While fixing your eyes on the eternal prize, be sure to inform yourself regarding what Allah expects from you in this life.

1. Recognise that Allah is lord and master, not only of this world, but of all possible worlds, and that He provides for the world and saves it.

So they defeated them by permission of Allah, and David killed Goliath, and Allah gave him the kingship and prophethood and taught him from that which He willed. And if it were not for Allah checking [some] people by means of others, the earth would have been corrupted, but Allah is full of bounty to the worlds. [Quran, 2:251]

2. Avoid disgracing others.

Then, you are those [same ones who are] killing one another and evicting a party of your people from their homes, cooperating against them in sin and aggression. And if they come to you as captives, you ransom them, although their eviction was forbidden to you. So do you believe in part of the Scripture and disbelieve in part? Then what is the recompense for those who do that among you except disgrace in worldly life; and on the Day of Resurrection they will be sent back to the severest of punishment. And Allah is not unaware of what you do. [Quran, 2:85]

3. Don’t value the world life above the life of the hereafter. The world is truly full of joy and beauty in spite of all of the sin and suffering, but the heavenly life will be better.

Beautified for people is the love of that which they desire – of women and sons, heaped-up sums of gold and silver, fine branded horses, and cattle and tilled land. That is the enjoyment of worldly life, but Allah has with Him the best return. [Quran, 3:14]

4. The worldly life is your only opportunity to establish obedience to your creator. You won’t get a second chance.

Those who followed will say, “If only we had another turn [at worldly life] so we could disassociate ourselves from them as they have disassociated themselves from us.” Thus will Allah show them their deeds as regrets upon them. And they are never to emerge from the Fire. [Quran, 2:167]

5. Recognise that Allah does not depend on the world— rather the world depends on Him.

In it are clear signs [such as] the standing place of Abraham. And whoever enters it shall be safe. And [due] to Allah from the people is a pilgrimage to the House – for whoever is able to find thereto a way. But whoever disbelieves – then indeed, Allah is free from need of the worlds. [Quran, 3:97]

6. Avoid injustice.

These are the verses of Allah. We recite them to you, [O Muhammad], in truth; and Allah wants no injustice to the worlds. [Quran, 3:108]

7. Spend wisely the resources given you by Allah.

The example of what they spend in this worldly life is like that of a wind containing frost which strikes the harvest of a people who have wronged themselves and destroys it. And Allah has not wronged them, but they wrong themselves. [Quran, 3:117]

8. You get what you ask for, so ask for the best.

And it is not [possible] for one to die except by permission of Allah at a decree determined. And whoever desires the reward of this world – We will give him thereof; and whoever desires the reward of the Hereafter – We will give him thereof. And we will reward the grateful. [Quran, 3:145]

9. Guard yourself against the delusions of this world. Don’t be fooled into thinking that that’s all there is.

And leave those who take their religion as amusement and diversion and whom the worldly life has deluded. But remind with the Qur’an, lest a soul be given up to destruction for what it earned; it will have other than Allah no protector and no intercessor. And if it should offer every compensation, it would not be taken from it. Those are the ones who are given to destruction for what they have earned. For them will be a drink of scalding water and a painful punishment because they used to disbelieve. [Quran, 6:70]

10. Don’t create, say, or do anything dishonest or misleading.

Indeed, those who took the calf [for worship] will obtain anger from their Lord and humiliation in the life of this world, and thus do We recompense the inventors [of falsehood]. [Quran, 7:152]

11. Desire for yourself what Allah desires for you.

. . . Some Muslims desire the commodities of this world, but Allah desires [for you] the Hereafter. And Allah is Exalted in Might and Wise. [Quran, 8:67]