As the academic year starts again and as our children are about to go off to university, I thought it would be good to share some thoughts to help them to be focused and grounded. I hope this will be good advice for all of us wherever we may be. To the students I say, “You are about to go off into the wide world, alone, excited, apprehensive, hopeful, that this will be the beginning of a long road to success. I wish you the same. Remember that integrity is not the only path, but it is the only path on which you will never be lost. Integrity is to keep ten things in mind.
1. Factor Allah into the equation because He is in it anyway. This is the best way to stay grounded and to know the best way forward. For in the end, we will not be asked, “What happened?” We will be asked, “What did you do?” Remembering Allah at all times and deciding everything based on His Pleasure has two advantages. It keeps us safe from sin and it gives us tremendous confidence, knowing that He is watching and is with us. Believe me, just as doing good matters, so also sin matters, even more. So, stay safe from sin and disobedience of Allah and you can be sure that He will help you. Remember that Islam is the name of a practice. Not a philosophy. The one who practices Islam is a Muslim and the one who doesn’t, isn’t. The one who practices Islam benefits. The one who doesn’t, doesn’t. The practice of Islam begins and ends with Salah (prayer). Prayer is a resource to reboot our drives five times a day, to charge our batteries, to seek Allah’s help, to relax and rejuvenate, and to remind ourselves, that one day we will see Allah and be called to account. Salah reminds us that everything counts.
A’al Imraan 3: 185 Everyone shall taste death. And only on the Day of Resurrection shall you be paid your wages in full. And whoever is removed away from the Fire and admitted to Jannah, he indeed is successful. The life of this world is only the enjoyment of deception (a deceiving thing).
Allah gave us the criterion of success. Real success. Lasting success. Always keep this in mind and you will never be depressed or sad and you will always make the right decisions. The key to all this is Salah. Salah is the outward manifestation and evidence of Imaan (Faith). When we declare that there is nobody worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad is His last and final Messenger who we follow, by praying, we demonstrate our belief by worshipping Allah in the way shown to us by Rasoolullah. Salah is our connection with Allah. A direct connection, taught to us by Rasoolullah. Allah told us that Salah is a resource to be used at will.
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱسْتَعِينُوا۟ بِٱلصَّبْرِ وَٱلصَّلَوٰةِ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ مَعَ ٱلصَّـٰبِرِينَ
Baqara 2: 153 O you who believe! Seek help in patience and As-Salat (prayer). Truly! Allah is with As-Sabirin (the patient).
And He said:
ٱتْلُ مَآ أُوحِىَ إِلَيْكَ مِنَ ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ وَأَقِمِ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ إِنَّ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ تَنْهَىٰ عَنِ ٱلْفَحْشَآءِ وَٱلْمُنكَرِ وَلَذِكْرُ ٱللَّهِ أَكْبَرُ وَٱللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ مَا تَصْنَعُونَ
Ankabut 29: 45 Recite (O Muhammad) what has been revealed to you of the Book (Qur’an) and establish As-Salat (Iqamat-as-Salat). Verily, As-Salat (prayer) prevents from Al-Fahsha' (great sins of every kind) and Al-Munkar (disbelief, polytheism, and every kind of evil deed) and the remembering (praising, etc.) of (you by) Allah (in front of the angels) is greater indeed [than your remembering (praising) Allah in prayers]. And Allah knows what you do.
Salah is protection. Salah is help. Salah is tranquility and peace of mind. Salah is the highest honor that Allah granted to the human being. Salah differentiates the Muslim from the non-Muslim. Salah is evidence that we are Muslim. The one who prays is Muslim. The one who doesn’t, is not.
Rasoolullah emphasized the importance of Salah and said:
Nawfal bin Muawiya (R) quoted Rasoolullah as saying,