The Successful Mu’min

Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala says

﴿ قَدْ أَفْلَحَ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ ◌ الَّذِينَ هُمْ فِي صَلَاتِهِمْ خَاشِعُونَ ◌ وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ عَنِ اللَّغْوِ مُعْرِضُونَ ◌ وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ لِلزَّكَاةِ فَاعِلُونَ ◌ وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ لِفُرُوجِهِمْ حَافِظُونَ ◌ إِلَّا عَلَىٰ أَزْوَاجِهِمْ أَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُهُمْ فَإِنَّهُمْ غَيْرُ مَلُومِينَ ◌ فَمَنِ ابْتَغَىٰ وَرَاءَ ذَٰلِكَ فَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْعَادُونَ ◌ وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ لِأَمَانَاتِهِمْ وَعَهْدِهِمْ رَاعُونَ ◌ وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ عَلَىٰ صَلَوَاتِهِمْ يُحَافِظُونَ ◌ أُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْوَارِثُونَ ◌ الَّذِينَ يَرِثُونَ الْفِرْدَوْسَ هُمْ فِيهَا خَالِدُونَ ﴾

1) Successful indeed are the Believers. 2) Those who offer their Salat with all solemnity and full submissiveness. 3) And those who turn away from Al-Laghw. 4) And those who pay the Zakat. 5) And those who guard their chastity. 6) Except from their wives or that their right hands possess - for then, they are free from blame; 7) But whoever seeks beyond that, then those are the transgressors;  8) Those who are faithfully true to their Amanat (i.e. all the duties that Allah has ordained) and to their covenants; 9) And those who strictly guard their prayers. 10) These are indeed the inheritors. 11) Who shall inherit the Firdaus (Paradise). They shall dwell therein forever.

And so moved was the Prophet (Peace be upon him) upon revelation of these initial ten verses of Surah Al-Mu’minun (23), that he turned toward the qibla, raised his hands, and supplicated fervently to Allah, the Most Merciful with these beautiful words:

« اَللهُمَّ زِدْنَا وَلاَ تَنْقُصْنَا وَاَكْرِمْنَا وَلاَ تُهِنَّا وَاَعْطِنَا وَلاَ تُحْرِمْنَا وَاَثِرْنَا وَلاَ تُوْثِرْ عَلَيْنَا وَاَرْضِنَا وَاَرْضَ عَنَّا »

“O Allah. Increase our number, and do not decrease it; bestow honor upon us and do not disgrace us; bless us with Your bounties and do not deprive us of them, accept us and do not prefer others to us; be pleased with us and please us.”[1]

And this, My dear Brothers and Sisters in Iman, is the   Minhaj-ul Mu’min or the way of the believer. It commences with the Shahadah, and upon being successful, culminates in living eternally in Al-Firdaus which is the highest of the hundred levels of Jannah over which, is the Throne.[2]

You should know – May Allah have mercy on you, that none are more fortunate than the ones who keep drawing close to Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala with righteous acts of worship until He loves them.[3] And always remember the words of the Prophet (Peace be upon him),

أَحَبُّ الاَعْمَالِ اِلىَ اَللهِ أَدْوَمُهَا وَاِنْ قَلَّ »   «

“The deeds loved most by Allah are the ones that are done regularly, even if they are small.”[4]

May Allah grant all of us the tawfiq to be successful believers – Ameen; and All Praise is for Allah, the Lord of the ‘Alamin.