Blessed is he who is born a Muslim. The life of every Muslim is surrounded by advice and warnings; the verses of the Holy Quran and from prophet Nuh (RA) to Prophet Muhammad (SAW) were all sent to advise and warn humanity of the bounties of the hereafter and the punishment that awaits the non-believing men and women. Allah says:
يَا بُنَيَّ أَقِمِ الصَّلَاةَ وَأْمُرْ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَانْهَ عَنِ الْمُنكَرِ وَاصْبِرْ عَلَى مَا أَصَابَكَ
“O, my dear son! Be constant in prayer, and enjoin the doing of what is right and forbid the doing of what is wrong, and bear in patience whatever (ill) may befall thee: this, behold, is something to set one’s heart upon!” (Surah Luqman, 31: 17-19)
In a day where social media has become the biggest procrastinator to affect us (you might have encountered this article by doing exactly this!), the Prophet warns of two potential dangers this presents. Whereas social media initially allowed friends and family to keep in touch, it is now inundated with viral videos and entertaining forwards – we are all guilty of lazing around for hours on end scrolling down and refreshing our feeds with no real purpose.
Some pieces of great advice from Prophet Muhammad (PBUH):
- Take advantage of your youth, health, wealth, time and life
- Be your accountant for your needs
- Don’t become attached to this world
- Remember God in times of ease
- Quality is better than quantity
- Practice what you preach
- To speak always the truth
- Don’t belittle your sins
- Prioritize your prayers
- Stay away from gossip
- Don’t procrastinate
- Don’t waste your time
- Admit your ignorance
- To fulfil your promise
- To discharge faithfully a trust
- To be away from the forbidden acts
- To guard your private parts against any forbidden use
- Guard yourself against consuming the forbidden or ill-earned food or drink.”
Every action against the command of God should be significant for a true believer. It is dangerous when we start to disregard our sins, because either our belief is waning, or it shows a disconnection with God. The Prophet goes on to explain why each sin is significant with a quite remarkable quote:
“Oh, Abu Dharr! Don’t look at the smallness of the sin but look at the one you disobeyed.”
Try to incorporate the Quran into your daily schedules, make sure a day hardly passes with you reading the Quran. Listen to Quranic recitations and ponder upon the teachings and meanings of the verses.
Pieces of Advice from the Quran:
- Do not mix the truth with falsehood (2:42)
- Order righteousness to people only after practising it yourself (2:44)
- Do not commit abuse on the earth (2:60)
- Do not prevent people from mosques (2:114)
- Do not follow anyone blindly (2:170)
- Do not break the promise (2:177)
- Do not engage in bribery (2:188)
- Fight only with those who fight you (2:190)
- Keep the etiquettes of war (2:191)
- Protect orphans (2:220)
- Do not have sexual intercourse during the menstrual period (2:222)
- Breastfeed your children for two complete years (2:233)
- Choose rulers by their merit (2:247)
- No compulsion in religion (2:256)
- Do not invalidate charity with reminders (2:264)
- Help those in need by finding them (2:273)
- Don’t consume interest (2:275)
- Grant more time to repay if the debtor is in a hard time (2:280)
- Write down the debt (2:282)
- Keep the trust (2:283)
- Do not spy and backbite (2:283)
- Believe in all prophets (2:285)
- Do not burden a person beyond his scope (2:286)
- Do not become divided (3:103)
- Restrain Anger (3:134)
- Do not be rude in speech (3:159)
- Think deeply about the wonders and creation of this universe (3:191)
- .Men and Women have equal rewards for their deeds (3:195)
- A wealth of the dead should be distributed among his family members (4:7)
- Women also have the right to inheritance (4:7)
- Do not devour the property of orphans (4:10)
- Do not marry those in your blood relation (4:23)
- Do not consume one another’s wealth unjustly (4:29)
- The family should be led by men (4:34)
- Be good to others (4:36)
- Do not be miserly (4:37)
- Do not keep envy (4:54)
- Judge with justice between people (4:58)
- Do not kill each other (4:92)
- Do not be an advocate for deceitful (4:105)
- Stand out firmly for justice (4:135)
- Cooperate in righteousness (5:2)
- Do not cooperate in sin and aggression (5:2)
- Dead animals, blood, the flesh of swine are prohibited (5:3)
- Be just (5:8)
- Punish for crimes in an exemplary way (5:38)
- Strive against sinful and unlawful (5:63)
- Avoid intoxicants and alcohol (5:90)
- Do not gamble (5:90)
- Do not insult others’ deities (6:108)
- Having majority’ is not a criterion of truth (6:116)
- Don’t reduce weight or measure to cheat people (6:152)
- Do not be arrogant (7:13)
- Eat and Drink, But Be Not Excessive (7:31)
- Wear good clothes during prayer times (7:31)
- Forgive others for their mistakes (7:199)
- Do not turn back in battle (8:15)
- Protect and help those who seek protection (9:6)
- Keep Purity (9:108)
- Never give up hope of Allah’s Mercy (12:87)
- Allah will forgive those who have done wrong out of ignorance (16:119)
- Invitation to God should be with wisdom and good instruction (16:125)
- No one will bear others’ sins (17:15)
- Be dutiful to parents (17:23)
- Do not say a word of disrespect to parents (17:23)
- Do not spend money extravagantly (17:29)
- Do not kill your children for fear of poverty (17:31)
- Do not approach unlawful sexual intercourse (17:32)
- Do not pursue that of which you do not know (17:36)
- Speak to people mildly (20:44)
- Keep aloof from what is vain (23:3)
- Do not enter others’ houses without seeking permission (24:27)
- Allah will provide security for those who believe only in Allah (24:55)
74. Do not enter the parents’ private room without asking for permission (24:58)
75. Walk on earth in humility (25:63)
76. Do not neglect your portion of this world (28:77)
77. Invoke not any other god along with Allah (28:88)
78. Do not engage in homosexuality (29:29)
79. Enjoin right, forbid wrong (31:17)
80. Do not walk in insolence through the earth (31:18)
81. Lower your voice (31:19)
82. Women should not display their finery (33:33)
83. Allah forgives all sins (39:53)
84. Do not be a despair of the mercy of Allah (39:53)
85. Repel evil by good (41:34)
86. Decide on affairs by consultation (42:38)
87. Try for settlement between people (49:9)
88. Do not ridicule others (49:11)
89. Avoid suspicion (49:12)
90. Do not spy or backbite (49:12)
91. Most noble of you is the most righteous (49:13)
92. Honour guests (51:26)
93. Spent wealth in charity (57:7)
94.No Monasticism in religion (57:27)
95. Those who know will be given a higher degree by Allah (58:11)
96. Treat non-Muslims in a kind and fair manner (60:8)
97. Save yourself from covetousness (64:16)
98. Seek forgiveness of Allah. He is Forgiving and Merciful (73:20)
99. Do not repel one who asks (93:10)
100. Encourage feeding poor (107:3)
وَعِبَادُ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الَّذِينَ يَمْشُونَ عَلَى الْأَرْضِ هَوْنًا وَإِذَا خَاطَبَهُمُ الْجَاهِلُونَ قَالُوا سَلَامًا
“The servants of the Most Merciful are those who walk upon the earth in humility, and when the ignorant address them, they say words of peace.” (Surah Al-Furqan 25:63)
Quran: For All Mankind
The Qur’an is a sacred book sent by Allah of all creation. It is a book for all human beings. It was in the seventh century AD that Islam came to the world. According to the Islamic belief, God sent the same religion to every nation that is, Islam. The only distinctive quality of Islam, as regards Prophet Muhammad, is that while the messages sent to previous prophets got distorted, the original text of the message sent to Prophet Muhammad has been fully preserved. Allah says:
وَاعْتَصِمُوا بِحَبْلِ اللَّهِ جَمِيعًا وَلَا تَفَرَّقُوا وَاذْكُرُوا نِعْمَتَ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ إِذْ كُنتُمْ أَعْدَاءً فَأَلَّفَ بَيْنَ قُلُوبِكُمْ فَأَصْبَحْتُم بِنِعْمَتِهِ إِخْوَانًا
“Hold firmly to the rope of Allah all together and do not become divided. Remember the favour of Allah upon you, when you were enemies and He brought your hearts together and you became brothers by his favour.”(Surah Al Imran 3:103)
The Quran, the last of the revealed books, endorses all the revealed books, which preceded it. But this endorsement applies to them only in their original, pristine versions. The Quran addressed directly to mankind, tells us of God’s scheme for human existence: that man is placed on this earth to be tested. The freedom he has here has not been given him as a matter of right, but as a means to allow him to prove his moral fibre. It is the outcome of this test, which will ultimately decide man’s eternal fate. Allah says:
إِنَّمَا الْمُؤْمِنُونَ إِخْوَةٌ فَأَصْلِحُوا بَيْنَ أَخَوَيْكُمْ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُرْحَمُونَ
“The believers are but brothers, so make reconciliation between your brothers and fear Allah that you may receive mercy.” (Surah Al-Hujurat 49:10)
It is asserted in the holy book that human beings are eternal creatures, yet only an infinitesimal part of their lifespan has been assigned to the present world, while the remainder has been ordained for the Hereafter. Try as much as you can to use your little free time for zikr — like when in the elevator, on the bus, while waiting in the lounge, when climbing the stairs. Use this moment to send as many salutations as you can upon the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Allah says:
وَاذْكُر رَّبَّكَ فِي نَفْسِكَ تَضَرُّعًا وَخِيفَةً وَدُونَ الْجَهْرِ مِنَ الْقَوْلِ بِالْغُدُوِّ وَالْآصَالِ وَلَا تَكُن مِّنَ الْغَافِلِينَ
“Remember your Lord in yourselves with humility and in private without announcing it in the mornings and evenings, and do not be among the heedless.” (Surah Al-A’raf 7:205)
Each time you make dua, don’t be like the selfish people who always pray for themselves alone. Try to include your family, friends, parents especially those that have passed on because they can’t pray anymore; they depend on the du’a of the living.
