Living in Accordance with the Qur'an: Striving Towards Having a Good Grasp of Faith
Contents
- Introduction
- Starting the Day Knowing that Every Moment is Predestined to Happen
- Being Aware Throughout the Day that We are Going Through a Trial
- Glorifying and Exalting God with the Deepest Respect
- Seeking Only God’s Approval and Contentment in Every Respect Throughout the Day Without Expecting Anything in Return
- Bearing in Mind that God Protects and Helps Believers
- Bearing in Mind that God Knows What Goes Through Our Minds and Our Hearts
- Devoting Our Undivided Attention to God, Turning to God in Every Thought and Action Throughout the Day
- Remembering and Mentioning God Very Often
- Remembering God Repeatedly When Meeting a Troop
- Knowing that Our Hearts Find Peace Only in the Remembrance of God
- Striving Towards Having a Good Grasp of Faith
- Keeping in Mind that Life is Short
- Keeping in Mind that God is the One Who Delivers Us from Every Hardship and Relieves Us of Every Trouble
- Acting with the Knowledge that God Will Greatly Reward Every Good Deed
- Keeping It in Mind that It is God Who Grants Beauty, Wealth, Science, Knowledge and All Other Qualities
- Giving Believers the Good News of God’s Approval and Lifting Their Spirits
- Knowing that God Loves Believers’ Deeds and Rewards Them Greatly for Their Benevolence
- Doing Good Deeds Only for the Sake of God
- Helping Each Other on Good Deeds and Piety
- Being Qualified for the Responsibilities Taken to Earn the Approval of God
- Fully Understanding that Love is the Reason Behind God’s Creation of the Whole Universe and the Trial on Earth, Deeply Loving God and His Manifestations
- Always Aspiring for Peace
- Not Sinking into Sorrow and Dismay in the Face of Troubles
- One Must Refrain from Behaving Ungratefully No Matter the Circumstances
- Overcoming Anger in the Face of Hardship
- Refraining from Being Aggressive and Skeptical
- Always Choosing the Most Pleasant Words When Speaking
- Refrain from Speaking Ill of Others or Using Hurtful, Sharp Language, a Characteristic of Idolaters and Hypocrites
- Always Maintaining a Compassionate and Lenient Demeanor
- Defending and Practicing Islam in the Sincerest Manner Through a Strong Personality, Even When Alone
- Being Brave and Unyielding in the Way of God
- Not Giving into Panic and Worry in the Face of Troubles
- Delighting in the Happiness and Joy of Faith
- Knowing that God Definitely Helps Those Who Help His Religion
- Delegating Duties
- Seeking the Advice of Others in All Affairs
- Remembering that Every Blessing We Enjoy is a Means of Trial
- Refraining from Breaching the Trust of Others; Keeping Any Given Promises
- Being Just in All Situations and Being Honest When Testifying
- Being Meticulous in Trade, Refraining from Making Ill-gotten Profits
- For Giving a Debt If the Debt or is in Dire Straits
- Holding Fast to the Causes Without Forgetting that God is the Creator of Everything
- Never Being Satisfied with Oneself
- It is God Who Teaches Knowledge. Refrain from Giving into Impertinence by Giving Credit to One’s Self for Being Knowledgeable
- Keeping in Mind that God Despises Those Who are Haughty and Refraining from Haughtiness No Matter the Circumstances
- Exhibiting a Sound Muslim Personality in Every Place and Circumstance
- Avoiding Hastiness
- Not Shying Away from Telling the Truth
- Being Resolute and Resilient
- Being Sincere in Serving Islam and Devoting One’s Life to God; Refraining from Making Excuses for Falling Behind
- Reconciling and Reuniting Believers
- Knowing that God Hears All Our Conversations; Refraining from Secret Talks
- Refraining from Talking About a Subject We Do Not Know About; Avoiding Gossip, Slander and Ill Thoughts
- Refraining from Being Quarrelsome and Engaging in Disputes with Believers
- Avoid Wasting Time in Pointless Activities and Idle Chatter
- Refraining from Giving Promises that Cannot be Kept
- Refraining from Insincere Behavior Such as “Bragging About Things One Did Not Accomplish”
- Standing United, Avoiding Separation and Dissent
- Not Following the Majority
- Refraining from Supporting Disbelievers, Traitors and Hypocrites
- Not Being Afraid of People
- Trusting Not in One’s Power and Means but God
- Holding No Fear of Being Condemned
- Spending One’s Wealth and Possessions in the Way of God Instead of Hoarding It
- Purifying the Self in Accordance with the Qur’an Instead of Defend and Justify It
- Being Helpful and Cooperative
- Refrain from Lying
- Using Reason Through Life
- Approaching Any Situation Rationally Rather Than Sentimentally
- Not Seeking Refuge in Disbelievers
- Not Submitting to Disbelievers
- Always Asking God for Help in Every Situation
- Not Giving into Despair in the Face of Any Hardship and Remaining Hopeful Under All Circumstances
- Keeping in Mind that God Helps His Sincere Subjects
- Keeping in Mind that God Stands by and Loves Those Who are Patient
- Exercising Great Patience in the Face of Troubles, Hardships, Illnesses and All Other Circumstances
- Not Showing a Tendency to Disbelief
- Painstakingly Preserving God’s Restrictions and Not Adhering to Unlawful Deeds
- Looking for Opportunities Throughout the Day that Will Help One Become Closer to God
- Having Due Fear and Awe of God
- Knowing that All Blessings Come Directly from God Without Attributing Any Power to the Causes
- Having a Profound Respect for God
- Meticulously Preserving Prayer and Performing Them Correctly in Reverence
- Reading the Qur’an
- Immediately Stop Talking and Listen to the Qur’an When It is Being Read
- Pondering the Verses of the Qur’an and Drawing Lessons from It
- Equating Nothing with God
- Being Forgiving
- Taking Only God and Believers as Confidant, Friend and Protector
- Not Aspiring After the Lives of Deniers and Refraining from Giving into the Illusions of the Worldly Life
- Being Constantly Aware of the Fact that Believers Always Prevail
- Commanding Good and Refraining from Evil
- Not Forgetting About One’s Self While Commanding Others to Do Good
- Restoring Prayer Sites and Mosques
- Keeping Homes, Mosques and Clothes Clean
- Dressing Elegantly When Visiting Mosques
- Eating of that on Which God’s Name is Mentioned
- Knowing that It is God Who Provides for Us
- Keeping in Mind that Believers are Responsible for Protecting All Believers
- Not Feeling Sorry for the Things We Have Lost or Becoming Spoiled by the Blessings Bestowed Upon Us
- Not Rubbing a Past Favor in a Person’s Face
- Making Room for Others in Mosques and Meetings
- Being Conscientious About Sleep; Not Sleeping More Than Needed
- Refraining from Any Turbulent Tone or Behavior and Corruption
- Not Sending a Believer Away
- Being Loyal to God, the Qur’an and Muslims
- Being Consistent in Good Moral Behavior and Benevolent Services
- Casting Evil Away in the Best Way
- Aiming for the Highest of Morals in One’s Attitude and Behaviors
- Refraining from Using Unpleasant Nicknames
- Leaving Any Place Where There are Those Who Expressively Reject the Verses of God and Make Light of Religion
- Treating Parents Well and Taking Great Care of Them in Their Elderly Years
- Treating Orphans Well and Being Meticulous About Their Rights
- Encouraging People to Feed the Poor
- Not Rebuking Those Who Beg of Their Own Accord
- Giving Away One’s Possessions Day and Night, Overtly or Covertly, in Prosperity or in Need
- Giving Away the Nice and Good Things One Likes; Refraining from Trying to Give Away the Things One Does Not Want or Like to Others
- Keeping in Mind that God Greatly Awards Those Who Give Their Possessions Away and Bestows a Great Blessing Upon Them
- Mentioning the Names of God While Praying
- Keeping in Mind that It is God Who Grants Wisdom and Praying to God to be Bestowed with Wisdom
- Inviting People to Belief in God and Islam by Preaching Religion
- Giving Advice and Preaching If It Will Prove Beneficial
- Not Requesting Any Payment for Preaching Religion
- Refraining from Coercion and Compulsion Where Religion is Concerned
- Saluting the Household When Entering a House
- Returning as a Lut at I on in the Same or a More Pleasant Manner
- Being Hospitable, Serving Pleasant Foods and Drinks Without Delay and Asking the Guests
- Refraining from Haughtiness; Always Adopting a Modest, Humble Attitude in the Way One Walks, Acts and Talks
- Refraining from Speaking Loudly
- Exalting God by Saying “Insha’allah” for Every Future Plan and Keeping in Mind that Every Plan is Materialized If God Wills
- Taking an Interest in the Subjects God Points Us Towards and Wants Us to Explore and Contemplate
- Devoting Considerable Effort to Serving Islam and the Qur’an Without Harboring Any Doubt
- Making Preparations for Struggling in the Way for God
- Duly Waging a Struggle in the Way of God with the Help of the Qur’an
- Never Adopting a Reluctant, Half-hearted Effort in the Struggle in the Way of God
- Continuing the Struggle Until All Mischief is Wiped Off the Face of the Earth and Islam Becomes the Predominant Religion
- Immigrating for the Sake of God in Case of Need, Providing Shelter to the Immigrants
- Painstakingly Refraining from Committing a Sin
- Refraining from Squandering Money or Wealth
- Never Giving into Satan’s Whisperings; Seeking Refuge in God from Satan’s Whisperings
- Not Allowing Satan to Influence One’s Behavior and Thoughts
- Knowing that Satan’s Deceit is Ineffectual and Does Not Have Any Influence on Those Who are Sincere in Their Belief
- Constantly Remembering and Reminding God’s Blessings and Expressing Gratitude for Them
- Asking God for Forgiveness and Mercy and Repenting Sincerely
- Asking for Forgiveness at Dawn
- Praying to God in a Hopeful and Fearful Manner
- Traveling in the Way of God
- Never Hanging Back and Slacking in Living in Accordance with Islamic Moral Values
- Worshiping Only God
It is not necessary for the believers to go out all together. If a party from each group of them were to go out so they could increase their knowledge of the religion they would be able to notify their people when they returned to them so that hopefully they would take warning!
Contemplating Death and Remembering that Our Ultimate Destination is with God
Every self will taste death. We test you with both good and evil as a trial. And you will be returned to Us.
Wherever you are, death will catch up with you, even if you are in impregnable fortresses. If a good thing happens to them, they say, ‘This has come from God.’ But if a bad thing happens to them, they say, ‘This has come from you.’ Say, ‘Everything comes from God.’ What is the matter with these people that they scarcely understand a single word?
He is the Absolute Master over His servants. He sends angels to watch over you. Then when death comes to one of you, Our messengers take him, and they do not fail in their task.
…If you could only see the wrongdoers in the throes of death when the angels are stretching out their hands, saying,
‘Disgorge your own selves! Today you will be repaid with the punishment of humiliation for saying something other than the truth about God, and being arrogant about His Signs.’
You will die and they too will die.
We did not give any human being before you immortality. And if you die, will they then be immortal?
He brings forth the living from the dead and brings forth the dead from the living and brings the earth to life after it was dead. In the same way you too will be brought forth.
So look at the effect of the mercy of God, how He brings the dead earth back to life. Truly He is the One Who brings the dead to life. He has power over all things.
Say: ‘The Angel of Death, who has been given charge of you, will take you back and then you will be sent back to your Lord.
Every self will taste death. You will be paid your wages in full on the Day of Rising. Anyone who is distanced from the Fire and admitted to the Garden has triumphed. The life of this world is just the enjoyment of delusion.
God takes back people’s selves when their death arrives and those who have not yet died, while they are asleep. He keeps hold of those whose death has been decreed and sends the others back for a specified term. There are certainly Signs in that for people who reflect. (Believers are) those who are aware that they will meet their Lord and that they will return to Him.
Surely to your Lord is the return.
Say: ‘My Lord has commanded justice. Stand and face Him in every mosque and call on Him, making your religion sincerely His. As He originated you, so you will return.
Those who, when disaster strikes them, say, ‘We belong to God and to Him we will return.
. So have fear of God. And know that you will be gathered back to Him.
Your women are fertile fields for you, so come to your fertile fields however you like. Send good ahead for yourselves and have fear of God. Know that you are going to meet Him. And give good news to the believers.
Then they are returned to God, their Master, the Real. Jurisdiction belongs to Him alone and He is the Swiftest of Reckoners.
Is there anyone who will make God a generous loan so that He can multiply it for him many times over? God both restricts and expands. And you will be returned to Him.
... ‘Our Lord, we have put our trust in You and have repented to You. You are our final destination.’
“And to our Lord we shall surely return.”