“All praise is to Allah. We praise him, we seek His help, His forgiveness, and we seek refuge in Allah from the evil within ourselves and of our actions. Whomsoever Allah guides, none can misguide him. Whomsoever Allah leads astray, none can guide him.
I testify there is no God but Allah alone, without any partners, and that Muhammad, ﷺ, is His servant and messenger.”
Welcome to the Friday Khutbah! A weekly series on the AlMaghrib Journal, based on sermons delivered by our esteemed instructors! We hope you find it beneficial!
“How do I know I’m succeeding in life?”
For some people today, they may see their income levels and say, alhamdulillah, I’ve made it, I’m successful, Allah has blessed me and I feel successful.
Others will think of their degree, their marriages, children, career paths, and say “I’m successful.”
But what does Allah tell us about success?
The One who created us, the One who gave us purpose, the One who sent a messenger ﷺ , the One who guided us with clarity on the most important questions: why do we exist? What are we here for? What is the greatest potential I have as a human being?
Three Essential Tips for Winning at Life
Number one: Know what the criteria for winning is – what does it actually mean to win?
Number two: Know the outcome – what does it lead to? What’s the long-term vision?
Number three: Have perseverance (sabr) and trust in Allah.
First Tip: Understand What Real Winning Means
Many people work hard toward useless, immoral, or prohibited things. In every context – school, chess, basketball – we cannot choose our own metrics of success. We must follow what is laid out for us.
Allah’s Definition of Success
Allah tells us what success is about. The One who created us and gave us purpose clarifies why we exist:
لِيَبْلُوَكُمْ أَيُّكُمْ أَحْسَنُ عَمَلًا
“To test you [as to] which of you is best in deed” [Quran 67:2]
Winning at every worldly game is useless if one chooses to lose at life itself by rejecting life’s purpose. Most worldly success metrics have very low long-term importance. The purpose of life is the only thing that truly matters – everything builds towards it.
Second Tip: Understand the Outcome and Vision
Once we know real success, we must think: what does it lead to? You must reflect on what it leads to: Jannah and Allah’s pleasure – something you can experience here and in the afterlife.
Your final destination should be your focus. Every decision today is linked to tomorrow’s destination, especially in the afterlife. Your decisions to pray, be kind, learn, value time and health – all linked to Jannah. Your decisions to sacrifice for family and pursue knowledge and action – all linked to your final destination.
إِنِّي جَزَيْتُهُمُ الْيَوْمَ بِمَا صَبَرُوا أَنَّهُمْ هُمُ الْفَائِزُونَ
“Indeed, I have rewarded them this Day for their patient endurance – it is they who are the attainers [of success]” [Quran 23:111]
فَمَن زُحْزِحَ عَنِ النَّارِ وَأُدْخِلَ الْجَنَّةَ فَقَدْ فَازَ
“So whoever is drawn away from the Fire and admitted to Paradise has attained [his desire]” [Quran 3:185]
Third Tip: Keep Going! (Have Sabr)
You can know what winning is and have motivation, but you need sabr. There’s no substitution for sabr or alternative to hard work. Sabr is mentioned over 100 times in the Quran because those regularly connected to Allah’s book receive constant nourishment and reminders.
Delayed Gratification
Would you rather take a penny today or a trillion dollars tomorrow? This world requires delaying gratification – it’s not meant to be eternal comfort but a life of striving until our last breath.
A man struggled with severe poverty for three years, became angry at his qadr, and strayed from Allah. Then he inherited seven million dollars and broke down in tears – not just from gratitude, but from regret at his ingratitude during hardship. Had he known what was coming, he would have remained patient and striving.
Paradise is Linked with Sabr
When you hold back from sin, push yourself to pray, and sacrifice time for noble causes, you do so because:
وَجَزَاهُم بِمَا صَبَرُوا
“And rewarded them for what they patiently endured” [Quran 76:12]
Paradise is for the one who perseveres. When Imam Ahmed was asked when a servant finds real comfort, he responded: “When he takes his first step into paradise.”
Living Wisely in This Temporary World
If you’re privileged with wealth or comfort, remember it’s a vehicle to survive, thrive, and do good – meant to bring you closer to Allah, not farther away. Sometimes choose simpler things as worship. Delay gratification: wait to break your fast, pray night prayers instead of sleeping, sacrifice time for charity because your vision is long-term.
You have one life in this world. Live it wisely. Live it with meaning. Live it with purpose.
Delayed gratification comes from knowing why you’re sacrificing. Those who hold back desires now and sacrifice short-term for long-term pleasure are generally more successful in all areas of life.
Even while planning strategically, turn to Allah. Sabr is always linked to Allah:
استعينوا بالصبر والصلاة
“Seek help through patience and prayer” [Quran 2:45]
Prayer should lead to more perseverance and willpower.
May Allah grant us happiness, contentment, and success. May Allah make us among the grateful and forgive our shortcomings.
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