99: Nine Guidelines for a Rewarding Life

 A rewarding life is not necessarily an extra-ordinary life, but rather a meaningful life; a life made up of daily acts of excellence, a life of contribution and a life of compassion. A rewarding life occurs when we commit ourselves to being loving and caring on a daily basis; and engaging in seemingly small, consistent acts of goodness which over the course of a lifetime amount to a life of significance. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) provided the following guidelines ...

اوصاني ربي بتسع The Creator has advised me with nine duties اوصاني بالاخلاص في السر و العلانية I. The duty of … Sincerity in private and in public
Sincerity is the most important component of any human endeavor. All actions are determined on the basis of the intentions that motivate them and
انما الأعمال بالنيات all intentions are evaluated by the sincerity that precedes them.
Though people may not be able to perceive our sincerity, the Ultimate Judge is fully aware of our private intentions and our public actions [Q2:282]
و العدل في الرضى و الغضب II. Justice in anger or happiness
Justice is paramount in Islam and Allah inspired the Prophet with the saying "O my worshippers! I have made injustice unlawful for myself, and have forbidden injustice among you, so do not be unjust." A major mission of all Prophets (peace be upon them) was the "establishment of justice among people" [Q 57:25] "Allah certainly commands justice and goodness in everything" [Q 16:90] Manifesting justice is equated to piety, اعدلوا هو أقرب للتقوى "Be just, that is closest to piety" [Q 5:8]. ”Allah loves those who are just” [Q 60:8], and sides “not with the unjust” [Q 3:57]. Manifesting justice is an individual and collective responsibility. We are divinely commanded "to stand up for justice as witnesses to Allah" و لا يجرمنكم شنآن قوم على الا تعدلو under all circumstances and without any discrimination [Q 4:135].
و القصد في الفقر و الغنى III. Moderation in times of scarcity or abundance
Allah commands us to avoid extravagance [Q 6:141] and squandering [Q 17:26-27]. The Prophet advised us to غناك قبل فقرك … اغتنم value wealth before poverty, and thus informed value what we have before we do not have it anymore.
و ان اعفو عمن ظلمني IV. Forgiving those who wrong me
It is said that to err is human and to forgive is divine. Both parts of this statement are very true. As human beings we are responsible, but we do also make mistakes and are constantly in need of pardon/forgiveness. Islam emphasizes the manifestation of justice; which includes punishment of the wrong doers; but it equally emphasizes mercy, kindness, forgiveness and love. Justice, law and order are necessary for the maintenance of a social order, but there is also a need for forgiveness to heal the wounds and to restore good relations between the people. Allah reminds
و ا ن تعفوا و تصفحوا و تغفروا فان الله غفور رحيم If you pardon, reconcile and forgive; (know that) surely Allah is Most Forgiving, Most Merciful. [Qur’an 64:14]
Prophet Jesus/’Isa (pbuh) “If you do not forgive people their sins, God will not forgive you” [Matthew 6:15]. Sayyedna ‘Ali echoed the same sentiments when he asked
كيف ترجوا من الرحمان رحمته و انما يرحم الرحمان من رحما How do you expect the mercy of the Most Merciful, Who is most merciful to those who show mercy to others.
و اعطي من حرمني V. Generosity to those who deny me
This ethical doctrine of altruism (which denotes concern for the welfare of others) is not to merely treat other people well because it is to our advantage but rather due to the universal moral obligation to treat others ethically because it is the proper thing to do; not because of expediency but because of who we are and what we represent. Imagine a world where people give of themselves simply because they want to, not because they have to, nor because they want something in return. No ulterior motives, no guilt feelings; just a genuine desire to do good because it is the right thing to do. The Qur’an repeatedly reminds us to imbibe such desire …
وَأَحْسِنُوَاْ إِنَّ اللّهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُحْسِنِينَ Do good, for surely Allah loves the doers of good. [Q 2:195]
So, be good to others not because others are being good to you, but because goodness is part of who and what you are.
و اصل من قطعني VI. Relationship with those who break off with me;
The Prophet advised us not only to develop good relationships but to try and Maintain them,
ليس الواصلُ بالمُكافِي ، و لكن الواصلُ الذي اذا ُقطِعت رحِمُهُ وَصَلها A waasil is not one who merely continues relationship with those keep relationship, but rather the one who maintains a relationship even with those who break off ties.
Abu Dharr al-Ghaffari said that my dear friend (the Prophet) instructed me
قال ابو ذر الغفاري؛ أمرني خليلي بحُب المساكين و الدُُّ ُنوِّي منهم ، و أمرني أن أصِلَ الرَّحِمَ و ان اُدبِرت to love the poor and be of assistance to the needy, to maintain good relationships with others even if they don’t.
و ان يكون صمتي فكرا VII. To let my Silence be contemplative
Silence is not merely the absence of sound or the lack of noise, but is rather synonymous with tranquility, meditation, contemplation, reflection, stillness and peace. The Prophet said; الصمت حكمة و قليل فاعله silence is wisdom, but few practice it. Besides the external voices that we attend to, there also exists the non-vocal, inaudible ‘whispers’ that come from our own selves, ‘whispers’ that we most often ignore…

If we do not listen to these whispers of our lives we could miss many vital messages and by continuing to disregard them, the quality of our lives as individuals and as social beings may be diminished. "For the foolish there is no better rule than silence and if he knew its advantage he would be less foolish." [Sheikh Saadi Shirazi] "Let thy speech be better than thy silence, or be silent." [ancient Greek, Dionysus]

و منطقي ذكرا VIII. my Speech mindful
The 17th century philosopher, Francois de la Rochefoucauld suggested, "To listen closely and reply well is the highest perfection we are able to attain in the art of conversation.” The Prophet (pbuh) advised us,
لا تبسط يدك الا الى الخيرو لا تفل بلسانك الا معروفا “do not indulge in any act unless it is beneficial, do not say anything except what is good.”
He also instructed the Believers فليقل خيرا و ليصمت say something good or remain silent.
و نظري عبرا IX. my Looking insightful.
Everything around us is sign [Q 3: ] , and every sign conveys a message, and every message has a lesson. Life is thus full of signs, messages and lessons. The holy Prophet (pbuh) is reported to have said that Allah has prescribed goodness and excellence in all that you do. In relation to evolving human potential and developing personality, this statement motivates a person to utilize one’s life skills in the most positive and pro-active manner, a manner in which we could make affirmative heart-prints in our relationships. Heart-prints are the impact you make when you positively affect the lives of others. Unlike your fingerprints, footprints and voiceprints; with heart prints there are no lines, no sole marks and no sound wave peaks. What you witness is the impact and effect you can have on the lives of those you touch. You might see a smile in return for a greeting or a tear when sharing an emotion or feel the warmth of a hug in return for your consolation. Heart prints leave indelible imprints, ones that sustain and enrich life (yours and others) for years to come; making life a rewarding experience.
وَأَحْسِن كَمَا أَحْسَنَ اللَّهُ إِلَيْكَ Do good as Allah has done good to you.

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