any time you learn something, you should write it down. Review and revisit notes. You take notes on the basis of teaching others.” [Imam Al-Ghazali]
10. Commitment

(Syn: enthusiasm, passion, keen interest, devotion)

 “Maintain with care the [obligatory] prayers and [in particular] the middle prayer and stand before Allah, devoutly obedient.” [Qur’an; 2:238]

 

 “One who was devoted to the Qur’an will be told to recite, ascend and recite carefully as he recited carefully when he was in the world, for he will reach his abode when he comes to the last verse he recites.” [Abu Dawud]

 

Yahya related to me from Malik that Yahya ibn Said said, ”Ubada ibn al-Walid ibn Ubada ibn as-Samit informed me from his father that his grandfather (Ubada) said, ‘We made a contract with the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, to hear and obey in ease and hardship, enthusiasm and reluctance, and not to dispute with people in authority and to speak or establish the truth wherever we were without worrying about criticism.'” [Muwatta Malik]

 

Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “(Allah said), ‘Every good deed of Adam’s son is for him except fasting; it is for Me. and I shall reward (the fasting person) for it.’ Verily, the smell of the mouth of a fasting person is better to Allah than the smell of musk.” [Sahih Bukhari]

 “We need spirited, energetic and strong young people whose hearts are filled with life, enthusiasm, zeal and dynamism; whose souls are full of ambition, aspiration and vigor and have great goals, rising and aspiring to reach them until they eventually arrive at their destination.”  [Hasan Al-Banna]

 
11. Optimism

(Syn: hope, positive thinking)

 “So lose not heart, nor fall into despair: For ye must gain mastery if ye are true in Faith.”[Qur’an; 3:139]

”For those whose hopes are in the meeting with Allah (in the Hereafter, let them strive); for the term (appointed) by Allah is surely coming and He hears and knows (all things).” [Qur’an; 29:5]

 

“…And whoever fears Allah – He will make for him a way out. And will provide for him from where he does not expect. And whoever relies upon Allah – then He is sufficient for him. Indeed, Allah will accomplish His purpose. Allah has already set for everything a [decreed] extent.” [Qur’an; 65:2-3]

 

“…Allah does not charge a soul except [according to] what He has given it. Allah will bring about, after hardship, ease.” [Qur’an; 65:7]

 

“For indeed, with hardship [will be] ease. Indeed, with hardship [will be] ease. So when you have finished [your duties], then stand up [for worship]. And to your Lord direct [your] longing.” [Qur’an; 94:5-8]

 

“…O My servants who have transgressed against themselves [by sinning], do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. Indeed, it is He who is the Forgiving, the Merciful.” [Qur’an; 39:53]

 

“Or do you think that you will enter Paradise while such [trial] has not yet come to you as came to those who passed on before you? They were touched by poverty and hardship and were shaken until [even their] messenger and those who believed with him said, “When is the help of Allah?” Unquestionably, the help of Allah is near.” [Qur’an; 2:214]

 

“There has certainly been for you in the Messenger of Allah an excellent pattern for anyone whose hope is in Allah and the Last Day and [who] remembers Allah often. And when the believers saw the companies, they said, “This is what Allah and His Messenger had promised us, and Allah and His Messenger spoke the truth.” And it increased them only in faith and acceptance.” [Qur’an; 33:21-22]

 

“We have given you good tidings in truth, so do not be of the despairing.”….. “And who despairs of the mercy of his Lord except for those astray?” [Qur’an; 15:55-56]

 

“Wealth and children are [but] adornment of the worldly life. But the enduring good deeds are better to your Lord for reward and better for [one’s] hope.” [Qur’an; 18:46]

 Narrated Anas bin Malik: The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Make things easy for the people, and do not make it difficult for them, and make them calm (with glad tidings) and do not repulse (them). [Sahih Bukhari]

 

“No fatigue, nor disease, nor sorrow, nor sadness, nor hurt, nor distress befalls a Muslim, even if it were the prick he receives from a thorn, but that Allah expiates some of his sins for that.” [Sahih Bukhari]

 

It was narrated that Abu Sa’eed Al Khudri said:
“Shall I not tell you what I heard directly from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)? I heard it and memorized it: ‘A man killed ninety-nine people, then the idea of repentance occurred to him. He asked who was the most knowledgeable of people on earth, and he was told of a man so he went to him and said: “I have killed ninety-nine people. Can I repent?” He said: “After ninety-nine people?!” He said: ‘So he drew his sword and killed him, thus completing one hundred. Then the idea of repentance occurred to him (again), so he asked who was the most knowledgeable of people, and he was told of a man (so he went to him) and said: “I have killed one hundred people. Can I repent?” He said: “Woe to you, what is stopping you from repenting? Leave the evil town where you are living and go to a good town, such and such town and worship your Lord there.” So he went out, heading for the good town, but death came to him on the road. The angels of mercy and angels of punishment argued over him. Iblis (Satan) said: “I have more right to him, for he never disobeyed me for a moment.” But the angels of mercy said: “He went out repenting.” (One of the narrators) Hammam said: “Humaid At-Tawil narrated to me from Bakr bin Abdullah that Abu Rafi said: ‘So Allah (SWT) sent an angel to whom they referred (the case). He said: “Look and see which of the two towns was he closer, and put him with its people.” (One of the narrators) Qatadah said: “Hasan narrated to us: ‘When death came to him he strove and drew closer to the good town, and farther away from the evil town, so they put him with the people of the good town.” [Ibn Majah]

 

Narrated Ali (may Allah be pleased with her): Fatima (may Allah be pleased with her) complained of what she suffered from the hand mill and from grinding, when she got the news that some slave girls of the booty had been brought to Allah’s Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). She went to him to ask for a maid-servant, but she could not find him, and told `Aisha of her need. When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) came, Aisha informed him of that. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) came to our house when we had gone to our beds. (On seeing the Prophet) we were going to get up, but he said, ‘Keep at your places,’ I felt the coolness of the Prophet’s feet on my chest. Then he said, “Shall I tell you a thing which is better than what you asked me for? When you go to your beds, say: ‘Allahu Akbar (i.e. Allah is Greater)’ for 34 times, and ‘Al hamdu Li llah (i.e. all the praises are for Allah)’ for 33 times, and Subhan Allah (i.e. Glorified be Allah) for 33 times. This is better for you than what you have requested.” [Bukhari]

 

Abu Hurairah narrated that: The Messenger of Allah [peace and blessings of Allah be upon him] said: “Whoever stands (in the voluntary night prayer of) Ramadan out of faith and in the hope of reward, his previous sins will be forgiven. And whoever spends the night of Lailat Al-Qadr in prayer out of faith and in the hope of reward, his previous sins will be forgiven.”    [Darussalam]

Narrated Abu Huraira: I heard Allah’s Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) saying, “The heart of an old man remains young in two respects, i.e., his love for the world (its wealth, amusements and luxuries) and his incessant hope.” [Sahih al-Bukhari]

Narrated Abu Huraira:  Allah’s Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “Allah says, ‘I have nothing to give but Paradise as a reward to my believer slave, who, if I cause his dear friend (or relative) to die, remains patient (and hopes for Allah’s Reward). [Sahih al-Bukhari]

Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said to Bilal (May Allah be pleased with him) “Tell me about the most hopeful act (i.e., one which you deem the most rewarding with Allah) you have done since your acceptance of Islam because I heard the sound of the steps of your shoes in front of me in Jannah.” Bilal said: “I do not consider any act more hopeful than that whenever I make Wudu’ (or took a bath) in an hour of night or day, I would immediately perform Salat (prayer) for as long as was destined for me to perform.” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

Narrated Abu Huraira:  Allah’s Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “(A believer) who accompanies the funeral procession of a Muslim out of sincere faith and hoping to attain Allah’s reward and remains with it till the funeral prayer is offered and the burial ceremonies are over, he will return with a reward of two Qirats. Each Qirat is like the size of the (Mount) Uhud. He who offers the funeral prayer only and returns before the burial, will return with the reward of one Qirat only.” [Sahih al-Bukhari]

 

Narrated `Aisha:  Whenever Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) became sick, he would recite Mu’awwidhat (Surat Al-Falaq and Surat An- Nas) and then blow his breath over his body. When he became seriously ill, I used to recite (these two Suras) and rub his hands over his body hoping for its blessings. [Sahih al-Bukhari]

  “Meet the people in such a manner that if you die, they should weep for you, and if you live, they should long for you.” [Ali ibn Abi Talib]

 

 “My sin burdened me heavily. But when I measured it against Your Grace, O Lord, Your forgiveness came out greater.” [Imam Shafi’i]

 
12. Piety

(Syn: religiousness, dutifulness)

 “It is not Birr that you turn your faces towards east and (or) west; but Birr is the one who believes in Allah, the Last Day, the Angels, the Book, the Prophets and gives his wealth, in spite of love for it, to the kinsfolk, to the orphans, and to Al-Masakin (the poor), and to the wayfarer, and to those who ask, and to set servants free, performs As-Salah (Iqamat-As-Salah), and gives the Zakah, and who fulfill their covenant when they make it, and who are patient in extreme poverty and ailment (disease) and at the time of fighting (during the battles). Such are the people of the truth and they are Al-Muttaqun (the pious)“  [Qur’an; 2:177]

 

“O you who believe! Stand out firmly for Allah and be just witnesses and let not the enmity and hatred of others make you avoid justice. Be just: that is nearer to piety, and fear Allah. Verily, Allah is Well-Acquainted with what you do.” [Qur’an; 5:8]

 On the authority of Abu Dharr Jundub ibn Junadah, and Abu Abdur-Rahman Muadh bin Jabal (may Allah be pleased with him), that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: Have taqwa (fear) of Allah wherever you may be, and follow up a bad deed with a good deed which will wipe it out, and behave well towards the people. [Arba’oon An-Nawawi]

 

An-Nawwas bin Sam’an (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Piety is good manner, and sin is that which creates doubt and you do not like people to know of it.” [Muslim]

 

“Whoever is pleased with Allah as (his) Lord, and Islam as (his) religion, and Muhammad as (his) Prophet, then he has tasted the sweetness of faith.” [Tirmidhi]

 

How wonderful is the case of a believer; there is good for him in everything and this applies only to a believer. If prosperity attends him, he expresses gratitude to Allah and that is good for him; and if adversity befalls him, he endures it patiently and that is better for him”. [Muslim]

 

Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “A woman is married for four things: for her wealth, for her lineage, for her beauty or for her piety. Select the pious, may you be blessed!”. [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

 “It is a must for the reciter of the Qur’an to recite at night when the people are sleeping, and during the day when they are eating, and with weeping when the people are laughing, with piety when they are heedless, and with sadness when the people are happy.” [Ibn Masood]

 

“True knowledge is not measured in relationship to how much you memorise and then narrate, but rather, true knowledge is an expression of piety [protecting oneself from what Allah prohibited and acting upon what He mandated].” [Ibn Masood]

 “These people have become bored with worship, and speech has become light upon (their tongue), and their piety has decreased and that is why they speak.” [Al-Hasan Al-Basri]

 

“I left Baghdad, and I did not leave behind me a man better, having more knowledge, or greater fiqh (understanding), nor having greater taqwaa (piety) than Ahmad Ibn Hanbal.” [Imam Shafi’i]
13. Repenting

(Syn: regretting, turning back)

 “But those who committed evil deeds and then repented afterwards and believed, verily, your Lord after (all) that is indeed Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.”  [Qur’an; 7:153]

 

“It is He Who accepts repentance from His servants and pardons evil acts and knows what they do.” [Qur’an; 26: 25]

 

 Anas bin Malik Al-Ansari (MayAllah be pleased with him) the servant of the Messenger of Allah narrated: Messenger of Allah (peace bee upon him) said, “Verily, Allah is more delighted with the repentance of His slave than a person who lost his camel in a desert land and then finds it (unexpectedly)”. [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

 

 “To stop sinning is easier than to bear the burden of seeking repentance.” [Umar ibn Al-Khattab]

 

“If anyone stumbles then he must repent. If anyone errs then he must repent. And no one must insist on (the path of) destruction. If anyone insists on tyranny then he is far away from the path.” [Uthman ibn Affan]

 “The sign of repentance [is]: weeping at what has preceded, fear of falling into sin, leaving evil company and maintaining the company of the good.” [Shaqeeq Al-Balkhi]

 

“Indeed the rights of Allah are far greater than the servant can fulfill, and indeed the blessings of Allah are far more than can be counted, however, be repentful in the morning and evening (i.e. throughout the day).” [Talq ibn Habeeb]

 

“Do not get tired of standing at His door, even if you were thrown out And do not stop apologizing to Him, even if you were turned back And if He opens the door for the ones who were accepted, then enter (with them) the entrance of the ones who were unexpected and say, ‘Miskeen (poor) so give me Sadaqah (charity)” [Ibn al-Qayyim]
14. Consistency

(Syn: being regular)

 “Allah has sent down the best statement: a consistent Book wherein is reiteration. The skins shiver therefrom of those who fear their Lord; then their skins and their hearts relax at the remembrance of Allah . That is the guidance of Allah by which He guides whom He wills. And one whom Allah leaves astray – for him there is no guide.” [Qur’an; 39:23]

 

“Do they not consider the Qur’an (with care)? Had it been from other than Allah they would surely have found therein much discrepancy.” [Qur’an; 4:82]

 Abu Hurairah narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Take on only as much as you can do of good deeds, for the best of deeds is that which is done consistently, even if it is little.” [Sunan Ibn Majah]

 

Narrated `Ali: “While we were sitting with the Prophet (peace be upon him) who had a stick with which he was scraping the earth, he lowered his head and said, “There is none of you but has his place assigned either in the Fire or in Paradise.” Thereupon a man from the people said, “Shall we not depend upon this, O Allah’s Apostle?” The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “No, but carry on and do your deeds, for everybody finds it easy to do such deeds (as will lead him to his place).” The Prophet (peace be upon him) then recited the Verse: ‘As for him who gives (in charity) and keeps his duty to Allah..’ [Quran; 92:5]” [Sahih Bukhari]

 

A’isha, the wife of Allah’s Apostle (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), reported that Allah’s Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to say, “Observe moderation (in doing deeds), and if you fail to observe it perfectly, try to do as much as you can do (to live up to this ideal of moderation) and be happy for none would be able to get into Paradise because of his deeds alone.” They (the Companions) said, “Allah’s Messenger, not even you?” Thereupon he (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “Not even I, but that Allah wraps me in His Mercy, and bear this in mind that the deed loved most by Allah is one which is done constantly even though it is small.” [Muslim]

 “Whoever tries to attain knowledge in one stroke, it will likewise leave him in one stroke. Verily, knowledge is attained over the period of days and nights.’” [Ibn Shuhaib Az-Zuharee]

 
15. Courage

(Syn: bravery, boldness)

 “(Prophets are) those who conveyed Allah’s Message and feared Him, fearing no one except Allah. Allah suffices as a Reckoner” [Qur’an; 33:39]

 

“Believers are those to whom people said, “The people have gathered against you, so fear them.” But that merely increased their faith and they said, “Allah is enough for us and the Best of Guardians.” So they returned with blessings and bounty from Allah and no evil touched them. They pursued the pleasure of Allah. Allah’s favor is indeed immense.” [Qur’an; 3: 173-174]

 On the authority of Abu Sa’id (may Allah be pleased with him), who said that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: Let not any one of you belittle himself. They said: O Messenger of Allah, how can any one of us belittle himself? He said: He finds a matter concerning Allah about which he should say something, and he does not say [it], so Allah (mighty and sublime be He) says to him on the Day of Resurrection: What prevented you from saying something about such-and-such and such-and-such? He say: [It was] out of fear of people. Then He says: Rather it is I whom you should more properly fear. It was related by Ibn Majah with a sound chain of authorities. [40 Hadith Qudsi]

 

Narrated Anas (may Allah be pleased with him), the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was the best, the bravest and the most generous of all the people. Once when the people of Medina got frightened, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) rode a horse and went ahead of them and said, “We found this horse very fast.” [Bukhari]

 “Be sympathetic towards the poor so that they may be able to speak and build courage.” [Umar ibn Al-Khattab]

 

“He that has no courage has no religion.” [Ali Ibn Abi Talib]

 “Truthfulness is composed of justice and courage.” [Ibn Hazm]

 

“Know that beauty is two types: external and internal. Internal beauty is loved for itself; it is the beauty of knowledge, reason, generosity, chastity and courage. That inside beauty is what God looks at and loves in His servant. Moreover, inside beauty beautifies the external image even if it is not appealing, when the person is covered with reverence, sweetness and beautiful manners as much as his soul acquires of those features. A believer is granted reverence and beauty according to his faith, so he is revered by those who meet him and loved by those who deal with him. This is commonly observed as you can see the righteous, charitable and well-mannered man projecting the nicest impression even if he is plain in looks, especially when he has been blessed with keeping night prayers as they illuminate the face and beautify it.” [Ibn Al-Qayyim”
16. Conviction

(Syn: strong belief, being convinced, having faith)

 “And those who believe and do righteous deeds and believe in what has been sent down upon Muhammad – and it is the truth from their Lord – He will remove from them their misdeeds and amend their condition.” [Qur’an; 47:2]

 

“You shall know that: “There is no other god beside God.” [Qur’an; 47:19]

 

“(They are those) who are certain that they are going to meet their Lord, and that unto Him they are going to return.” [Qur’an; 2:46]

 

“Indeed, those who have said, “Our Lord is Allah,” and then remained on a right course – there will be no fear concerning them, nor will they grieve.” [Qur’an; 46:13]

 

“Indeed, those who have said, “Our Lord is Allah ” and then remained on a right course – the angels will descend upon them, [saying], “Do not fear and do not grieve but receive good tidings of Paradise, which you were promised.” [Qur’an; 41:30]

 Sufyan bin Abdullah ath- Thaqafee (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: I said, “O Messenger of Allah, tell me something about al-Islam which I can ask of no one but you.” He (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “Say I believe in Allah — and then be steadfast.” [Muslim]

 

  “We ask Allâh for a lasting faith (îmân), true certainty and beneficial knowledge.” [Abu ad-Darda]

 

 

  “Verily, you will find the believer (muʾmin) consistent time after time, upon one way, showing the same face; [whereas] you will find the hypocrite (munāfiq) changing colors, trying to be like everyone around him, running with every wind.” [Hasan Al Basri]

 
17. Compassion

(Syn: mercy, empathy, pity)

 “It is a mercy from Allah  that you were gentle with them. If you had been rough or hard of heart, they would have scattered from around you. So pardon them and ask forgiveness for them, and consult with them about the matter. Then when you have reached a firm decision, put your trust in Allah. Allah loves those who put their trust in Him.” [Qur’an; 3:159]

 

“And We have not sent you, [O Muhammad], except as a mercy to the worlds.” [Qur’an; 21:107]

 

“Go to Pharaoh; he has overstepped the bounds. But speak to him with gentle words so that hopefully he will pay heed or show some fear.” [Qur’an; 20:43-44]

 

“Say, ‘O My servants who have transgressed against themselves [by sinning], do not despair of the mercy of Allah . Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. Indeed, it is He who is the Forgiving, the Merciful.’” [Qur’an; 39-53]

 

“When the Qur’an is read, listen to it with attention, and hold your peace: that ye may receive Mercy.” [Qur’an; 7:204]

 On the authority of Ibn Abbas (Radhiallahu anhu) from the Messenger of Allah (Sallallaahu ‘alaihi wasallam) is that among the sayings he relates from his Lord (Glorified and Exalted be He) is that he said:
Allah has written down the good deeds and the bad ones. Then He explained it [by saying that] he who has intended a good deed and has not done it, Allah writes it down with Himself as a full good deed, but if he has intended it and has done it, Allah writes it down with Himself as from ten (10) good deeds to seven hundred (700) times, or many times over.
But if he has intended a bad deed and has not done it, Allah writes it down with Himself as a full good deed, but if he has intended it and has done it, Allah writes it down as one bad deed.” [Bukhari and Muslim]Anas reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, “If there is roughness in anything it is bound to disgrace it. Allah is compassionate and loves compassion.” [Adab Al-Mufrad]Narrated Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-‘As: The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: The Compassionate One has mercy on those who are merciful. If you show mercy to those who are on the earth, He Who is in the heaven will show mercy to you. [Abu Dawud]Abu Hurairah narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “Verily, Allah when He created the creation, He wrote with His Hand concerning Himself, that: ‘My mercy prevails over My wrath.’” [Tirmidhi]

Narrated Abu Huraira:  The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “When Allah created the Creation, He wrote in His Book–and He wrote (that) about Himself, and it is placed with Him on the Throne–‘Verily My Mercy overcomes My Anger.'” [Sahih al-Bukhari]

 

Allah created one hundred (parts of mercy) and He distributed one amongst His creation and kept this one hundred excepting one with Himself (for the Day of Resurrection). [Sahih Muslim]

 

“He who is deprived of forbearance and gentleness is, in fact, deprived of all good.” [Muslim]

 “Do not have faith in a person’s compassion and politeness when he cannot keep his anger under control.” [Umar ibn Al-Khattab]

 

“Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He), shower your blessings of mercy on that person who informs me of my faults.” [Umar ibn Al-Khattab]

 

“He is the wisest and the most knowing man who advises people not to lose hope and faith in the mercy of Allah and not to be too sure and over-confident of immunity from His wrath and punishment.” [Ali ibn Abi Talib]

 “Encompass your mercy and compassion to animals and all creatures. Do not say, this is inanimate being and has no awareness. Indeed, it does; it is you yourself who have no awareness! So let existence be as it is, and be compassionate towards it with the compassion of the Creator in the midst of His creation.” [Ibn Ata’allah Al-Iskandari]

 

“… They should not prevent the youth, if he knows something, from speaking about what he has knowledge of. Perhaps a person may be young in age, but elder with regards to his knowledge. And Allah blesses whom He wills through wisdom and mercy.” [Ibn Abdil-Barr]

 

“May Allah have mercy on a man who works deeds for the likes of this day. For surely, today you have the ability to work deeds the likes of which your brothers in these graves don’t. So take advantage of good health and free time before the great terror and reckoning comes.” [Abdul Waahid Ibn Safwaan]

 

“Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) will say to His slaves on the Day of Judgment: ‘Allow My slaves to enter Paradise by My Mercy and divide it amongst them according to their deeds.” [Hasan al Basri]
18. Gratitude

(Syn: thankfulness, acknowledging the Giver)

 “. . . then when (Sulaiman (Solomon)) saw it placed before him, he said: “This is by the Grace of my Lord to test me whether I am grateful or ungrateful! And whoever is grateful, truly, his gratitude is for (the good of) his own self, and whoever is ungrateful, (he is ungrateful only for the loss of his own self). Certainly! My Lord is Rich (Free of all wants), Bountiful.” [Qur’an; 27:40]

 

“Therefore remember Me, I will remember you, and be thank­ful to Me, and do not be ungrateful to Me” [Qur’an; 2:152]

 Narrated Abu Hurayrah: The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: He who does not thank the people is not thankful to Allah. [Abu Dawud]

 

It was narrated that Ziyad bin Ilaqah said: “I heard Al-Mughirah bin Shu’bah say: ‘The Prophet (peace be upon him) stood (in prayer at night) until his feet swelled up, and it was said to him: Allah has forgiven your past and future sins. He said: “Should I not be a thankful slave?'” [Sunan An-Nasai]

 

Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, “Any matter of importance which is not begun with Al-hamdu lillah (praise be to Allah) remains defective.” [Abu Dawud]

 

 

 “The way to express gratitude to Allah is to give Zakat out of the property He has bestowed on you.” [Umar ibn Al-Khattab]

 

“He who does not thank Allah for small favours will not thank Him for great ones; and he who does not express gratitude to people (for doing him favours) will not express gratitude towards Allah. Appreciating and mentioning the favour bestowed upon one from Allah is gratitude, and not doing so expresses ingratitude.” [An-Nu’maan ibn Al-Basheer]

 

“If patience and gratitude had been she camels, it would have mattered little on which I rode.” [Umar ibn Al-Khattab]

 

 “Gratitude is built upon five pillars: Submissiveness to Allah from the one expressing gratitude; lov­ing Him for it; acknowledging His favor; praising Him for it; and not utilizing it in a way that displeases Him.” [Ibn al-Qayyim]

 

“O Allah! I seek refuge in You from meeting Your favors with ungratefulness or denying them after knowing them, or forgetting them and not mentioning them with praise (i.e., praising You).” [Umar ibn Abdul-Azeez]

 

“The religion consists of two halves; one half is represented by gratitude and the other half is by perseverance. Scholars have disputed regarding who is better, a rich person who is grateful, or a poor person who is patient, but it seems that it is best for the rich person to be grateful, and for the poor to persevere.” [Imam Ibn Al-Qayyim]

 

“We should be thankful. One of the greatest parts of our spiritual path should be thankfulness. No matter what happens. No matter what happens.Your destiny is Allah.The best provision is piety. Knowledge is not what is memorised. Knowledge is what benefits.” [Imam Shafi’i]

 

“Iman is of two halves; half is patience (sabr) and half is being thankful (shukr).”  [Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah]
19. Wisdom

(Syn: wiseness, maturity, deep understanding, prudence)

 “He grants Hikmah(wisdom) to whom He pleases, and he, to whom Hikmah (wisdom) is granted, is indeed granted abundant good. But none remember (will receive admonition) except men of understanding.” [Qur’an; 2:269]

 

“And I taught you the ‘Ketab’ (Scripture) and ‘Al-Hekmah’(wisdom).” [Qur’an; 5:110]

 Shaddad bin Aus (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “A wise man is the one who calls himself to account (and refrains from doing evil deeds) and does noble deeds to benefit him after death; and the foolish person is the one who subdues himself to his temptations and desires and seeks from Allah the fulfillment of his vain desires”. [At-Tirmidhi]

 

“When Allah wishes good for someone, He bestows upon him the understanding of Deen.” [Bukhari and Muslim]

 

It was narrated from ‘Abdullah bin Mas’ud that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “There is no (permissible) envy except in two cases: A man whom Allah has given wealth and caused him to dispose of it in a proper manner, and a man to whom Allah has given wisdom, and he acts in accordance with it and teaches it (to others).” [Ibn Majah]

 “Good behaviour towards people is equivalent to wisdom, to request politely is half of knowledge, and to ascribe to sound policies is half of one’s livelihood.” [Umar ibn Al-Khattab]

 

“To eat less is healthy, to speak less is wisdom, and to sleep less is worship.” [Umar ibn Al-Khattab]

 

 “… They should not prevent the youth, if he knows something, from speaking about what he has knowledge of. Perhaps a person may be young in age, but elder with regards to his knowledge. And Allah blesses whom He wills through wisdom and mercy.” [Ibn Abdil-Barr]

 

“When the heart is nourished with dhikr, its thirst quenched with contemplation and cleansed from corruption, it shall witness remarkable and wondrous matters and be inspired with wisdom.” [Ibn al Qayyim]

 

“Reflection is the lamp of the heart. If it departs, the heart will have no light.” [Abd Allah ibn Alawi al-Haddad]

 

A wise man said, “Four deeds are good. But these are even better depending on the time and the people involved. (These are (1) Shyness (or modesty) in man is good but is better in woman. (2) Doing justice is good for all but is better for the rulers and leaders. (3) Repentance is good for the elderly but is better for young men. (4) Generosity is good for the affluent but is better for the indigent.”

A wise man said, “Four deeds are bad, but these are even worse depending on the time and the people involved: (1) Committing sin is bad for young men but is worse for the elderly. (2) Engagement in worldly affairs is bad for laymen but is worse for the learned. (3) Laziness in worship is bad for all but is worse for both teachers and students. (4) Pride is bad for the wealthy but is worse for the indigent.”

 
20. Self-Discipline

(Syn: self-control, moderation, stoicism, temperance)

 “And as for him who fears to stand in the presence of his Lord and forbids his own soul from its whims and caprices then surely Paradise is the abode.” [Qur’an; 79:40-41]

 

“Verily, Allaah will not change the condition of a people as long as they do not change their state themselves” [Qur’an; 13:11]

 

“If any of you have not the means wherewith to wed free believing women, they may wed believing girls from among those whom your right hands possess: And Allah hath full knowledge about your faith. Ye are one from another: Wed them with the leave of their owners, and give them their dowers, according to what is reasonable: They should be chaste, not lustful, nor taking paramours: when they are taken in wedlock, if they fall into shame, their punishment is half that for free women. This (permission) is for those among you who fear sin; but it is better for you that ye practise self-restraint. And Allah is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful.” [Qur’an; 4:25]

 

“O ye who believe fasting is prescribed to you
as it was prescribed to those before you,that ye may (learn) self-restraint.” [Qur’an; 2:183]

 Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon hi) said, “The strong is not the one who overcomes the people by his strength, but the strong is the one who controls himself while in anger.” [Bukhari]

 

Abu Huraira reported Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) as saying: The strong-man is not one who wrestles well but the strong man is one who controls himself when he is in a fit of rage. [Sahih Muslim]

 “If you want to control other people, first control yourself.” [Abu Bakr As-Siddiq]

 

“Don’t  forget your own self while preaching to others.“ [Umar ibn Al-Khattab]

 “Do you not see, may Allah have mercy on you, that your Lord Most Generous is urging you to discipline yourself and your families. Pay heed to Allah and make yourselves adhere to that.” [Sa’eed ibn Jubayr]

 

“Discipline and train yourselves and your families to adhere to the commands of Allah, may He be glorified and exalted.” [Ar-Rabee‘ ibn Anas]

 

“The most clever amongst you is the one who remembers the day of resurrection and the judgment.” [Hasan Al-Basri]
21. Motivation/Ambition

(Syn: desire, need, aim, dream, interest, curious, energy)

 [And let not those of virtue among you and wealth swear not to give [aid] to their relatives and the needy and the emigrants for the Cause of Allaah, and let them pardon and overlook. Would you not like (it) that Allaah should forgive you? And Allaah is Forgiving and Merciful” [Qur’an; 24:22]

 

“[O Muhammad], inform My servants that it is I who am the Forgiving, the Merciful. And that it is My punishment which is the painful punishment.” [Qur’an; 15:49-50]

 

“Perhaps those who disbelieve will wish that they had been Muslims. Let them eat and enjoy themselves and be diverted by [false] hope, for they are going to know.” [Qur’an; 15:2-3]

 

 It was narrated that Abu Hurairah said: “The Messenger of Allah said: ‘Whoever relieves a Muslim of some worldly distress, Allah will relieve him of some of the distress of the Day of Resurrection, and whoever conceals (the faults of) a Muslim, Allah will conceal him (his faults) in this world and the Day of Resurrection. And whoever relives the burden from a destitute person, Allah will relieve him in this world and the next. Allah will help His slave so long as His slave helps his brother. Whoever follows a path in pursuit of knowledge, Allah will make easy fro him a path to paradise. No people gather in one of the houses of Allah, reciting the Book of Allah and teaching it to one another, but the angels will surround them, tranquility will descend upon them, mercy will envelop them and Allah will mention them to those who are with Him. And whoever is hindered because of his bad deeds, his lineage will be of no avail to him.'” [Ibn Majah]

 

It was narrated from Asma’ bint Yazid that she heard the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) say: “Shall I not tell you of the best of you?” They said: “Yes, O Messenger of Allah.” He said: “The best of you are those who, when they are seen, Allah the Mighty, the Majestic, is remembered.” [Sunan Ibn Majah]

 

Abu Hurayrah that he said, “I heard the Prophet saying: ‘The heart of an old man remains young in two respects: his love for this worldly life and his excessive ambitions in it.’ ” [Sahih Bukhari]

 

Narrated Anas bin Malik: The Prophet (peace be upon him) drew a few lines and said, “This is (man’s) hope, and this is the instant of his death, and while he is in this state (of hope), the nearer line (death) comes to Him.” [Sahih Bukhari]

 

Narrated Ibn `Umar: Two men came from the east and delivered speeches, and the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “Some eloquent speech has the influence of magic.” (e.g., some people refuse to do something and then a good eloquent speaker addresses them and then they agree to do that very thing after his speech). [Sahih Bukhari]

 

“Value five things before five others come to pass: value youth before old age, health before illness, affluence before poverty, leisure before becoming too busy and value life before death.” [Source]

 “Whoever educates himself and improves his own morals and character is
superior to the man who tries to teach and train others.”  [Ali ibn Abi Talib]”If you expect the blessings of God, be kind to His people.” [Abu Bakr As-Siddiq]“Fast the hot days in anticipation of the Day of Resurrection, and pray in the dark night in anticipation of the dark grave.” [Abu Ad-Darda]		 “After asking Allah to guide you to the straight path, don’t just stand there … start walking!” [Albaz]

 

 

“My sin burdened me heavily. But when I measured it against Your Grace, O Lord, Your forgiveness came out greater.” [Imam Shafi’i]

 

“There is an important rationale behind ambitions in this worldly life. Having ambitions in this worldly life is not totally dispraised as without it no one would be able to enjoy his life or look forward to doing anything that is related to this world. What is dispraised is having extensive ambitions in this worldly life and not preparing for the Hereafter. As long as a person is safe from this, he is not required to totally abstain from having ambitions in this world. Ignorance and love for this world are the causes behind this disease.” [Ibn Hajar]

 

“We need spirited, energetic and strong young people whose hearts are filled with life, enthusiasm, zeal and dynamism; whose souls are full of ambition, aspiration and vigor and have great goals, rising and aspiring to reach them until they eventually arrive at their destination.” [Hasan al-Banna]

 
22. Creativity

(Syn: innovation, vision, imagination, intuition, foresight)

 “Say: Travel through the earth and see how Alah did originate creation; so will Allah produce later creation, for Allah has power over all things.” [Qur’an; 29:20]

 

“And (do) not pursue what not you have of it any knowledge. Indeed, the hearing, and the sight, and the heart all those will be [about it] questioned.” [Qur’an; 17:36]

 Abu Qatadah said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (May peace be upon him) say: A good vision comes from Allah and a dream (hulm) from the devil, so when one of you sees what he dislikes, he must spit on his left (three times), and seek refuge in Allah from its evil. It will then not harm him. [Abu Dawud]

 

Abu Huraira reported Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) as saying: Verily the vision of a believer is one of the forty-sixth part of Prophecy. [Sahih Muslim]

 “The vision of the eye is limited; the vision of the heart transcends all barriers of time and space.” [Ali ibn Abi Talib]

 

“One who often thinks and reflects develops his foresight and vision.” [Ali ibn Abi Talib]

 

“Make a purpose for life, then utilise all your strength to achieve it. You would definitely be successful.” [Uthman ibn Affan]
23. Leadership

(Syn: influencing others in their thoughts and actions)

 “And We made them leaders, guiding (men) by Our Command, and We sent them inspiration to do good deeds, to establish regular prayers, and to practise regular charity; and they constantly served Us (and Us only).” [Qur’an; 21:73]

 

“And We appointed, from among them, leaders, giving guidance under Our command, so long as they persevered with patience and continued to have faith in Our Signs.” [Qur’an; 32:24]

 (See Conflict Resolution)

It has been narrated on the authority of Abu Huraira that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: It is obligatory for you to listen to the ruler and obey him in adversity and prosperity, in pleasure and displeasure, and even when another person is given (rather undue) preference over you. [Sahih Muslim]

 

It has been narrated on the authority of Abu Malik that Ubaidullah b. Ziyad visited Ma’qil b. Yaser in the latter’s illness. Ma’qil said to him: I am narrating to you a tradition. If I were not at death’s door, I would not narrate it to you. I heard the Messenger of Allah (may peace he upon him) say: A ruler who, having obtained control over the affairs of the Muslims, does not strive for their betterment and does not serve them sincerely shall not enter Paradise with them. [Sahih Muslim]

 

“Avert the legal penalties from the Muslims as much as possible, if he has a way out then leave him to his way, for if the Imam makes a mistake in forgiving it would be better than making mistake in punishment.” [Tirmidhi]

 

“O `Abdur-Rahman! Do not seek to be a ruler, for if you are given authority on your demand then you will be held responsible for it, but if you are given it without asking (for it), then you will be helped (by Allah) in it. If you ever take an oath to do something and later on you find that something else is better, then you should expiate your oath and do what is better.” [Sahih Bukhari]

 

Two men from my tribe and I entered upon the Prophet. One of the two men said to the Prophet, “O Allah’s Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)! Appoint me as a governor,” and so did the second. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “We do not assign the authority of ruling to those who ask for it, nor to those who are keen to have it.” [Sahih Bukhari]

 

“Any man whom Allah has given the authority of ruling some people and he does not look after them in an honest manner, will never feel even the smell of Paradise.” [Sahih Bukhari]

 

“It has been reported on the authority of ‘Abd al-Rahman b. Samura who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said to me: ‘Abd al-Rahman, do not ask for a position of authority, for if you are granted this position as a result of your asking for it, you will be left alone (without God’s help to discharge the responsibilities attendant thereon), and if you are granted it without making any request for it, you will be helped (by God in the discharge of your duties).” [Sahih Muslim]

 “O servants of God, continue to fear God. Suppress your selfish motives and work for the solidarity of the Muslims as a whole. In running the State, you are my partners. Help me with your sound advice. If I follow the right path laid down by God and His Prophet follow me. If I deviate, correct me. Strengthen me with your advice and suggestions. Let us pray for the glory of Islam.” [Umar ibn Al-Khattab]

 

 “Nothing is more damaging… and more prejudicial and sinister for the king than royal inaccessibility and seclusion.” [Imam Ghazali; Nasihat]
24. Cleanliness

(Syn: hygiene, purity)

 “O you who have believed, when you rise to [perform] prayer, wash your faces and your forearms to the elbows and wipe over your heads and wash your feet to the ankles. And if you are in a state of Janaabah (major impurity), then purify yourselves.” [Qur’an; 5:6]

 

“None touch it(the Quran) except the purified.” [Qur’an; 79:56]

 

“Those who avoid enormities of sin and abominations, save the unwilled offences – (for them) lo! thy Lord is of vast mercy. He is Best Aware of you (from the time) when He created you from the earth, and when ye were hidden in the bellies of your mothers. Therefor ascribe not purity unto yourselves. He is Best Aware of him who wardeth off (evil).” [Qur’an; 53:32]

 

“Women impure are for men impure, and men impure for women impure and women of purity are for men of purity, and men of purity are for women of purity: these are not affected by what people say: for them there is forgiveness, and a provision honourable.” [Qur’an; 24:26]

 

“He has certainly succeeded who purifies himself.” [Qur’an; 87:14]

 

“But only one who comes to Allah with a sound heart.” [Qur’an; 26:89]

 

“None touch it except the purified” [Qur’an; 56:79]

 Abu Malik at-Ash’ari reported: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: Cleanliness is half of faith and al-Hamdu Liliah (Praise be to Allah) fills the scale, and Subhan Allah (Glory be to Allah) and al-Hamdu Liliah (Praise be to Allah) fill upwhat is between the heavens and the earth, and prayer is a light, and charity is proof (of one’s faith) and endurance is a brightness and the Holy Qur’an is a proof on your behalf or against you. All men go out early in the morning and sell themselves, thereby setting themselves free or destroying themselves. [Sahih Muslim]

 

Abu Sufyan said: “Abu Ayyub Al-Ansari, Jabir bin ‘Abdullah, and Anas bin Malik told me that when this Verse: “In it (the mosque) are men who love to clean and to purify themselves. And Allah loves those who make themselves clean and pure.” was revealed, the Messenger of Allah said: ‘O Ansar! Allah has praised you for your cleanliness. What is the nature of your cleanliness?’ They said: ‘We perform ablution for prayer and we take bath to cleanse ourselves of impurity due to sexual activity, and we clean ourselves with water (after urinating). He said: ‘This is what it is. So adhere to it.'” [Ibn Majah

 “Whoever wants to follow an example, let him follow the example of those who have passed away, the Companions of Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). They were the best of this ummah, the purest in heart, the deepest in knowledge, the least in sophistication. They were people whom Allah chose to be the Companions of His Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and to convey His religion, so imitate their ways and behaviour, for they were following the Straight Path.”  [Abdullah ibn Masood]

 

  Among the principles of the Ahlus Sunnah wal Jama’ah lie the attitude of peace and purity of their heart and tongue towards the Sahaba (Companions) of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).
[Ibn Taymiyyah]”How can the heart travel to God when it is tied down by its vain desires? Or how can it be avid to enter the Divine Presence when it hasn’t purified itself from the impurity of its heedlessness? Or how can it hope to understand subtle secrets when it hasn’t repented from its errors?” [Ibn Ata’illah al-Iskandari]
25. Peace

(Syn: serenity, free of disturbance)

 “O you who have believed, enter into Islam completely [and perfectly] and do not follow the footsteps of Satan. Indeed, he is to you a clear enemy.” [Quran; 2:208]
“But whoever kills a believer intentionally – his recompense is Hell, wherein he will abide eternally, and Allah has become angry with him and has cursed him and has prepared for him a great punishment.” [Quran; 4:93]”Allah does not forbid you from those who do not fight you because of religion and do not expel you from your homes – from being righteous toward them and acting justly toward them. Indeed, Allah loves those who act justly.” [Quran; 60:8]”Fight in the way of Allah those who fight you but do not transgress. Indeed. Allah does not like transgressors.” [Quran; 2:190]”And peace is on me the day I was born and the day I will die and the day I am raised alive.” [Qur’an; 19:33]		  “By the One in Whose Hand is my soul! You will not enter Paradise until you believe, and you will not believe until you love each other. Shall I tell you about what will strengthen that for you? Spread the Salam among each other.” [Jami at-Tirmidhi]

 

“A Muslim is the one from whose tongue and hands the Muslims are safe; and a Muhajir (Emigrant) is the one who refrains from what Allah has forbidden”. [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

 

Narrated Anas: Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said, “Help your brother whether he is an oppressor or an oppressed,” A man said, “O Allah’s Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)! I will help him if he is oppressed, but if he is an oppressor, how shall I help him?” The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “By preventing him from oppressing (others), for that is how to help him.” [Sahih Bukhari]

 

“O people, exchange greetings of peace (i.e., say: As-Salamu ‘Alaikum to one another), feed people, strengthen the ties of kinship, and be in prayer when others are asleep, you will enter Jannah in peace.” [Tirmidhi]

  “When the Companions of Muhammad – Allâh’s peace and blessings be upon him – used to meet, they would shake hands; and when returning from travels, they would hug one another.” [Al-Sha’bi]

 

 It is reported that Harim b. Hayyan – Allah have mercy on him – said, “Never does the servant turn wholeheartedly to Allah except that Allah turns the hearts of the believers to him, providing him their love.” [Al-Dhahabi, Siyar A’lam Al-Nubala 4:49]

 
26. Trustworthy / Authoritative

(Syn: trustable, authorised, reliable)

 “Those who are faithfully true to their amanah (all the duties which God has ordained, honesty, moral responsibility and trusts, etc.) and to their covenants…these indeed are the inheritors.  Who shall inherit Paradise.  And dwell therein forever” [Qur’an; 23:8, 23:10-11]

 

“Verily, God does command you to render back your Trusts to whom they are due.” [Qur’an; 4:58]

 Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “The signs of a hypocrite are three: 1. Whenever he speaks, he tells a lie. 2. Whenever he promises, he always breaks it (his promise ). 3. If you trust him, he proves to be dishonest. (If you keep something as a trust with him, he will not return it.)” [Sahih Bukhari]

 

“When the practice of honouring a trust is lost, expect the Last Day.” [Bukhari]

 

It has been narrated on the authority of Abu Dharr who said: I said to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): Messenger of Allah, will you not appoint me to a public office? He stroked my shoulder with his hand and said: Abu Dharr, thou art weak and authority is a trust. and on the Day of judgment it is a cause of humiliation and repentance except for one who fulfils its obligations and (properly) discharges the duties attendant thereon. [Sahih Muslim]

 “Trust is that there should be no difference between what you do and say and what you think.” [Umar ibn Al-Khattab]

 

“Truth is a trust, [whereas] falsehood [is] treason.” [Abu Bakr As-Siddiq]

 

“There are four qualities such that if you were to be given them, you will not be harmed even if the world were to be taken away from you. They are:
good character, restraint in food, truthful words, and upholding a trust.” [Adab Al-Mufrad]

 “Being truthful and adhering to truthfulness, means you will be among the people of the truth and be saved from calamity and that it will make a way out for you from your problems”. [Ibn Katheer]

 

“Three kinds of treatment be always meted out to good and bad man alike: keeping trust, fulfilling promise and kindness.” [Maimoon bin Mehran]
27. Co-Existence

(Syn: peaceful existence with one another)

  “O mankind, indeed We have created you from male and female and made you peoples and tribes that you may know one another…” [Qur’an; 49:13]

 

“Excepted are those with whom you made a treaty among the polytheists and then they have not been deficient toward you in anything or supported anyone against you; so complete for them their treaty until their term [has ended]. Indeed, Allah loves the righteous [who fear Him].” [Qur’an; 9:4]

  Anas (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Make things easy and do not make them difficult, cheer the people up by conveying glad tidings to them and do not repulse (them).” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

 

It was narrated that ‘Uthman bin ‘Affan said: “The Messenger of Allah said: ‘Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, admitted to paradise a man who was easygoing in buying and selling, in paying off debts and asking for repayment.”‘ [Sunan An-Nasai]

 

“Allah has removed the pride of Jahiliyyah from you and boasting about lineage. (A person is either) a pious believer or a miserable sinner, and the people are the children of Adam, and Adam is from dirt.” [Tirmidhi]

  ‘Umar Ibn Al-Khattaab (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “The happiest of people is the one under whose care people are happy because of him, and the most miserable of people is the one under whose care people are miserable because of him.” [Manaaqib ‘Umar, by Ibn Al-Jawzee, p.130]

 

 Bishr Ibn Al-Haarith said: “Look at the person who has the most piety, chastity and purest earning from the people and then accompany him and do not sit with the one who will not help you upon your life in the hereafter.” [Ash-Shu’ab, 7/11197]

 

Ibn Hibban: “The noble does not hurt the wise, he does not joke with the stupid and he does not mingle with the sinner.” [Ar-Rawdhah, p. 173]

 

Haytham Ibn Jameel was asked: “A man is well learned with regards to the affairs of the Sunnah, should he debate and argue about them?” He replied: “No, however he should inform the people about the Sunnah, so if it is accepted from him then good and if not then he should keep silent.” [Jaami’u Bayaan Al-‘Ilmi Wa Fadhlihi, 4/94]
28. Skillful

(Syn: proficient, able, competent, expert, efficient, productive)

 “When the master saw that Joseph’s shirt was torn from behind, he told his wife, “This is some of your womanly guile in which you are certainly skillful.” [Qur’an; 12:28]

 

 “One who is skilled in the Qur’an is associated with the noble, upright recording angels, and he who falters when he recites the Qur’an and finds it difficult for him will have a double reward.” [Abu Dawud]

 

“When a judge utilizes his skill of judgement and comes to a right decision, he will have a double reward, but when he uses his judgement and commits a mistake, he will have a single reward.” [Bukhari and Muslim]

  “What is the best thing a person is ever given?” He replied, “Innate intelligence.” [Reported by Habib Al Jallab that he asked Abdullah ibn Mubarak]

 

“Satan rejoices when Adam was banished from Paradise. But he didn’t kknow that when a diver sinks into the depth of the sea, he collects pearls and rises up again.” [Ibn Al-Qayyim]

 

“Knowledge is not what is memorised. Knowledge is what benefits.” [Imam Ash-Shafi’i]
29. Diplomacy

(Syn: tact, able to handle delicate situations)

 “O mankind, we created you from a single (pair) of male and female and made into nations and tribes that you may know each other. Verily the most honoured of you in the sight of God is the most righteous of you.” [Qur’an; 49:13]

 

 “Do not develop friendship with the enemy of your friend otherwise your friend will turn into an enemy.” [Ali ibn Abi Talib]

 

  “Whoever governs himself by the Sunnah – in word and deed – will speak with wisdom. But whoever governs himself according to his own desires will speak heresies…” [Abu Uthman Said bin Ismail Al-Naysaburi]

 

“It is therefore an aspect of wisdom in da’wah (calling others to Allah) that you should not surprise people with things they are not able to comprehend. Rather, you should call them in stages, bit by bit until their minds settle…” [Shaykh Muhammad bin Salih Al-Uthaymin]
30. Contentment

(Syn: satisfaction, happiness, tranquility)

 “Those who believe and work righteousness and believe in what was sent down to Muhammad (s) – which is the truth from their Lord; He remits their sins, and blesses them with contentment.” [Qur’an; 47:2]

 

“He is the one who places contentment into the hearts of believers to increase their faith in addition to what they have.” [Qur’an; 48:4]

 Abdullah bin `Amr bin Al-as (May Allah be pleased with them) reported: the Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) said, “Successful is the one who has entered the fold of Islam and is provided with sustenance which is sufficient for his needs, and Allah makes him content with what He has bestowed upon him.” [Muslim]

 

On the authority of Abu Abbas Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: One day I was behind the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) [riding on the same mount] and he said, “O young man, I shall teach you some words [of advice]: Be mindful of Allah and Allah will protect you. Be mindful of Allah and you will find Him in front of you. If you ask, then ask Allah [alone]; and if you seek help, then seek help from Allah [alone]. And know that if the nation were to gather together to benefit you with anything, they would not benefit you except with what Allah had already prescribed for you. And if they were to gather together to harm you with anything, they would not harm you except with what Allah had already prescribed against you. The pens have been lifted and the pages have dried.” It was related by at-Tirmidhi, who said it was a good and sound hadeeth.
Another narration, other than that of Tirmidhi, reads: Be mindful of Allah, and you will find Him in front of you. Recognize and acknowledge Allah in times of ease and prosperity, and He will remember you in times of adversity. And know that what has passed you by [and you have failed to attain] was not going to befall you, and what has befallen you was not going to pass you by. And know that victory comes with patience, relief with affliction, and hardship with ease. [40 Hadith Nawawi]

 

“Richness does not lie in the abundance of (worldly) goods but richness is the richness of the soul (heart, self).” [Sahih Muslim]

 

“The world compared to the Hereafter is but like what one of you gets when placing his finger into the sea, so look at what you draw from it.” [Tirmidhi]

 

“Verily the creation of each one of you is brought together in his mother’s womb for forty days in the form of a nutfah (a drop), then he becomes an alaqah (clot of blood) for a like period, then a mudghah (morsel of flesh) for a like period, then there is sent to him the angel who blows his soul into him and who is commanded with four matters: to write down his rizq (sustenance), his life span, his actions, and whether he will be happy or unhappy (i.e., whether or not he will enter Paradise)…..” [Bukhari and Muslim]

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to supplicate, “Allahumma inni as’alukal-huda, wat-tuqa, wal-‘afafa, wal-ghina (O Allah! I beseech You for guidance, piety, chastity and contentment).” [Muslim]

 

“The world compared to the Hereafter is but like what one of you gets when placing his finger into the sea, so look at what you draw from it.” [Tirmidhi]

 “Contentment is an asset which is never exhausted.” [Ali ibn Abi Talib]

 

 “Contentment makes a man potent. Avoid the greediness of the world-consuming greedy.” [Saadi]

 

“Humility is part of noble character and arrogance is the habit of villains.” And he said, “Humility inherits love and contentment inherits comfort.” And he said, “The highest of people in status are those who do not see their status, and the greatest of them in grace are those who do not see their grace.” [Shafi’i]
31. Integrity

(Syn: having sound moral values)

 “And hold firmly to the rope of Allah all together and do not become divided. And remember the favor of Allah upon you – when you were enemies and He brought your hearts together and you became, by His favor, brothers. And you were on the edge of a pit of the Fire, and He saved you from it. Thus does Allah make clear to you His verses that you may be guided.” [Qur’an; 3:103]

 

“Obey Allah and His Messenger (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) and do not quarrel among yourselves lest you lose heart and your momentum disappear. And be steadfast. Allah is with the steadfast.” [Qur’an; 8:46]

 

“O Prophet, indeed We have sent you as a witness and a bringer of good tidings and a warner.” [Qur’an; 33:45]

 Nu’man b. Bashir reported Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: The similitude of believers in regard to mutual love, affection, fellow-feeling is that of one body; when any limb of it aches, the whole body aches, because of sleeplessness and fever.” [Muslim]

 

 Ali said (to the people of ‘Iraq), “Judge as you used to judge, for I hate differences (and I do my best) till the people unite as one group, or I die as my companions have died.”

 

And narrated Sad that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said to ‘Ali, “Will you not be pleased from this that you are to me like Aaron was to Moses?” [Ali ibn Abi Talib]

 

 

 

 “The Muslim ummah cannot take another war. Let’s unite on our common grounds rather than focus on our differences. Let us focus on what we agree upon and negotiate/discuss matters based upon them. You will find that most of these differences will begin to melt away.” [Shaykh Waleed Basyouni]

 
32. Love

(Syn: affection, care)

 “Those who spend in prosperity and adversity, and those who suppress anger and pardon men; and Allah loves those who do good.”  [Qur’an; 3:135]

 

“On those who believe and do good works there shall be no sin for what they eat, provided they fear God and believe and do good works, and again fear God and believe, yet again fear God and do good. And Allah loves those who do good.”  [Qur’an; 5:94]

 

Say, [O Muhammad], “If you should love Allah , then follow me, [so] Allah will love you and forgive you your sins. And Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.” [Qur’an; 3:31]

 Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “If Allah loves a person, He calls Gabriel saying: ‘Allah loves so and so; O Gabriel, love him.’ Gabriel would love him, and then Gabriel would make an announcement among the residents of the Heaven, ‘Allah loves so-and-so, therefore, you should love him also.’ So, all the residents of the Heavens would love him and then he is granted the pleasure of the people of the earth.” [Sahih Bukhari]

 

“Anas R.A reported that the Prophet peace be upon him said “None of you will have faith till he loves me more than his father, his children, and all mankind.” [Sahih Bukhari]

 

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “When a man loves his brother (for Allah’s sake) let him tell him that he loves him”. [At-Tirmadhi & Abu Dawud]

 

“Verily Allah ta’ala has said: ‘Whosoever shows enmity to a wali (friend) of Mine, then I have declared war against him. And My servant does not draw near to Me with anything more loved to Me than the religious duties I have obligated upon him. And My servant continues to draw near to me with nafil (supererogatory) deeds until I Love him. When I Love him, I am his hearing with which he hears, and his sight with which he sees, and his hand with which he strikes, and his foot with which he walks. Were he to ask [something] of Me, I would surely give it to him; and were he to seek refuge with Me, I would surely grant him refuge.’ ” [Bukhari]

 

“None of you [truly] believes until his desires are subservient to that which I have brought.” [40 Hadith An-Nawawi]

 

Sahl bin Sa’d As-Sa’idi (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:  A man came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and said, “O Messenger of Allah, guide me to such an action which, if I do Allah will love me and the people will also love me.” He (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “Have no desire for this world, Allah will love you; and have no desire for what people possess, and the people will love you.” [Ibn-Majah] 

 

“You will not enter Paradise until you believe, and you will not (truly) believe until you love one another.” [Ibn Majah]

 

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “He who has, in his heart, an ant’s weight of arrogance will not enter Jannah.” Someone said: “A man likes to wear beautiful clothes and shoes?” Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “Allah is Beautiful, He loves beauty. Arrogance means ridiculing and rejecting the Truth and despising people.” [Muslim]

 

Narrated Anas:  A man asked the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) about the Hour (i.e. Day of Judgment) saying, “When will the Hour be?” The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “What have you prepared for it?” The man said, “Nothing, except that I love Allah and His Apostle.” The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “You will be with those whom you love.” We had never been so glad as we were on hearing that saying of the Prophet (i.e., “You will be with those whom you love.”) Therefore, I love the Prophet, Abu Bakr and `Umar, and I hope that I will be with them because of my love for them though my deeds are not similar to theirs. [Sahih al-Bukhari]

 

Abud-Darda’ (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:  The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “One of Prophet Dawud’s supplications was:  ‘Allahumma inni as’aluka hubbaka, wa hubba man yuhibbuka, wal-‘amalalladhi yuballighuni hubbaka. Allahumm-aj’al hubbaka ahabba ilayya min nafsi, wa ahli, wa minal-ma’il-baridi  (O Allah! I ask You for Your Love, the love of those who love You, and deeds which will cause me to attain Your Love. O Allah! Make Your Love dearer to me than myself, my family and the cold water).”‘ [At-Tirmadhi]

 

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “Everyone will be with those whom he loves.” [Sahih al-Bukhari]

 

 “Sit with those who love God, for that enlightens the mind.” [Umar ibn Al-Khattab]

 

“He who comes to take the love of God can have no taste for the love of the world.”‘ [Abu Bakr As-Siddiq]

 

 The Prophet (peace be upon him) established a relationship between the fear of Allah and good character, because fearing Allah improves the relation between the servant and Allah, and good character improves the relation between a person and others. Therefore, fearing Allah makes it possible for Allah to love him, and good manners makes it possible for people to love that person.” [Ibn al Qayyim]

 

“To get what you love, you must first be patient with what you hate.” [Imam al-Ghazali]

 

“Know the happiest people are those who are strongest in their love of God.” [Imam al-Ghazali]

 

“The lesson of love is not taught but it’s born & learned.” [Imam al-Ghazali]

 

“Being in someone’s prayers. . . is the purest form of love . .  .!!” [Imam al-Ghazali]

 

“Filled with the love of this world, a person becomes so attached to it, that he fails to make provision for the hereafter.” [Imam al-Ghazali]

 

 
33. Happy

(Syn: joyous, cheerful, free of sorrow)

  “Those who have believed and done righteous deeds – a good state is theirs and a good return.” [Qur’an; 13:29]

 

“And those who are patient, seeking the countenance of their Lord, and establish prayer and spend from what We have provided for them secretly and publicly and prevent evil with good – those will have the good consequence of [this] home – gardens of perpetual residence; they will enter them with whoever were righteous among their fathers, their spouses and their descendants. And the angels will enter upon them from every gate, [saying], “Peace be upon you for what you patiently endured. And excellent is the final home.” [Qur’an; 13:22-24]

 

“And as for those who had believed and done righteous deeds, they will be in a garden [of Paradise], delighted.” [Qur’an; 30:15]

 “Whoever makes the Hereafter his goal, Allah makes his heart rich, and organizes his affairs, and the world comes to him whether it wants to or not. And whoever makes the world his goal, Allah puts his poverty right before his eyes, and disorganizes his affairs, and the world does not come to him, except what has been decreed for him.” [Tirmidhi]

 

The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: ‘Whoever says when he reaches the evening: “I am pleased with Allah as (my) Lord, with Islam as (my) religion, and with Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) as (my) Prophet (Raḍītu billāhi rabban wabil-Islāmi dīnan wa bi-Muḥammadin nabiyyan) it is a duty upon Allah to please him.’” [Tirmidhi]

 

“Whoever among you wakes up physically healthy, feeling safe and secure within himself, with food for the day, it is as if he acquired the whole world.” [Ibn Majah]

 “7 indicators of the happiness of the world:
1. A heart that is always grateful
2. A pious spouse
3. Pious children
4. An environment conducive to our faith
5. Lawful possession
6. Passion to understand religion
7. Blessed age (a pious life, such that every second is filled with deeds).”
[Ibn Abbas]		 “To endure a short-lived hardship that is followed by long-lasting ease is better than hurrying a short-lived ease that is followed by a long-lasting hardship.” [Hasan Al-Basri]

 
34. Calm

(Syn: peaceful, undisturbed, moderate, temperate)

 “If you do not aid the Prophet – Allah has already aided him when those who disbelieved had driven him out [of Makkah] as one of two, when they were in the cave and he said to his companion, “Do not grieve; indeed Allah is with us.” And Allah sent down his tranquillity upon him and supported him with angels you did not see and made the word of those who disbelieved the lowest, while the word of Allah – that is the highest. And Allah is Exalted in Might and Wise.” [Qur’an; 9:40]

 

“…those who walk upon the earth easily and when the ignorant address them harshly, they say words of peace,” [Qur’an; 25:63]

 Narrated Aisha, Ummul Mu’minin: I never saw anyone more like the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) in respect of gravity, calm deportment, pleasant disposition – according to al-Hasan’s version: in respect of talk and speech. [Abu Dawud]

 

Narrated Anas bin Malik: The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Make things easy for the people, and do not make it difficult for them, and make them calm (with glad tidings) and do not repulse (them ). [Sahih Bukhari]

 

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “Be gentle and calm, […] as Allah likes gentleness in all affairs.” [Sahih Bukhari]

 

The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “The Muslim is the one from whose tongue and hand the people are safe, and the believer is the one from whom the people’s lives and wealth are safe.” [Sunan an Nasa’i]

 

Abu Huraira reported Allah’s Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) as saying. Don’t nurse malice against one another, don’t nurse aversion against one another and don’t be inquisitive about one another and don’t outbid one another (with a view to raising the price) and be fellow-brothers and servants of Allah. [Sahih Muslim]

 

Narrated Abu Hurairah: that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “By the One in Whose Hand is my soul! You will not enter Paradise until you believe, and you will not believe until you love one another. Shall I inform you about a matter which if you do it, then you will love one another? Spread the salam [peace] among each other.” [Tirmidhi]

 

Abu Hurairah narrated that a man came to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and said: “Teach me something that is not too much for me so that, perhaps, I may abide by it.” He (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)  said: “Do not get angry.” He repeated that (the request) a number of times, each time he replied: ‘Do not get angry.” [Tirmidhi]

 “Whosoever causes his heart to settle with his Lord shall find himself in a calm and tranquil condition and whosoever sends it amongst the people shall be disturbed and excessively perturbed.” [Ibn al-Qayyim]

 
35. Dignity

(Syn: self-respect, self-esteem/confidence/self-assured)

 “O mankind! We created you from a male and a female, and made you nations and tribes that you may identify with one another. Indeed the noblest of you in the sight of Allah is the most God-wary among you. Indeed Allah is all-knowing, all-aware”. [Qur’an; 49:13]

 

“Certainly We have honored the Children of Adam, and carried them over land and sea, and provided them with all good things, and given them an advantage over many of those We have created with a complete preference”. [Qur’an; 17:70]

 

“[Musa (Moses)] said: “O my Lord! Open for me my chest (grant me self-confidence, contentment, and boldness).” [Qur’an; 20:25]

 Narrated Abdullah ibn Abbas: The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: Good way, dignified good bearing and moderation are the twenty-fifth part of Prophecy. [Abi Dawud]

 

Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “The blood, honour and property of a Muslim is inviolable for another Muslim.” [Muslim]

 

Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Faith (Belief) consists of more than sixty branches (i.e. parts). And Haya (This term “Haya” covers a large number of concepts which are to be taken together; amongst them are self respect, modesty, bashfulness, and scruple, etc.) is a part of faith.” [Sahih Bukhari]

 

“It is enough evil for a Muslim to look down upon his (Muslim) brother.” [Muslim]

 

 “Know you that Allah has made Islam the most sublime path for attainment of His supreme pleasure and the highest standards of His worship and obedience. He has favoured it with noble precepts, exalted principles, undoubtable arguments, unchallengeable supremacy and undeniable wisdom. It is up to you to maintain the eminence and dignity granted to it by the Lord, to follow it sincerly, to do justice to its articles of faith and belief, to obey implicity its tenets and orders and to give it the proper place in your lives.” [Ali ibn Abi Talib]

 

“The one who laughs too much loses dignity; one who jokes too much loses respect; whoever does something a great deal, becomes known for it; one who speaks a great deal makes mistakes; one who makes many mistakes loses his sense of dignity. Whoever loses his sense of dignity loses his God-fearing and whoever loses his God-fearing is spiritually dead.” [Umar ibn Al-Khattab]

 “Whoever reflects will find that the noblest and most dignified person of every gathering is the one who is most silent, because silence beautifies the scholar and conceals the faults of the ignorant.” [Ibrâhîm an-Nakhâ‘î (rahimahullâh)]

 

“It is to be full of modesty, and to be harmless too. To be full of goodness and not to be corrupt. For the tongue to be truthful, for the words to be little and to be plentiful in good action. To have little slip-ups and not to be excessive. To be good to one’s relatives, building closeness between them. To be dignified and grateful. To be full of contentment if Allah restricted some provision. To be forbearing and friendly to his brothers. To be compassionate and chaste. Not to curse, swear, insult, backbite, nor to gossip. Not to be hasty, envious, hateful, arrogant nor vain. Not to lean towards worldliness, nor to extend long hopes and wishes. Not to sleep too much nor to be absent-mined, nor to show-off nor be hypocritical. Not to be selfish, but to be soft and cheerful, nor servile. Loving for only the sake of Allah, being pleased for His sake and being angry for His sake. His provision is taqwa (reverential fear of Allah). His worries are what will happen to him in the Afterlife. His friends remind him. His beloved is His Protector and Master. His struggle is for Afterlife.” [Yahya ibn Mu‘adh (rahimahullah)]

 

“Were it not for the fact that it would lead to my humiliation, I would have moved to live amongst a people who do not know me.” [Sufyan Ath-Thawri]
36. Charity

(Syn: social benefit, generosity towards the needy)

 “And be steadfast in prayer; practice regular charity; and bow down your heads with those who bow down (in worship).
[Qur’an; 2:43]And be steadfast in prayer and regular in charity: and whatever good you send forth for your souls before you, you shall find it with Allah: for Allah sees well all that you do.”
[Qur’an; 2:110]		 Narrated Abu Burda: from his father from his grandfather that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Every Muslim has to give in charity.” The people asked, “O Allah’s Prophet! If someone has nothing to give, what will he do?” He said, “He should work with his hands and benefit himself and also give in charity (from what he earns).” The people further asked, “If he cannot find even that?” He replied, “He should help the needy who appeal for help.” Then the people asked, “If he cannot do that?” He replied, “Then he should perform good deeds and keep away from evil deeds and this will be regarded as charitable deeds.” [Sahih Bukhari]

 

Abu Dharr narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said : “Your smiling in the face of your brother is charity, commanding good and forbidding evil is charity, your giving directions to a man lost in the land is charity for you. Your seeing for a man with bad sight is a charity for you, your removal of a rock, a thorn or a bone from the road is charity for you. Your pouring what remains from your bucket into the bucket of your brother is charity for you.” [Tirmidhi]

 “Earning a livelihood by following some profession is better than living on charity.” [Umar ibn Al-Khattab]

 

Abdullah ibn Az-Zubayr said, “I have never seen two women more generous than Aishah and Asma. They had different ways of being generous. As for Aishah, she used to gather things, until she had a collection, then she would distribute it. As for Asma, she would never keep anything until the next day.”

 

 “I never saw my uncle Bishr Bin Masnur miss the first takbir, and whenever any person stood up in our mosque to ask people for help, my uncle gave him something.” [Ubayd Bin Ja’far]

 

“My grandmother Su‘da bint ‘Awf Al-Muriyyah who was the wife of Talhah ibn ‘Ubaydullaah related to me, ‘Talhah came to me one day disconcerted. So I asked him, ‘Why is it that I see you with a gloomy face? What is the matter with you? Did I do something that upset you?’ He said, ‘No, you are the best wife a Muslim man can have.’ I said, ‘Then what is the matter?’ He said, ‘The wealth I have has increased and that disturbs me.’ I said, ‘Do not worry. Distribute it.’ She said, ‘He distributed it until not even a single dirham was left.” [Talhah ibn Yahya ibn Talhah]

 
37. Honesty

(Syn: truthfulness)

 “And do not mix the truth with falsehood or conceal the truth while you know [it].” [Qur’an; 2:42]

 

“Woe unto those who give short measure, those who, when they are to receive their due from people, demand that it be given in full but when they have to measure or weigh whatever they owe to others, give less than what is due.  Do they not know that they are bound to be raised from the dead (and called to account) on an awesome Day, the Day when all men shall stand before the Sustainer of all the worlds?” [Qur’an; 83:1-6]

 

 Narrated `Abdullah: The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Truthfulness leads to righteousness, and righteousness leads to Paradise. And a man keeps on telling the truth until he becomes a truthful person. Falsehood leads to Al-Fajur (i.e. wickedness, evil-doing), and Al-Fajur (wickedness) leads to the (Hell) Fire, and a man may keep on telling lies till he is written before Allah, a liar.” [Sahih Bukhari]

 

Narrated Hudhaifa: Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said to us, “Honesty descended from the Heavens and settled in the roots of the hearts of men (faithful believers), and then the Qur’an was revealed and the people read the Qur’an, (and learnt it from it) and also learnt it from the Sunna.” Both Qur’an and Sunna strengthened their (the faithful believers’) honesty. [Sahih Bukhari]

 

“He is not one of us who cheats.” [Ibn Majah]

 “Honesty will guide you to goodness, and goodness will invite you to heaven.” [Ali ibn Abi Talib]

 

 A man entered upon Umar bin Abdul-Aziz once and backbit another man. Umar bin Abdul-Aziz said to this man, “If you wish we will investigate what you say so if we find you a liar then you are one of those who Allah said about them {O ye who believe! If a wicked person comes to you with any news, ascertain the truth, lest ye harm people unwittingly and afterwards become full of repentance for what ye have done.} [Quran; 49:6] and if you were honest and what you said is true then you are one of those who Allah said about them: { A slanderer, going about with calumnies,} [Quran; 68:11] or you can ask forgiveness. The man replied, “I ask forgiveness and will never do it again.”

 
38. Generosity

(Syn: sharing, giving)

 “Obey Allah and associate no partner with Him. Treat kindly your parents, relatives, The orphans, And those who have been left alone in the society. Take care of the needy, The disabled, Those whose hard earned income is insufficient to meet their needs, And those whose businesses have stalled, And those who have lost their jobs. You shall treat kindly your related neighbors, And unrelated neighbors, Companions by your side in public gatherings, Or public transportation. Be generous to the needy wayfarer, the homeless son of the street, and the one who reaches you in a destitute condition. Be nice to people who work under your care. Allah does not love the proud and boastful.” [Qur’an; 4:36]

 

“…And whatever you spend of good – it will be fully repaid to you, and you will not be wronged.” [Qur’an; 2: 272]

 

 Prophet said: “Charity does not decrease wealth.” [Muslim]

 

The Messenger of Allaah said: “Protect yourself from the Hell-fire even by giving a piece of a date as charity.” [Al-Bukhaari and Muslim]

 

 “Among deeds, there are four that are most difficult to adorn oneself with:

1. Forgiveness when angry;

2. Generosity in hard times;

3. Chastity when alone;

4. Speaking the truth to the one that fears it.” [Ali ibn Abi Talib]

 

 In relation to the amount of Tawheed a slave has for his Lord, and his sincerity for the religion for Allah is the amount he is deserving of the generosity of Allah upon him, from intercession and other things.” [Ibn al-Qayyim]

 

“The greatest of deeds are three: To give generously out of the few that you have, to be devoted to Allah in loneliness and to say the truth in the face of someone who is hoped and feared.”  [Imam Shafi’i]

 

“Taking pains to remove the pains of others is the true essence of generosity.” [Abu Bakr As-Siddiq]
39. Intention

(Syn: aim, purpose, goal-orientation, mission-orientation)

 “But only seeking the countenance of his Lord, Most High.” [Qur’an; 92:20]

 

“…and you do not spend except seeking the countenance of Allaah…” [Qur’an; 2:272]

 

 Narrated ‘Umar bin Al-Khattab: Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said, “The reward of deeds depends upon the intention and every person will get the reward according to what he has intended. So whoever emigrated for Allah and His Apostle, then his emigration was for Allah and His Apostle. And whoever emigrated for worldly benefits or for a woman to marry, his emigration was for what he emigrated for.” [Sahih Bukhari]

 

It was narrated from Jabir that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “People will be gathered (on the Day of Resurrection) according to their intentions.” [Ibn Majah]

 

 

 “Intentions count in your actions.” [Abu Bakr As-Siddiq]

 

 “I like that for every action, from prayer, fasting or charity or any action of righteousness that there be an intention preceding the action. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, ‘Actions are by intentions’, and this is taken for every matter.” [Imam Ahmad]

 

“Verily I like to make an intention for everything I do even if it is eating and drinking.” [Zayd Ash-Shaami]

 

 
40. Justice

(Syn: fairness, law, virtue, equity, impartiality)

 “O you who have believed, be persistently standing firm for Allah, witnesses in justice, and do not let the hatred of a people prevent you from being just. Be just; that is nearer to righteousness. And fear Allah; indeed, Allah is Acquainted with what you do.” [Qur’an; 5:8]

 

“Indeed, Allah does not do injustice, [even] as much as an atom’s weight; while if there is a good deed, He multiplies it and gives from Himself a great reward.” [Qur’an; 4:40]

 

“Allah witnesses that there is no deity except Him, and [so do] the angels and those of knowledge – [that He is] maintaining [creation] in justice. There is no deity except Him, the Exalted in Might, the Wise.” [Qur’an; 3:18]

 

Indeed, Allah orders justice and good conduct and giving to relatives and forbids immorality and bad conduct and oppression. He admonishes you that perhaps you will be reminded. [Qur’an; 16:90]

  “Beware of the curse of the oppressed, for there is no curtain between it and Allah.” [Abu Dawud]

 

“Behold! the Dispensers of justice will be seated on the pulpits of light beside God, on the right side of the Merciful, Exalted and GlorioUS. Either side of the Being is the right side both being equally rneritorious. (The Dispensers of justice are) those who do justice in their rules, in matters relating to their families and in all that they undertake to do.” [Sahih Muslim]

 

Narrated Um Salama: Once Allah’s Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “You people present your cases to me and some of you may be more eloquent and persuasive in presenting their argument. So, if I give some one’s right to another (wrongly) because of the latter’s (tricky) presentation of the case, I am really giving him a piece of fire; so he should not take it.” [Sahih Bukhari]

 

Umm Salamah (May Allah be pleased with her) reported: Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “Verily, I am only a human and the claimants bring to me (their disputes); perhaps some of them are more eloquent than others. I judge according to what I hear from them). So, he whom I, by my judgment, (give the undue share) out of the right of a Muslim, I in fact give him a portion of (Hell) Fire”. [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

 

“Procrastination (delay) in repaying debts by a wealthy person is injustice.” [Sahih al-Bukhari]

 

“It was said to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): ‘Which of the people is best?’ He said: ‘Everyone who is pure of heart and sincere in speech.’ They said: ‘Sincere in speech, we know what this is, but what is pure of heart?’ He said: ‘It is (the heart) that is pious and pure, with no sin, injustice, rancor or envy in it.’” [Darussalam]

 

Narrated Abu Bakr As-Siddiq: I asked Allah’s Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) to teach me an invocation so that I may invoke Allah with it in my prayer. He told me to say, “Allahumma inni zalumtu nafsi zulman kathiran, Wala yaghfiru dh-dhunuba illa anta, fa ghfir li maghfiratan min `indika, wa r-hamni, innaka anta l-ghafuru r-rahim (O Allah! I have done great injustice to myself and none except You forgives sins, so bestow on me a forgiveness from You, and Have Mercy on me, You are the Forgiver, the Merciful). [Sahih al-Bukhari]

 

Abu Dharr reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, reported that Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, said: “My slaves! I have forbidden injustice for Myself and I have made it forbidden among you, so do not wrong one another.” [Al-Albani]

 

Narrated Umm Salamah, Ummul Mu’minin: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) never went out of my house without raising his eye to the sky and saying: “O Allah! I seek refuge in Thee lest I stray or be led astray, or slip or made to slip, or cause injustice, or suffer injustice, or do wrong, or have wrong done to me.” [Al-Albani]

 

Bashir reported that his mother bint Rawaha asked his (Nu’man’s) father about donating some gifts from his property to his son. He deferred the matter by one year, and then set forth to do that. She (Nu’man’s mother) said: I shall not be pleased unless you call Allah’s Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) as witness to what you confer as a gift on your son. (Nu’man said): So father took hold of my hand and I was at that time a boy, and came to Allah’s Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and said: Allah’s Messenger, the mother of this son (of mine), daughter of Rawaha wishes that I should call you witness to what I confer as gift to her son. Allah’s Messenger (may pease be upon him) said: Bashir, have you any other son besides this (son of yours)? He said: Yes. He (the Holy Prophet) said: Have you given gifts to all of them like this? He said: No. Thereupon he (the Holy Prophet) said: Then call me not as witness, for I cannot be witness to an injustice. [Sahih Muslim]

  “There are three things that must be given to both the righteous and the sinful: the ties of the womb (relatives) must be kept connected, whether they are righteous or sinful; trust must be fulfilled, for the righteous and the sinful; and promises must be kept, to the righteous as well as the sinful.” [Maymun ibn Mihran]

 

Further Reading

Prophet’s (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) Attributes

 

Footnotes:

[1] Muhammad Hamidullah was a great supporter of Islam’s empowerment of women. Once in answer to a question about western feminism, Hamidullah insisted:  “Western feminists have nothing to offer [to Muslims]. The Prophet of Islam, Sall-Allahu alalhi wa sallam, was the first ‘feminist’. [The] Currently sad state of Muslims cannot be alleviated by giving one segment of the population, men or women, more power. Men, women, children, family, community, [these] all are interconnected and trying to empower one segment of the population while blaming another group for their problems will sink everyone into deeper problems and lead to the dissolution of Muslim society (Athaullah, 2003, p. 38).” | Muhammad Hamidullah And His Pioneering Works On Islamic Economics (p.11)

August 4, 2016 | khuluq

The Purpose and Formula of Life

Time is running out and human beings are at a loss except those who believe, and do good deeds, and advice one another with truth, and advice one another with patience. Such is the basic notion we extract from Surah Al-Asr in the Qur’an. Scholars struggle to examine the depth of this surah and give it due justice. Nevertheless, at face value it provides a poignant formula in brief.

A Muslim's Outlook on Life

A Muslim’s Outlook on Life

*Ehsan/Excellence | [Qur’an; 55:60]

1. Submission

All human beings are born in a state of fitrah (purity and submission to Allah). This submission is in the context of nature as well as free will. For instance, from birth to an age of independence, a child submits his will and nature to Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’aala. As he begins to discern the ways of the world, his will may change, but his nature will still submit to its Creator.

Submitting to the will of Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’aala means that one’s choices are influenced by the teachings of Islam (the word itself being derived from the Arabic words for ‘submission’ and ‘peace’) and are therefore in accordance with Allah’s pleasure. This submission is not burdensome in any way because it is in line with the way we are created and is the true way to attain peace with one’s own nature as well as with Allah.

However, one must be aware of the lower self or evil influences which also exist and tempt us towards destruction. Hence the test of submission appears as one struggles over the lower self and external forces of evil in order to maintain or regain that purity and peace at heart.

أَفَحَسِبۡتُمۡ أَنَّمَا خَلَقۡنَـٰكُمۡ عَبَثً۬ا وَأَنَّكُمۡ إِلَيۡنَا لَا تُرۡجَعُونَ / فَتَعَـٰلَى ٱللَّهُ ٱلۡمَلِكُ ٱلۡحَقُّ‌ۖ لَآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ رَبُّ ٱلۡعَرۡشِ ٱلۡڪَرِيمِ

“Then did you think that We created you uselessly and that to Us you would not be returned?” So exalted is Allah, the Sovereign, the Truth; there is no deity except Him, Lord of the Noble Throne.”

[Surah Al-Mu’minun; 23:115-116]

 

In theory we declare that a Muslim is one who submits himself to the will of Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’aala. In practice this translates into being in a constant state of obedience and, where there are moments of either intentional or unintentional disobedience, making sincere repentance.

Submission to Allah entails putting Allah’s will above our desires, aligning our ambitions with what pleases Him and giving priority to Him in every situation. It is to live the phrase, “الله أكبر” from which we can derive the attitude that, “Allah is greater than everything else on my radar right now”.

قُلۡ إِنَّ صَلَاتِى وَنُسُكِى وَمَحۡيَاىَ وَمَمَاتِى لِلَّهِ رَبِّ ٱلۡعَـٰلَمِينَ / لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ ۥ‌ۖ وَبِذَٲلِكَ أُمِرۡتُ وَأَنَا۟ أَوَّلُ ٱلۡمُسۡلِمِينَ

“Say, “Indeed, my prayer, my rites of sacrifice, my living and my dying are for Allah, Lord of the worlds.”

[Surah Al-An’am; 6:162]

 

A Muslim is wary of Shaytan’s mission to mislead him and is therefore required to make rational decisions using the intelligence and guidance provided by Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’aala. Included in Shaytan’s artillery are attractive slogans that play with human feelings, arouse evil inclinations, and contaminate media, culture, law and order, dress codes, and more.

One manifestation of submission is the observance of regular prayer. The call to prayer invites every Muslim towards falah five times a day. The word signifies the attainment of all desires as well as protection from all misfortunes.

حَيَّ عَلَى الْفَلَاح

“Come towards success.”

 

Prayer is not a mere regimental act but also a rudimentary focus point from which all success stems. Prayer is said to be the key to Paradise, while it also opens the doors to barakah (blessing), sakinah (tranquility), and many forms of physical and emotional benefits in this world.

2. Worship

وَمَا خَلَقۡتُ ٱلۡجِنَّ وَٱلۡإِنسَ إِلَّا لِيَعۡبُدُونِ

“And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me.“

[Surah Adh-Dhariyat; 51:56]

 

No matter what definition of success one subscribes to, there is a consensus that it requires the meeting of one’s mission. The mission of a human being is clearly set out in Islam, with the addition of flexibility for one’s individuality to come through. While there are special acts of worship that require us to withdraw from other activities, other activities themselves can be converted into general acts of worship by making sure that the intention behind them is pleasure of Allah and making sure that they are permissible acts by Allah.  Therefore for a Muslim the word ‘worship’ encompasses every thought and deed that is done for the pleasure of Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’aala.

Everything that we have a desire to pursue, if restrained and regulated by the teachings of Allah, can be turned into an act of worship – even if that be intimacy with one’s lawfully wedded spouse. Everything permissible can be turned into a source of reward and every inclination to sin is an opportunity to restrain oneself and seek the nearness of Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’aala. The condition is that it must be done with the sincere intention and be within the confines of religious teachings; i.e. shariah.

Sources of Shariah - An Overview

Sources of Shariah – An Overview

Thus worship exists in three senses:

  1. ritual actions
  2. obedience
  3. service

Apart from the ritual acts, the special acts of worship engage the whole character of a person, i.e.:

  1. mind
  2. body
  3. soul

Our entire lives can revolve around worship regardless of where we place ourselves on the scale of outward devotion. Is it not a mercy then that success has been made easy?

Human beings are unique in relation to other creations in that we have been given both freedom of will as well as intellect and conscience. We are able to analyze, ponder, and make conscious decisions. We use these qualities to make choices about how we live in this world and how we prepare for the Hereafter.

[Life of this world] x [Performance factor] = [Quality of next life]

 

We use our freedom of choice and choose to worship Allah – not that we can benefit Him Subhanahu wa Ta’aala – but for our own growth. It is an undeniable observation that, with the proper meaning and spirit, the more we engage in acts of worship, the better we become as human beings.

3. Khalifah

هُوَ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَ لَكُم مَّا فِى ٱلۡأَرۡضِ جَمِيعً۬ا

“It is He who created for you all of that which is on the earth…”
[Surah Baqarah; 2:29]

 

وَإِذۡ قَالَ رَبُّكَ لِلۡمَلَـٰٓٮِٕكَةِ إِنِّى جَاعِلٌ۬ فِى ٱلۡأَرۡضِ خَلِيفَةً۬‌ۖ

“And [mention, O Muhammad], when your Lord said to the angels, “Indeed, I will make upon the earth a successive authority…””
[Surah Baqarah; 2:30]

 

We recognize that we are placed on Earth as the trustees of Allah (khalifah). Our life and all of the resources on Earth resources are given to us as trusts. Man has been ennobled as the best of creation and given an extent of authority over other creation such as plants, animals, and precious material underground.

وَلَقَدۡ كَرَّمۡنَا بَنِىٓ ءَادَمَ وَحَمَلۡنَـٰهُمۡ فِى ٱلۡبَرِّ وَٱلۡبَحۡرِ وَرَزَقۡنَـٰهُم مِّنَ ٱلطَّيِّبَـٰتِ وَفَضَّلۡنَـٰهُمۡ عَلَىٰ ڪَثِيرٍ۬ مِّمَّنۡ خَلَقۡنَا تَفۡضِيلاً۬ (٧٠)

“And We have certainly honored the children of Adam and carried them on the land and sea and provided for them of the good things and preferred them over much of what We have created, with [definite] preference.” [Qur’an; 17:70]

Not only do we tend to the maintenance of all the resources provided at our disposal, but we also work to utilize these in the most responsible manner, making the most out of them, developing them, and leaving things in a good – if not better – condition for the next generation. It is man’s responsibility to spread the message of God and strive to fulfill His commands.

وَهُوَ ٱلَّذِى جَعَلَڪُمۡ خَلَـٰٓٮِٕفَ ٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَرَفَعَ بَعۡضَكُمۡ فَوۡقَ بَعۡضٍ۬ دَرَجَـٰتٍ۬ لِّيَبۡلُوَكُمۡ فِى مَآ ءَاتَٮٰكُمۡ‌ۗ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ سَرِيعُ ٱلۡعِقَابِ وَإِنَّهُ ۥ لَغَفُورٌ۬ رَّحِيمُۢ

“And it is He who has made you successors upon the earth and has raised some of you above others in degrees [of rank] that He may try you through what He has given you. Indeed, your Lord is swift in penalty; but indeed, He is Forgiving and Merciful.“

[Surah An’am; 6:165]

 

Thus success is not restricted to ourselves and our lifetime. It is considerate of the success of others. It is about serving society more than we serve ourselves. It is about making a positive contribution bigger and beyond our brief existence on Earth.

Types of Striving

Types of Striving

The concept of “jihad” needs to be understood clearly. The word jihad does NOT mean “holy war”, as any expert of the Arabic language can confirm. This is a Western rendition of a broader concept in Islamic teaching.

In the Arabic language, the word jihad literally means striving and working hard for something. In Islamic terminology, it retains the literal meaning in two different dimensions, which are expressed by “major jihad” and “minor jihad”.

The major jihad is known as the spiritual struggle, a struggle between two powers within ourselves: the physical body and the soul. The conscience is in conflict with the bodily desires. This spiritual conflict is an ongoing jihad within each one of us. Islam expects its followers to give preference to the soul and the conscience over the body and its desires. The fasting in the month of Ramadhan is an example of the annual training for this major jihad.

The minor jihad is the armed struggle. However, that does not automatically mean unjustified use of violence. The minor jihad may be divided into two: aggression and defense. Aggression against any people is not permitted in Islam; however, defense is an absolute right of every individual and nation. Islam has allowed the minor jihad only to defend the Muslim people and their land, and to maintain peace in Muslim societies.

أُذِنَ لِلَّذِينَ يُقَـٰتَلُونَ بِأَنَّهُمۡ ظُلِمُواْ‌ۚ وَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَلَىٰ نَصۡرِهِمۡ لَقَدِيرٌ / ٱلَّذِينَ أُخۡرِجُواْ مِن دِيَـٰرِهِم بِغَيۡرِ حَقٍّ إِلَّآ أَن يَقُولُواْ رَبُّنَا ٱللَّهُ‌ۗ وَلَوۡلَا دَفۡعُ ٱللَّهِ ٱلنَّاسَ بَعۡضَہُم بِبَعۡضٍ۬ لَّهُدِّمَتۡ صَوَٲمِعُ وَبِيَعٌ۬ وَصَلَوَٲتٌ۬ وَمَسَـٰجِدُ يُذۡڪَرُ فِيہَا ٱسۡمُ ٱللَّهِ ڪَثِيرً۬ا‌ۗ وَلَيَنصُرَنَّ ٱللَّهُ مَن يَنصُرُهُ ۥۤ‌ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَقَوِىٌّ عَزِيزٌ

“Permission [to fight] has been given to those who are being fought, because they were wronged. And indeed, Allah is competent to give them victory. [They are] those who have been evicted from their homes without right – only because they say, “Our Lord is Allah.” And were it not that Allah checks the people, some by means of others, there would have been demolished monasteries, churches, synagogues, and mosques in which the name of Allah is much mentioned. And Allah will surely support those who support Him. Indeed, Allah is Powerful and Exalted in Might.” [Qur’an; 22:39-40]

 

وَقَـٰتِلُواْ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلَّذِينَ يُقَـٰتِلُونَكُمۡ وَلَا تَعۡتَدُوٓاْ‌ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يُحِبُّ ٱلۡمُعۡتَدِينَ

“Fight in the way of Allah those who fight you but do not transgress. Indeed. Allah does not like transgressors.” [Qur’an; 2:190]

 

وَإِن جَنَحُواْ لِلسَّلۡمِ فَٱجۡنَحۡ لَهَا وَتَوَكَّلۡ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ‌ۚ إِنَّهُ ۥ هُوَ ٱلسَّمِيعُ ٱلۡعَلِيمُ

“And if they incline to peace, then incline to it [also] and rely upon Allah. Indeed, it is He who is the Hearing, the Knowing.” [Qur’an; 8:61]

 

مِنۡ أَجۡلِ ذَٲلِكَ ڪَتَبۡنَا عَلَىٰ بَنِىٓ إِسۡرَٲٓءِيلَ أَنَّهُ ۥ مَن قَتَلَ نَفۡسَۢا بِغَيۡرِ نَفۡسٍ أَوۡ فَسَادٍ۬ فِى ٱلۡأَرۡضِ فَڪَأَنَّمَا قَتَلَ ٱلنَّاسَ جَمِيعً۬ا وَمَنۡ أَحۡيَاهَا فَڪَأَنَّمَآ أَحۡيَا ٱلنَّاسَ جَمِيعً۬ا‌ۚ وَلَقَدۡ جَآءَتۡهُمۡ رُسُلُنَا بِٱلۡبَيِّنَـٰتِ ثُمَّ إِنَّ كَثِيرً۬ا مِّنۡهُم بَعۡدَ ذَٲلِكَ فِى ٱلۡأَرۡضِ لَمُسۡرِفُونَ (٣٢)

“Because of that, We decreed upon the Children of Israel that whoever kills a soul unless for a soul or for corruption [done] in the land – it is as if he had slain mankind entirely. And whoever saves one – it is as if he had saved mankind entirely. And our messengers had certainly come to them with clear proofs. Then indeed many of them, [even] after that, throughout the land, were transgressors.” [Quran; 5:32]

“Do not wish to meet the enemy, but when you meet face) the enemy, be patient.” [Sahih Bukhari]

“Do not long for meeting your enemy, and ask Allah for safety (from all sorts of evil).” [Sahih Bukhari]

4. Justice

لَقَدۡ أَرۡسَلۡنَا رُسُلَنَا بِٱلۡبَيِّنَـٰتِ وَأَنزَلۡنَا مَعَهُمُ ٱلۡكِتَـٰبَ وَٱلۡمِيزَانَ لِيَقُومَ ٱلنَّاسُ بِٱلۡقِسۡطِ‌ۖ

“We have already sent Our messengers with clear evidences and sent down with them the Scripture and the balance that the people may maintain [their affairs] in justice…“

[Surah Al-Hadid; 57:25]

 

Exercising justice is supposed to be a fundamental characteristic of the way we manage all our affairs. The prevalence of justice gives us the balance of hope and the fear to work for success in this world as well as in the Hereafter. We know that we will be accountable for every aspect of our lives. Not only does this keep us in check, but it also helps us to deal with calamities with forbearance because we know that Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’aala is Most Just.

Implementing justice involves recognizing the rights that God has bestowed on us and the people around us, serving to meet those rights, and to avoid hindering them.

يَـٰٓأَيُّہَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ كُونُواْ قَوَّٲمِينَ لِلَّهِ شُہَدَآءَ بِٱلۡقِسۡطِ‌ۖ وَلَا يَجۡرِمَنَّڪُمۡ شَنَـَٔانُ قَوۡمٍ عَلَىٰٓ أَلَّا تَعۡدِلُواْ‌ۚ ٱعۡدِلُواْ هُوَ أَقۡرَبُ لِلتَّقۡوَىٰ‌ۖ وَٱتَّقُواْ ٱللَّهَ‌ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ خَبِيرُۢ بِمَا تَعۡمَلُونَ

“O you who have believed, be persistently standing firm for Allah, witnesses in justice, and do not let the hatred of a people prevent you from being just. Be just; that is nearer to righteousness. And fear Allah; indeed, Allah is acquainted with what you do.“

[Surah Al-Ma’ida, 5:8]

 

The Islamic guidelines for daily life hold the Muslim to a high standard of ethics and accountability. Narrated Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her): Usama approached the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) on behalf of a woman (who had committed theft). The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “The people before you were destroyed because they used to inflict the legal punishments on the poor and forgive the rich. By Him in Whose Hand my soul is! If Fatima (the daughter of the Prophet (peace be upon him)) did that (i.e. stole), I would cut off her hand.” [Sahih Bukhari]

5. Tests

The Arabic words falah and fellah (farmer) come from the same root word and it is said that the link between the two is because you have to cultivate and labor for success – be it in this world or in the Hereafter.

أَمۡ حَسِبۡتُمۡ أَن تَدۡخُلُواْ ٱلۡجَنَّةَ وَلَمَّا يَأۡتِكُم مَّثَلُ ٱلَّذِينَ خَلَوۡاْ مِن قَبۡلِكُم‌ۖ مَّسَّتۡہُمُ ٱلۡبَأۡسَآءُ وَٱلضَّرَّآءُ وَزُلۡزِلُواْ حَتَّىٰ يَقُولَ ٱلرَّسُولُ وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ مَعَهُ ۥ مَتَىٰ نَصۡرُ ٱللَّهِ‌ۗ أَلَآ إِنَّ نَصۡرَ ٱللَّهِ قَرِيبٌ۬

“Or do you think that you will enter Paradise while such [trial] has not yet come to you as came to those who passed on before you? They were touched by poverty and hardship and were shaken until [even their] messenger and those who believed with him said, “When is the help of Allah?” Unquestionably, the help of Allah is near.“

[Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:214]

 

One must realise that total falah cannot be achieved in this world where nothing is everlasting and everything must ultimately perish. There is nobody who at some time or the other has not been afflicted with pain and anguish.

كُلُّ نَفۡسٍ۬ ذَآٮِٕقَةُ ٱلۡمَوۡتِ‌ۗ وَنَبۡلُوكُم بِٱلشَّرِّ وَٱلۡخَيۡرِ فِتۡنَةً۬‌ۖ وَإِلَيۡنَا تُرۡجَعُونَ

“Every soul will taste death. And We test you with evil and with good as trial; and to Us you will be returned.”

[Surah Al-Anbiya; 21:35]

 

ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَ ٱلۡمَوۡتَ وَٱلۡحَيَوٰةَ لِيَبۡلُوَكُمۡ أَيُّكُمۡ أَحۡسَنُ عَمَلاً۬‌ۚ وَهُوَ ٱلۡعَزِيزُ ٱلۡغَفُورُ

“[He] who created death and life to test you [as to] which of you is best in deed – and He is the Exalted in Might, the Forgiving“

[Surah Al-Mulk; 67:2]

 

Tests are not for meant for Allah’s knowledge or benefit. He Subhanahu wa Ta’aala is the All-Knowing and Self-Sufficient. Rather, they are for moulding human beings in this life and for witnessing the justice of Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’aala in the Hereafter. Life experiences are designed to help us grow and master the subject, i.e. how to live as a pious slave of Allah. With every trial, we learn something that equips us for the next and the next, and so on until we reach a point where tests are no longer needed as we would have returned to our Creator.

It is Paradise that is the abode of eternal happiness and an indication of success. However, such a state can only be achieved in the Hereafter and a person who aims at falah must not succumb to the dangerous temptations of this world.

فَلَعَلَّكَ بَـٰخِعٌ۬ نَّفۡسَكَ عَلَىٰٓ ءَاثَـٰرِهِمۡ إِن لَّمۡ يُؤۡمِنُواْ بِهَـٰذَا ٱلۡحَدِيثِ أَسَفًا / إِنَّا جَعَلۡنَا مَا عَلَى ٱلۡأَرۡضِ زِينَةً۬ لَّهَا لِنَبۡلُوَهُمۡ أَيُّہُمۡ أَحۡسَنُ عَمَلاً۬

“Then perhaps you would kill yourself through grief over them, [O Muhammad], if they do not believe in this message, [and] out of sorrow. Indeed, We have made that which is on the earth adornment for it that We may test them [as to] which of them is best in deed.“

[Surah Al-Kahf; 18:6-7]

 

We are not left to our own means either. The manual for navigating this world is ever-relevant and provides with guidance for succeeding in every aspect of life.

وَقَالُواْ ٱلۡحَمۡدُ لِلَّهِ ٱلَّذِىٓ أَذۡهَبَ عَنَّا ٱلۡحَزَنَۖ إِنَّ رَبَّنَا لَغَفُورٌ۬ شَكُورٌ / ٱلَّذِىٓ أَحَلَّنَا دَارَ ٱلۡمُقَامَةِ مِن فَضۡلِهِۦ لَا يَمَسُّنَا فِيہَا نَصَبٌ۬ وَلَا يَمَسُّنَا فِيہَا لُغُوبٌ۬

“And they will say, “Praise to Allah, who has removed from us [all] sorrow. Indeed, our Lord is Forgiving and Appreciative – He who has settled us in the home of duration out of His bounty. There touches us not in it any fatigue, and there touches us not in it weariness [of mind].”

[Surah Fatir, 35:34-35]

6. Achieving the Pleasure of Allah and Paradise

Out of the 6000+ ayat (verses) in the Qur’an, only about 600 of them relate to laws and rules. In other words, 90% of the ayat are not about rules but about thinking about our relationship with our Creator.

The word that is used for a verse of the Qur’an is ayah (plural: ayat). The word ayah, however, means a sign. So every verse of the Qur’an is not just read at face value but can be taken as a sign that must be interpreted and utilized as a guide towards getting closer to the Creator. Failing to read the signs properly can lead to traveling on off-roads or diversions.

Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) loves those who do good. And therefore we accept our mistakes, repent, and do our best to strive our utmost to earn His pleasure. And He (Glorified and Exalted be He) has revealed to us:

هَلۡ جَزَآءُ ٱلۡإِحۡسَـٰنِ إِلَّا ٱلۡإِحۡسَـٰنُ (٦٠)

“Is the reward for good [anything] but good?” [Qur’an; 55:60]

The approval from your Lord is the ultimate victory, the height of fulfillment and deep contentment. It outshines and outweighs even the tangible pleasures of Paradise that is promised to the believers.

وَعَدَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ وَٱلۡمُؤۡمِنَـٰتِ جَنَّـٰتٍ۬ تَجۡرِى مِن تَحۡتِهَا ٱلۡأَنۡهَـٰرُ خَـٰلِدِينَ فِيہَا وَمَسَـٰكِنَ طَيِّبَةً۬ فِى جَنَّـٰتِ عَدۡنٍ۬‌ۚ وَرِضۡوَٲنٌ۬ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ أَڪۡبَرُ‌ۚ ذَٲلِكَ هُوَ ٱلۡفَوۡزُ ٱلۡعَظِيمُ

“Allah has promised the believing men and believing women gardens beneath which rivers flow, wherein they abide eternally, and pleasant dwellings in gardens of perpetual residence; but approval from Allah is greater. It is that which is the great attainment.“

[Surah At-Tawba; 9:72]

 

وَمِنَ ٱلنَّاسِ مَن يَشۡرِى نَفۡسَهُ ٱبۡتِغَآءَ مَرۡضَاتِ ٱللَّهِ‌ۗ وَٱللَّهُ رَءُوفُۢ بِٱلۡعِبَادِ

“And of the people is he who sells himself, seeking means to the approval of Allah. And Allah is kind to [His] servants.”

[Surah Baqarah; 2:207]

 

Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Seven are (the persons) whom Allah will give shade of His throne on the Day when there would be no shade other than His throne’s shade: a just ruler; a youth who grew up worshipping Allah; a man whose heart is attached to mosques; two persons who love and meet each other and depart from each other for the sake of Allah; a man whom an extremely beautiful woman seduces (for illicit relation), but he (rejects this offer by saying): ‘I fear Allah’; a man who gives in charity and conceals it (to such an extent) that the left hand does not know what the right has given; and a person who remembers Allah in solitude and his eyes well up”. [Bukhari and Muslim]

Islam teaches us the value of orienting all our words, thoughts, and actions for the pleasure of Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’aala. All the actions prescribed for success such as worship and bearing tribulation see their true value when done with the intention of seeking His pleasure alone. The magnitude of an action is determined by the intention behind it. The intention can make a seemingly small deed weigh heavily on the scales on the Day of Judgment, just as a seemingly large amount of deeds can amount to nothing because the intention behind them was misplaced. May Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’aala help us preserve our intention for His pleasure alone.

 

Further Resources

[Video] Why are Muslims Leaving Islam?  |  [Video] Ibn Taymiyaa:  A Summary of Dr. Yasir Qadhi’s Dissertation at Yale University | Dissertation

[Book] Asas Al-Taqdis by Fakhr Al-Din Muhammad Razi | Fakhr al-Din al-Razi | Ibn Taymiyyah 

Living Islam with Purpose – Dr. Umar F. Abd-Allah

[Videos] Islamic Tradition; Living Islam with a Purpose; and Priorities of Islamic Law – Dr. Umar Faruq Abd-Allah

[Video] Who Are We? Exploring Muslim Identity (Part 1) – Dr. Umar Faruq Abd-Allah

[Video] Who Are We? Exploring Muslim Identity (Part 2) – Dr. Umar Faruq Abd-Allah

[Video] Nature by Numbers

[Video] – Rethinking Islamic Reform

[Video] In the Beginning Was Consciousness

[Video] Islam and Democracy – Dr. Noah Feldman & Dr. Hamza Yusuf – Can Muslims Participate in Modern Democracy

The Sila Initiative

The Conscious And Unconscious Mind

July 27, 2016 | khuluq

The Concept of Success from an Islamic Point of View

وَمَن يُطِعِ ٱللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ ۥ وَيَخۡشَ ٱللَّهَ وَيَتَّقۡهِ فَأُوْلَـٰٓٮِٕكَ هُمُ ٱلۡفَآٮِٕزُونَ

“And whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger and fears Allah and is conscious of Him – it is those who are the successful ones.”
[Surah An-Nur; 24:52]

 

From the above verse, we see that the fulfillment of spiritual needs is a determinant of success and cannot be ignored. Hence, there is a need to provide a plan for how to achieve success according to the Qur’an.

 

زُيِّنَ لِلنَّاسِ حُبُّ ٱلشَّهَوَٲتِ مِنَ ٱلنِّسَآءِ وَٱلۡبَنِينَ وَٱلۡقَنَـٰطِيرِ ٱلۡمُقَنطَرَةِ مِنَ ٱلذَّهَبِ وَٱلۡفِضَّةِ وَٱلۡخَيۡلِ ٱلۡمُسَوَّمَةِ وَٱلۡأَنۡعَـٰمِ وَٱلۡحَرۡثِ‌ۗ ذَٲلِكَ مَتَـٰعُ ٱلۡحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنۡيَا‌ۖ وَٱللَّهُ عِندَهُ ۥ حُسۡنُ ٱلۡمَـَٔابِ

“Beautified for people is the love of that which they desire – of women and sons, heaped-up sums of gold and silver, fine branded horses, and cattle and tilled land. That is the enjoyment of worldly life, but Allah has with Him the best return.”
[Surah Aal-Imran, 3:14]

 

The Qur’an mentions two types of success: falah (success in this life, mainly) and fawz (ultimate success in the next life). Fawz has been described as al-fawz-ul-adheem (triumphant success), al-fawz-ul-mubeen (evident success), and al-fawz-al-kabeer (huge success).

There are many definitions for the word ‘success’ in the English dictionaries. However, the aim of the this project is to provide a self-help guide to the reader in striving for falah that can lead to fawz – the ultimate and supreme success (fawz-al-adheem).

 

وَعَدَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ وَٱلۡمُؤۡمِنَـٰتِ جَنَّـٰتٍ۬ تَجۡرِى مِن تَحۡتِهَا ٱلۡأَنۡهَـٰرُ خَـٰلِدِينَ فِيہَا وَمَسَـٰكِنَ طَيِّبَةً۬ فِى جَنَّـٰتِ عَدۡنٍ۬‌ۚ وَرِضۡوَٲنٌ۬ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ أَڪۡبَرُ‌ۚ ذَٲلِكَ هُوَ ٱلۡفَوۡزُ ٱلۡعَظِيمُ

“Allah has promised the believing men and believing women gardens beneath which rivers flow, wherein they abide eternally, and pleasant dwellings in gardens of perpetual residence; but approval from Allah is greater. It is that which is the greatest success.”
[Surah At-Tawbah; 9:72]

 

Although falah is sometimes used in relation to the Hereafter, it is mostly used for success in committing to the path of Allah in this world and fawz is the ultimate success in the next world as a result of striving for falah in this world.

 

ذَٲلِكَ ٱلۡڪِتَـٰبُ لَا رَيۡبَ‌ۛ فِيهِ‌ۛ هُدً۬ى لِّلۡمُتَّقِينَ / ٱلَّذِينَ يُؤۡمِنُونَ بِٱلۡغَيۡبِ وَيُقِيمُونَ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَمِمَّا رَزَقۡنَـٰهُمۡ يُنفِقُونَ / وَٱلَّذِينَ يُؤۡمِنُونَ بِمَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيۡكَ وَمَآ أُنزِلَ مِن قَبۡلِكَ وَبِٱلۡأَخِرَةِ هُمۡ يُوقِنُونَ / أُوْلَـٰٓٮِٕكَ عَلَىٰ هُدً۬ى مِّن رَّبِّهِمۡ‌ۖ وَأُوْلَـٰٓٮِٕكَ هُمُ ٱلۡمُفۡلِحُونَ

“This is the Book about which there is no doubt, a guidance for those conscious of Allah – Who believe in the unseen, establish prayer, and spend out of what We have provided for them, And who believe in what has been revealed to you, [O Muhammad], and what was revealed before you, and of the Hereafter they are certain [in faith]. Those are upon [right] guidance from their Lord, and it is those who are the successful.”
[Surah Baqarah; 2:2-5]

 

تِلۡكَ حُدُودُ ٱللَّهِ‌ۚ وَمَن يُطِعِ ٱللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ ۥ يُدۡخِلۡهُ جَنَّـٰتٍ۬ تَجۡرِى مِن تَحۡتِهَا ٱلۡأَنۡهَـٰرُ خَـٰلِدِينَ فِيهَا‌ۚ وَذَٲلِكَ ٱلۡفَوۡزُ ٱلۡعَظِيمُ

“These are the limits [set by] Allah, and whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger will be admitted by Him to gardens [in Paradise] under which rivers flow, abiding eternally therein; and that is the greatest success.”
[Surah An-Nisa; 4:13]

A Muslim’s view of life is long-term. It is not restricted to life on Earth. His decisions are influenced by benefits and consequences in the afterlife. True success is the success of the eternal life. This does not restrict the pursuit of success in worldly terms. However, there is an emphasis on intentions behind worldly pursuits–whether they are for the pleasure of Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) or for other purposes.

If success is only about the accumulation of material gains, climbing the corporate ladder, and breaking the glass ceiling, then what about the person who accumulates all these through immoral means? Is this fair and is it true success?

Such pursuits only bring a temporary feeling of happiness and achievement. No sooner does one accomplish a worldly goal, he moves swiftly thereafter from climax to anti-climax because, although the achievement brings euphoria, perhaps it does not truly fulfill his soul. And so perhaps he may go after a new pursuit, or perhaps he may give up altogether and find other ways to fill the void–such as entertainment and idle habits.

Lasting peace of mind and contentment, on the other hand, is better worth striving for than temporary joy. This necessitates that one begins by pondering about how he came into existence, his purpose on Earth, and where he is headed. Subsequently he must equip himself to fulfill that purpose and strive for a good destination by living in accordance with the Creator’s terms and conditions (which are ultimately in the best interests of man himself).

Contemporary Definition of Success

In worldly terms, success is associated with prosperity and financial well-being. In some communities, success is defined as possessing the 5Cs; namely cash, car, credit card, condominium, and a country club membership. However, even a person who hasn’t embraced Islam would eventually understand that there is a greater purpose to our existence and that success is a more nuanced concept.

Perhaps success means different things to different people and the individual approaches to achieving this success would also vary.

Napolean Hill, in his book The Law of Success, lists having a definite purpose as the first lesson, so that one does not waste life in aimlessness. While people spend a lot of time and money on discovering their life purpose, this step has been simplified for Muslims. Allah informs us:

وَمَا خَلَقۡتُ ٱلۡجِنَّ وَٱلۡإِنسَ إِلَّا لِيَعۡبُدُونِ

“And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me.” [Qur’an; 51:56].

He goes on to list key attributes of attaining success. Thus it is understood by prominent thinkers that one’s inner grit and character plays an important role in attaining success. Attaining success is not a mere rat race stripped of emotion. Another author who emphasized this is J. Philip London in his book Character: The Ultimate Success Factor. Similar sentiments have been echoed by other thinkers, including Tom Morris, Dr. Wilbur Brower, Angela Duckworth, and Paul Tough.

Compare this with the statement of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) summarizing his entire mission as, “I was sent to perfect good character.” [Muwatta Malik]

Islam does not shun the seeking of worldly pursuits. In fact, perhaps it is even helpful to taste what the world has to offer (within moral boundaries) so that we can crave the infinitely better provisions of the Hereafter. There is no vast dichotomy between being a successful Muslim and being a successful citizen of the Earth. On the contrary, true success in this world requires submitting to Divine Law and sticking to its parameters.

The intelligent human being understands the transience of worldly comforts and he plans for the long-term. Striving for worldly success is one of the many means to reaching the success of eternal life. He uses it as such, rather than allowing himself to be consumed by the transient to such an extent that he shortchanges himself of the everlasting success.

“But seek, through that which Allah has given you, the home of the Hereafter; and [yet], do not forget your share of the world. And do good as Allah has done good to you. And desire not corruption in the land. Indeed, Allah does not like corrupters.” [Quran; 28:77]

When we are gathered for accounting on the Day of Judgment, what will matter is not what kind of car we drove, the size of our house, the clothes we wore, or even our job title. What will matter, rather, is what we used our car and house for – to serve Him and His creation, or to earn His displeasure? Did we wear good clothes for His pleasure or did we use clothes as an expression of arrogance? Did we do our work honestly and handle or finances with integrity or did we betray our customers? Every ambition and desire must be fueled by the aim to please Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He).

Thus we supplicate to Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) with the following words:

رَبَّنَآ ءَاتِنَا فِى ٱلدُّنۡيَا حَسَنَةً۬ وَفِى ٱلۡأَخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً۬ وَقِنَا عَذَابَ ٱلنَّارِ

“Our Lord, give us in this world [that which is] good and in the Hereafter [that which is] good and protect us from the punishment of the Fire.” [Qur’an; 2:201]

The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) is reported to have said, “Be in this world as though you were a stranger or a wayfarer.” [Arba’oon An-Nawawi]

It is also reported that Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) used to say, “In the evening do not expect [to live until] the morning, and in the morning do not expect [to live until] the evening. Take [advantage of] your health before times of sickness, and [take advantage of] your life before your death.” [Arba’oon An-Nawawi]

Concept of Multiplicity in Islam

As Muslims, we accept that the rewards for our deeds can be multiplied.

“Allah ordered (the appointed angels over you) that the good and the bad deeds be written, and He then showed (the way) how (to write). If somebody intends to do a good deed and he does not do it, then Allah will write for him a full good deed (in his account with Him); and if he intends to do a good deed and actually did it, then Allah will write for him (in his account) with Him (its reward equal) from ten to seven hundred times to many more times: and if somebody intended to do a bad deed and he does not do it, then Allah will write a full good deed (in his account) with Him, and if he intended to do it (a bad deed) and actually did it, then Allah will write one bad deed (in his account) .” [Sahih Bukhari]

Good deeds have an exponential effect. It is a motivating concept because we are inclined to look for more returns.

…يَرۡزُقُ مَن يَشَآءُ بِغَيۡرِ حِسَابٍ۬ (٢١٢)

“…Allah gives provision to whom He wills without account.” [Qur’an; 2:212]

 

[Human Efforts] x [Conversion Factor] = [Results]

 

This conversion factor is determined by Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) by His ultimate wisdom. Sometimes a small effort brings results of great magnitude (if conversion factor is above 1). At other times, great effort brings little in return (conversion factor between 0 and 1) or no results (conversion factor is 0). For instance, a great effort backed by bad intention can bring little or no results.

What is comforting though is that we are not accountable for the results. Unlike in the corporate world where results are all that matter and others may not be interested in your efforts, in Islam, what matters most is the intention and the effort. Knowing this brings peace and tranquility because we do not have to be overly concerned with the results as much as we should concern ourselves with maintaining upright intentions and striving. A fair judge will always consider efforts and intention (motives).

لَا يُكَلِّفُ ٱللَّهُ نَفۡسًا إِلَّا وُسۡعَهَا‌ۚ لَهَا مَا كَسَبَتۡ وَعَلَيۡہَا مَا ٱكۡتَسَبَتۡ‌ۗ…

“Allah does not charge a soul except [with that within] its capacity. It will have [the consequence of] what [good] it has gained, and it will bear [the consequence of] what [evil] it has earned….” [Qur’an; 2:286]

Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) is the Most Generous and He multiplies the rewards for our deeds. In addition, He has bestowed on us the ability to earn abundant deeds with relatively little effort. Examples:

  • a special night in the month of Ramadan when worship is better than a thousand months [Quran; 97]
  • the value of the five daily obligatory prayers is equal to fifty [Tirmidhi]
  • fasting in the month of Ramadan and six days in the month of Shawwal equals fasting for an entire year [Tirmidhi] and other reward for fasting [Ibn Majah]
  • a prayer in Masjidul Haram is worth 100,000 times more and a prayer in Masjid-un-Nabawi is worth 1000 times more. [Bulugh Al-Maram]
  • “Whoever attends Isha (prayer) in congregation, then he has (the reward as if he had) stood half of the night. And whoever prays Isha and Fajr in congregation, then he has (the reward as if he had) spend the entire night standing (in prayer).” [Tirmidhi]

Further Resources

[Video] Detachment from the Worldly Life | Hadith – son of Adam | Qur’an 102 | The Rivalry for Worldly Increase

[Video] The first story revealed in the Qur’an – Surah Al-Qalam by Dr. Yasir Qadhi

Qur’an – Surah 102: At-Takathur (The Rivalry for Worldly Increase)

Charity – A Story on What We Have vs. What We Would be Willing to Give

Muhammad Hamidullah And His Pioneering Works On Islamic Economics | Muhammad Hamidullah

The Top Five Regrets of the Dying

Environmental, social & corporate governance

July 26, 2016 | khuluq