“Life is either for a person or against him, its hours and seconds, days and years pass him by leading him (by his actions) to the Love and Good Pleasure of Allah until he is amongst the people of ultimate success and the Gardens of Paradise, or they are against him, leading him (by his actions) to the Fires of Hell and to the Anger of the One, the Just Ruler [Allah]

Life, it will either make you laugh and rejoice for an hour over which you will cry for an eternity (in the Hereafter) or it will make you cry for an hour over which you will laugh and rejoice for an eternity (in the Hereafter)

Life is either a great blessing for a person, or an adverse affliction against him…”

Allah says in His book:
“But whosoever turns away from My Reminder (i.e. neither believes in this Quran nor acts on its orders, etc.) verily, for him is a life of hardship, and We shall raise him up blind on the Day of Resurrection.” Surah Ta-Ha 20:124

There are many things to point out about this Ayat, of them is that the repercussions of turning away from the remembrance of Allah is felt immediately starting in this life. It does not matter how much wealth, fame, power, or prestige you may have, if you turn away from the remembrance of Allah, then there will always be a part of you that will feel empty and unfulfilled. The nourishment of the soul is the connection to Allah.

Also this Ayat references those who rejected the signs of Allah for whatever reason, either they were too caught up in the distractions of this world that they thought that maintaining a relationship to the religion would hinder their goals, or they did not accept the truth when it came to them, so on the day when family members will be running away from each other, there will even be some people who were blind, imagine the fear and humility on that day. May Allah save us from such a terrible ending.

But it is also crucial to point out that a scene like this is entirely avoidable if you respond to the call of Allah and His messenger and seek knowledge in the religion so that you may understand what Allah wants from you.

Allah says:
“O you who have believed, respond to Allah and to the Messenger when he calls you to that which gives you life. And know that Allah intervenes between a man and his heart and that to Him you will be gathered.” Surat al-Anfaal 8:24

Also the ones who do remember Allah will taste the sweetness of Iman in this life and the hereafter. The results of all acts of worship are evident in daily life if they were sincerely for the sake of Allah. If you expect some sort of material gain in this world for your hard work then this is not always the case. Indeed the people who are the richest are those who are content with what they have. And Allah does not grant contentment to all of His slaves, in fact among His slaves are those whose lives He constricts so much so that they never really feel happy. So perhaps it can be said that the compensation in this world for your worship is contentment. Of course Allah can also reward you in this life, but the true reward must be sought in the hereafter, because as is evident, nothing in this dunya lasts, so why wouldn’t you want that which is better and longer-lasting.

“He has certainly succeeded who purifies himself,
And mentions the name of his Lord and prays.
But you prefer the worldly life,
While the Hereafter is better and more enduring.
Indeed, this is in the former scriptures,
The scriptures of Abraham and Moses.” Surat Al ‘Ala 87:14-19

It has been said:
“Someone clinging to a board in the sea is not more in need of Allah and His kindness than someone at home, among his people and property.”

Calling upon Allah is something that we are obligated to do as part of our religion. Supplication to Allah is manifested most beautifully in the daily Salat. The appropriate etiquette of calling upon Allah is fulfilled in that we praise Him, and show our desperation by prostration and we also ask Allah to send peace and blessings upon the Messenger of Allah.

Also there is something very special about the nature of du’a; it is the essence of worship. Worship is characterized by the pillars of love, fear, and hope. As a perfection of our monotheism, we do not direct these actions of the heart to anyone other than Allah in the same way that we direct them to Allah. What is also significant is that du’a is an act of worship that combines all the pillars of worship. We call upon Allah mainly because of our love for Him, and we fear His punishment and hope in His mercy.

Asking of Allah is so natural that even those who are not muslim call upon Allah. From the manifestations of the natural beliefs engrained in humanity is a need to call upon the Creator. Even an atheist, who rejects the concept of an all-powerful creator submits in a time of extreme need and desperation. Allah mentions in the Qur’an the polytheists who would give a share of their worship to other than Allah, but when they were truly in need they naturally abandoned those that could not even help themselves until they arrived to shore.

“And when they board a ship, they supplicate Allah, sincere to Him in religion. But when He delivers them to the land, at once they associate others with Him” Surat Al-‘Ankabut 29:65

An experience like this is enough to shake someone’s false belief that anyone but God can rescue you from the dilemmas you face. And if it is to Allah that we turn when we are in a state of desperation, then why would we put our hope in anyone but Him when it comes to any other affair of our lives.

It is also important to mention that many think that because we have such an organized religion, that our Lord is completely unknowable and we can have no relationship with Him. Far from the truth, in fact we are encouraged to call upon Allah in times of need and humble ourselves before His majesty.

“And when My servants ask you, [O Muhammad], concerning Me – indeed I am near. I respond to the invocation of the supplicant when he calls upon Me. So let them respond to Me [by obedience] and believe in Me that they may be [rightly] guided.” Surat al-Baqarah 2:186

Allah has also made some times more virtuous than others and we should take advantage of them when we ask of Allah.
Abu Hurayrah narrates that the Messenger of Allaah said, “Our Lord, the Blessed and Most High, descends every night to the lowest heaven when only the last third of the night remains and says, ‘who is calling upon Me so that I may respond? Who is seeking My forgiveness so that I may forgive Him.'” Reported by Saheeh Muslim [ Eng. Trans. 1/365 no. 1656]

Also ibn Rajab al-Hambali has said:
“Were you to go to the door of the governor, he would not receive you or give you any attention, perhaps he will even prevent you from getting near him. But the King of kings is saying ‘Whoever comes to me walking, I will go to him running,’ yet you turn away from Him and run after another!”

And Allah will answer inshaAllah (God Willing) if we show our patience and protect our limbs from that which is unlawful and keep ourselves from sustaining our bodies on that which is unlawful.

Abu hurayrah also narrates that the messenger of Allah said :

“Allah the Almighty is good and accepts only that which is good. Allah has commanded the faithful to do that which he commanded the messengers, and the Almighty has said: “O ye messengers ! Eat of the good things and do right”. And Allah the Almighty has said : “O ye who believe! Eat of the good things wherewith We have provided you” Then he mentioned [the case of] a man who, having journeyed far, is dishevelled and dusty and who spreads out his hands to the sky [saying] : “O Lord! O Lord!” – while his food is unlawful, his drink unlawful, his clothing unlawful, and he is nourished unlawfully, so how can he be answered !”
Related by Muslim

Also in a hadith narrated by Abu Hurayrah, the prophet says:
“Your supplications will be answered as long as you are not impatient by saying, ‘I have supplicated to my Lord but He has not answered.'” [Saheeh Bukhaaree [ Eng. Trans. 8/236 no. 352]]

When we want something from our parents, we ask over and over again to show our great desire for something. But when we ask from Allah we need to be consistent in showing how we expect good from Allah, and our reliance on Him.

And remember du’a is the weapon of the believer.

I don’t want to get caught up in details, but details make me, me
It’s an interesting thing when you see a dead man be
Walked on a hollow path in an empty road until the end, I could see
No stone left unturned and this we’ll discuss over a cup of tea

Now I was a young man, prematurely aging
Whispers from the depths of my soul persistently raging
Who are we, and what is me, am I alone or right at home?
In retrospect, I realize how much I did neglect,
Of words so potent and prevailing,
Often cast away from where they were once hailing

You see, I saw the fire on the mountain
And I’ve seen the sea split.
I’ve seen the moon divide in two,but this I say to you
You can see a sign and then forget,
But the blame is on you and you shall regret

I’ve seen His mercy cause the earth to swallow men
And provide for us while we heedlessly deny
Our need for Him, but we continue to belie
That one day our souls will be raised
And if you lived upright you won’t be phased
But for those who ignore, they’ll be blazed

Of past experiences I do narrate,
Desires to know, quite innate.
But when ignored they do frustrate;
Becoming thereafter conjecture you speculate
So I say, know now, search now, and be now
A dead man is dead when he doesn’t know
Once yearning fulfilled, results it will show

I looked at my life and saw some despair,
I looked a little harder to see who might care.
To whom could I go when there is no-one there?
Just a lonely kid with no hope to spare.
But I tell you now, a physical death does no man wrong.
It’s the massacre of the soul that hurts so long.

This news I hope you can bare
The feelings I had were simply too rare
A glimmer of hope shaded by doubt
There the whole time, and I found out
At the end of the earth, I stood to declare
I found a light that I must share.

A condition for any deed to be accepted by Allah is Ikhlas (sincerity). It is that you purify your deed of all deficiency and make it for His sake alone. Without sincerity and conformity to the Sunnah of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) deeds are worthless.

Of the most fundamental hadeeth that relate to this subject is the narration of Umar:
“Indeed actions are not judged except by intentions, and each person will be judged according to their intention. Thus, he whose migration was to God and His Messenger, his migration is to God and His Messenger; but he whose migration was for some worldly thing he might gain, or for a wife he might marry, his migration is to that for which he migrated.” (Sahih Al Bukhari, Sahih Muslim)

That being said, it is imperative that the correct intention of deeds be based upon seeking the pleasure of Allah (alone) not seeking any pleasure other than His.

Also, Allah says in His Book:
“And they have not been commanded except to worship Allah alone, having ikhlas (purity of intention) in their Religion and not setting-up partners with Allah in the worship of Him.” Al Bayyinah 38:5

The importance of a pure intention is evident in the Quran and Sunnah. It is with a pure intention sincerely for the sake of Allah that a small deed can be magnified, and not only will its reward be great but the deed will benefit others.
As Abdullah ibn Al Mubarak said:
“How many a great deed is made small by the intention that accompanies it.”

A deed that is mixed with its sincerity having a portion of it dedicated to anyone other than Allah, then its value is worthless in the sight Allah. For example the of the most virtuous of deeds is to seek knowledge of the religion, but with a wrong intention the best of deeds becomes among the worst of major sins which will be explained further down.

And to remind us of the absurdity of dedicating a deed to anyone other than Allah is His statement:
“There is not a single thing except that its depositories and treasures are with Us.” Al Hijr 15:21

Allah is the only one who will reward the deeds of mankind so why then do we seek pleasure other than His?

Allah’s Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said, “A servant never says: “لا اله الا الله” (There is no deity worthy of worship, except Allah) sincerely except the doors of heavens are opened for it until it reaches the Throne (of Allaah)” (Sahih ul-Jami’, no. 5524)

And to truly understand the importance of sincerity, its opposite must also be understood. And the opposite of sincerity in the worship of Allah, is to ascribe a partner to Him by seeking the pleasure of those other than Allah. This is known as shirk, and specifically when it comes to showing off in ‘ibaadah it is known as riyaa.
The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said:
“Allah said, ‘ I am most independent and free from needing partners. Whoever does a deed associating something in it with me, he and his shirk are forsaken.'” (Sahih Muslim)

Also Allah says:
“Say (Oh Muhammad ): ‘I am only a man like you. It has been inspired to me that your Ilâh (God) is One Ilâh (Allah). So whoever hopes for the Meeting with his Lord, let him work righteousness and associate none as a partner in the worship of his Lord.'” Al Kahf 18:110

As for those who do deeds seeking other than the face of Allah, then there is nothing for them in the hereafter. To defeat shirk in worship, a believer must discipline himself and continue to seek knowledge in the religion thereby educating himself in halal and haram and knowing Allah. But even in the path of Allah, the fight for sincerity does not end, in fact it becomes more intense as you try to remind yourself about the greatness of Allah, and the inferiority of our own-selves knowing that everything is from Allah.

Al-Fudayl ibn ‘Iyyaad said:
“Abandoning action for the sake of people, is to seek their admiration. To do an action for the sake of people is to commit Shirk (to associate in the worship of Allah, others along with Allah). Indeed ikhlas is when Allah saves you from both of these states.”

May Allah make us all sincere in His path and give us guidance to follow the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم).

“Truly in the heart there is a void that can not be removed except with the company of Allah. And in it there is a sadness that can not be removed except with the happiness of knowing Allah and being true to Him. And in it there is an emptiness that can not be filled except with love for Him and by turning to Him and always remembering Him. And if a person were given all of the world and what is in it, it would not fill this emptiness.” — Imam Ibn al-Qayyim

“There is no happiness for the hearts, nor complete delight, except in loving Allah and drawing close to Him with whatever He loves. And it is not possible to [truly] love Him, except by turning away from all that is loved besides Him. This is the reality of laa ilaaha illAllah and it is the Religion of the close friend (khaleel) of Allah; Ibrahim ‘alayhis-salaam, as well as that of all the Prophets and Messengers.”—Shaykhul Islam Ibn Taymiyyah

No matter how tirelessly we search for happiness in a hollow world, we will return unsuccessful and remaining in need, in need of something that completes the very substance of our yearning, something that acts like the missing puzzle piece within our souls and fills the emptiness that painfully eats away at humanity and societies. This void cannot be filled with any material substance, but only with knowledge and pleasure that comes from understanding the purpose of life and our place in creation. We are Muslims, and Allah has not left us to wander without purpose.

“Verily, in the creation of the heavens and the earth, and in the alternation of night and day, there are indeed signs for men of understanding.” Ali ‘Imraan 3:190

“Then did you think that We created you uselessly (without a purpose) and that to Us you would not be returned?” Mu’minoon 23:115

“And We did not create the heaven and the earth and that between them aimlessly. That is the assumption of those who disbelieve, so woe to those who disbelieve from the Fire.” Sad 38:27

We have been given the tools to fulfill this purpose through the guidance of the Qur’an and the example of the prophet of God, Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم).

We have been told that we have not been created for any other reason except to worship Allah.

“And I (Allah) created not the jinn and mankind except that they should worship Me (Alone)” Ad Dhaariyaat 51:56

It is the worship of Allah that gives a soul contentment. With what else can a person be satisfied if he cannot feel fulfilled at living out his purpose? We have not created ourselves and so the purpose of our existence is not defined by us. The salaf (first three generations of Islam) used to take great joy in obeying Allah and His messenger, and it is the believers who are content with that which Allah has prescribed for them and do not push the boundaries. The believers are those who take pride in that which Allah has graced them with, and undoubtedly, the greatest blessing is that of Islam. It is to have your heart opened to the light of your Creator, Sustainer, Master. The salaf said: “If the kings and sons of kings knew what joy we experience, they would fight us for it with their swords.” The joy that they were referring to is that of the heart that has certain faith in its Lord and the joy of fulfilling obligations for the sake of Allah alone, and drawing closer to Him by it, even if faced with hardships.

Worship is not restricted to bowing and prostration, but with the right intention and earnest determination that conforms to the way of the Messeneger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) we can make any action for the sake of the one and only God, the One in whose hand is the dominion. So we seek help in Allah to show us the truth and allow us to perceive it as such, and allow us to follow it, and allow us to see falsehood as falsehood and reject it.

“This world is like a shadow, run after it and you will never be able to catch it, turn your back against it and it has no choice but to follow you.”— Ibn al-Qayyim