Assalamu alaikum (May peace be upon you all)

The treasures of the book of Allah, the Most High, are there for us to take. Abdullah ibn Mas’ud (R.A) said: Verily, this Quran is the banquet of Allah, so take as much of it as you can, for I do not know of anything more bereft of good than a house in which there is nothing from the Book of Allah. Verily, the heart which does not contain anything from the Book of Allah is ruined, like a dilapidated house in which no one lives. [Sunan al-Dārimī]

Let’s discover ten reminders from the last ten pages of the Qur’an to boost our worship (‘ibadah)!

1. What is your motive?

Indeed, your efforts are diverse. As for he who gives and fears Allah and believes in the best [reward] We will ease him toward ease. But as for he who withholds and considers himself free of need and denies the best [reward], We shall facilitate for him the way to hardship. [Qur’an, 92:4-10]
Everyone has different motives. If your intentions are sincere- Allah will make easy for you the path to guidance and the ability to do good. Ask Allah, al Hadee – the Guide – to guide you in the intentions behind your daily deeds, both mundane and spiritual and beg Him for Tawfeeq (ability) to do good deeds and accept them from you.

2. What’s better is yet to come.

And the Hereafter is better for you than the first [life]. [Qur’an, 93:4]
How many times do we get consumed by our daily struggles and overcome by feelings of disappointment and stress? Whenever you feel down, think of this beautiful saying of Allah: And the Hereafter is better for you than the first [life]. Share it with others and feel the positive effect this ayah has on your heart.

3.Know the highs and lows.

We have certainly created the human being in the best of stature; Then We return him to the lowest of the low. [Qur’an, 95:4,5]
Allah, Al-Khaliq, created you in the best of stature and He can return you to the lowest of the low. Never take your Deen and worship for granted; there will be a time when people wake up as a Muslim and die that night as a disbeliever. There are those who are tested in their faith at the very moment of death and fail – may Allah protect us from this. Each day supplicate for sincerity and for protection against arrogance.

4.Remind yourself of your ability.

Nay! Most surely man does transgress (all bounds). For he thinks himself self-sufficient. [Qur’an, 96:6-7]
One of the main reasons people transgress or commit sins is because they do not appreciate their need of Allah. They think: ‘I don’t need anyone, or I can do this by myself, who can stop me?’ Remind yourself daily that you would not even be able to take one breath if it wasn’t for Allah, the Most High.

5. Never underestimate this.

So whoever does an atom’s weight of good will see it. And whoever does an atom’s weight of evil will see it.  [Qur’an, 99:7-8]
We are dealing with a Merciful, yet All-Knowing Creator. Never underestimate any good deed, or bad deed; let this both comfort you and yet, make you alert.

6.Own the key to success.

Indeed, man is certainly ungrateful to his Lord. [Qur’an, 100:6]
There’s one simple concept in our beautiful religion, which many fail to use to their own soul’s, huge benefit: active gratitude (Shukr). Shukr is a way of life and not an occasional act of worship. Ask Allah Ash-Shukoor – the All-Appreciative – to be of the Shaakireen (the grateful ones), by heart and by your actions.

7.Find the cure for toxic competition.

Competition in [worldly] increase diverts you. Until you visit the graveyards. [Qur’an, 102:1,2]
When wealth, looks and reputation push their ways into your heart and take the place of the remembrance of Allah, the Most High, there can be no inner peace. When you feel, you are getting distracted with earning money, competing in beauty, children etcetera- visit the graveyard and make the Sunnah supplication mentioned when visiting the graves. If you can’t, at least visualize the grave and being laid into it and remind yourself of death.

8.Reflect on your safety.

Who has fed them, [saving them] from hunger and made them safe, [saving them] from fear. [Qur’an, 106:4]
Reflect on the fact that Allah blessed you with safety – being able to live in a place where you can safely eat, drink and sleep is an unparalleled favor you should give thanks for. Say each night before sleeping

اَلْحَمْدُ للهِ الَّذِي أَطْعَمَنَا وَسَقَانَا، وَكَفَانَا وَآوَانَا، فَكَمْ مِمَّنْ لَا كَافِيَ لَهُ وَلَا مُؤْوِيَ

Alhamdu lillahil-ladhee at’aamana wasaqaana, wakafaana, wa-aawana, fakam mimman la kafiya lahu wala mu’wee (All praise is for Allah, Who fed us and gave us drink, and Who is sufficient for us and has sheltered us, for how many have none to suffice them or shelter them). [Muslim]

9. Your prayer is your life.

So woe to those who pray [But] who are heedless of their prayer. [Qur’an, 107:4,5]
Let’s get one thing clear; Allah, the Lord of the Worlds, doesn’t need our prayers. He blessed us with the guidance of prayer to benefit our own souls and empower our worldly lives with the feeling of being close to Him and ultimately ‘earning’ our place in His gardens as a reward for worshipping Him alone.
Don’t be of the ones who are heedless of their prayer; ask Allah, the Most High, to help you to be of those who establish the prayer and pray in a way pleasing to Him.

10. Sacrifice

So, pray to your Lord and offer sacrifice [to Him alone]. [Qur’an, 108:2]
Apart from praying to Allah, live with the concept of sacrifice. Going out to help someone while you could have relaxed at home is sacrifice. Spending money on a charitable cause while you could have bought yourself something is sacrifice. Nowadays, individualism is promoted in societies – we need to train ourselves to have a selfless nature. Supplicate to Allah, Al Wadood, to make you of those who sacrifice their wealth, time and selves to seek His pleasure and for Him to accept it all.

Find more Personal Lessons from the Qur’an, with daily life action points based on Qur’anic Ayaat in a way that’s never seen before on: understandquran.com/product/personal-lessons-from-the-quran/ 

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Khawlah b. Yahya – United Kingdom

Khawlah b. Yahya founded SISTERS’ PROJECT in 2008, a United Kingdom based women’s support organization, is running the women’s department of the Institute of Qur’anic Studies (IQ) in the West-Midlands, is the creative community lead in an art gallery and a writer for different Islamic organizations and academies. She authored the renown How to Live by the Names of Allah Series, published by the Understand Qur’an Academy, as well as the internationally shared Revive a Sunnah Series. She focuses most of her work on how to translate classic Islamic Knowledge to daily life action.