What is success in Islam? Sister Ruweida comments…
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 our Creator: Allah(Glorified and Exalted be He) or for other purposes.
Many people attempt to follow complex paths in order to achieve happiness while others link happiness to success e.g. if my business succeeds and I become a millionaire, then I will be happy, but that isn’t the case. Happiness comes with its own stairs to climb.
How to obtain happiness and contentment?
Happiness can be easily achieved by sincere worship of Allah (SWT), competing to do good deeds and be righteous, performing acts of kindness or by giving charity, bringing smile to the face of a child. All of these are simple acts, but the happiness gained as a result is priceless.
Now that we know what success means in Islam, let’s get down to, how to actually be successful?
Here, we are looking at how to be successful in our worldly life (Dunya) and in our eternal life (Akhirah).
The Primary steps are the fundamental acts we need to do as productive Muslims and it includes the five Pillars of Islam and the Six Articles of Faith.
Firstly, let’s look at the Five pillars of Islam…
1. Shahadah- the testimony. This involves bearing witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah (SWT) and that Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is the messenger and the servant of Allah.
2. Salaah- praying five times a day facing Mecca.
3. Zakat- giving a percentage of your wealth once in a year which equates 2.5% of your wealth.
4. Saum- fasting in the month of Ramadan in other words avoiding food, water and intercourse from Dawn to Dusk.
5. Hajj- going to Mekka for pilgrimage at least once in your lifetime.
Next, the Six Articles of Faith.
1. Believing in Allah (SWT)
2. Believing in the Angels
3. Believing in all the scriptures sent down
4. Believing in the Messengers
5. Believing in the Day of Judgement
6. Believing in Pre-Destination- both good and bad.
As Muslims, if we are looking for success in this Dunya, we should always aim at doing things that will benefit us in the next life due to the very limited time we have in this world. Firstly, we should focus on accepting and following the obligatory acts prescribed for us to achieve success.
I encourage myself first, and you to invest in your eternal life by spreading goodness within the world.
Join Help for Reverts as a volunteer or revert, and invest into a life that knows no end.
Leave a comment