47: Audit your Life
And work for the hereafter as if you going to die tomorrow."
[Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)]
The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) advised us to take account of ourselves before we are eventually taken to account. We should know where we are in our lives, why we are here and where we are headed.
The Crucial Questions
Why do I exist? { Life Purpose }
What am I involved in? { Calling/Occupation/Vocation }
What do I really want to be / aspire to? { Vision/Ambition }
Where am I? { Position/Station }
How will I reach my Destination? { Mission/Road Map }
~ Let us remember here the du'aa of Jalaluddin Rumi, who said:
"O Allah! Let us not be of those content to wait and see what will happen, but grant us the determination
to make the right things happen." ~
The Required Code of Ethics
As people of faith, who are supposed to be people of conscience, who live a purposeful and meaningful life, we are obliged to chart our course through life in a successful way abiding by these positive and ethical precepts ...
- Be sincere, honest with yourself and cognizant of reality.
Confucius said: "Sincerity and truth are the basis of every virtue."
Professor Don Cross said: "If I truly know who I am and what I value, and stand firmly for what I believe, and have the courage to act on it, I can not help but be sincere."
Sincerity simplifies one's life, improves integrity and enhances one's ability to deal effectively with others and makes it easier for others to deal with you.
- Be fair and just in every dimension of your life while maintaining the highest degree of civility.
Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was asked how a person could be most just, he replied: "Love for others what you
love for yourself, then you'll be among the most just of people".
The 19th century Afro-American moralist, Robert Ingersoll, referred to justice as giving to every human being every right you claim for yourself. For righteous people, justice is pleasurable. "Doing good and being just should not be duties as much as they should be joys, for they increase your well-being and increase happiness." [Zoroaster]
- Respect yourself and respect others; enhancing integrity (internally) and image (externally).
The notion of honorability and respect is integral to the Islamic way of life as is evidenced by numerous
traditions of the Prophet (pbuh) who instructed people to: speak truthfully with civility, be courteous to
the neighbor, honor the guest, respect elders, have compassion for the young, consideration for the under-privileged,
inclination to the oppressed, act with propriety, and manifest excellence in everything.
Wise ones have said that character is the foundation on which respect is built. Just as no mighty structure can be built on a weak base, so too can no lasting reputation worthy of respect be built on a weak character. The Roman orator, Cicero said: "He removes the greatest ornament of relationship who takes away from it respect".
Whether it be parent, child, spouse or friend; all relationships require the element of respect. The Prophet (pbuh) said that the better neighbor is one who is the best to his neighbor, that the best of friends are those who are best to their friends, and that the best of spouses are those most respectful to their partner.
- Be responsible, reliable and accountable. Have integrity. Integrity is about being honest, being honorable
and being your self at your best. Integrity is about moral maturity; what it is to think and act in a way that
reflects the full stature of a good, responsible and rational human being. Remember the Qur'anic admonition,
each will be held accountable for their deeds.
- Do not let negative attitudes prevent you from the possibility of engaging in positive actions. If we are
cognizant of the fact that attitudes indicate our approach to daily living we will realize how damaging negative
attitudes are to our sense of well-being; they dictate our whole life. Realize that attitudes are but reflections
of our selves in the mirror of life. The attitudes we harbor makes us the way we are, the reason we act the way we
act and may cause us to be treated the way we are being treated.
Prophet 'Isa (Jesus pbuh) was responding with loving words to a person who was abusive towards him. An observer inquired as to why he was responding to hate with love. Jesus (pbuh) replied: "That person gives what is in his heart and I merely give what I have in mine."
The lesson we learn from this is never to let even the negativity of others prevent the possibility of something positive from ourselves. One can choose to be either negative or positive in any given situation. You can't be both negative and positive at the same time. Be positive!
- Be part of the solution, not part of the problem. During this crucial period of our history, it is
imperative that each of us makes a personal statement through our thoughts, words and actions. We do not have the
luxury of being selfish, uncaring or indifferent. If we are not part of the solution, then through our apathy, we
could be part of the problem itself.
Be a source/instrument of goodness [Prophet Muhammad]