Say: "My prayer and my rites, my living and my dying, are for
Allah alone, the Lord of all the worlds." (Surat al-An'am: 162)
But some people think that religion is composed of rituals lim-
ited to certain times—that life is divided into times for prayer and
other times. They think about Allah and the afterlife only when
they pray, fast, give sadaqah or go on the pilgrimage to Makkah. At
other times they are engrossed in the business of the world. Life in
this world is for them an unpleasant rat-race. Such people are al-
most totally divorced from the Qur'an and have their own personal
goals in life, their own understanding of morality, their own world-
view and sense of values. The have no idea of what the teaching of
the Qur'an really means.
A person who adopts the teaching of the Qur'an and follows
the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and
grant him peace, as his principle of living will certainly live life
quite differently from someone with this mentality. Such a person
will not forget that he is subject to the destiny that Allah has de-
creed for him and will live his life trusting in, and submitting to,
Him. Therefore, he will know that he must not be anxious, sad,
fearful, worried, pessimistic or depressed; or overtaken by panic in
the face of difficulties. He will meet everything that comes along in
the way that Allah advises and approves. His every word, decision
and action show that he lives according to the Sunnah which is the
practical embodiment of the teaching of the Qur'an. Whether he is
taking a walk, eating a meal, going to school, studying, working,
playing sports, having a conversation, watching television or lis-
tening to music, he is aware that he is responsible for living his life
according to the what is pleasing to Allah. He takes care of matters
with which he has been entrusted meticulously and is concerned at
the same time to win Allah's favour in the things he does. He never
behaves in a way unbefitting the teaching of the Qur'an or contrary
to the Sunnah.
10
24 Hours in the Life of a Muslim
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