What is an 'Islamic life'?

This is a big question, not only in the minds of Muslims, but also in the minds of many others who are not Muslims. Understandably, many differing answers can be arrived at for this seemingly simple question, dependent on the manner and background of our Islamic education and from whom and when and where we received it. Over the centuries Muslims have practised their religious lives according to the knowledge and understanding gained from their education and culture, but now the current religious and political turmoil that is ravaging Muslim  lands, adds further confusion when we attempt to answer this question.

The essence of Islamic teachings is a proper understanding of ‘Tawheed’ in its purest sense, on which an ‘Islamic life’ is based. Islam was revealed to bring all people back to their Creator, to the worship of only Him and to make people realise that power over all things belongs only to their Creator.  

People should turn to Him alone, without associating Him with any other imaginary being or denying Him, if they wish to benefit from the best of this world and the world hereafter. This is the most important teaching in Islam and is the reason why the Prophet Mohammad, peace and mercy of Allah be upon him, took every opportunity to instil this essential message in the minds of people.

On one such opportunity the prophet explained to his cousin, Abdullah ibn Abbas, who was accompanying him, this beautiful teaching. He said:

‘O boy! I would teach you some (guiding) words: ‘safeguard Allah and He shall safeguard you. Safeguard Him and you would find Him around you. When you ask, ask Allah and when you seek assistance seek it from Him. Know that if all the people get together to benefit you of something, they could not do it unless Allah has prescribed it for you. And if they all come together to harm you, they could not do it unless it is decreed by Allah against you. Pens have been laid down and scrolls have been dried up’.

Another narration adds these additional words: ‘You safeguard Allah and you will find Him with you. Know Allah in the time of your prosperity and He will come to your aid in the time of hardship. And know what has missed you out was not meant to reach you, and what has come to you was not meant to miss you. And know success comes with patience, release comes after suffering and with every hardship there is an ease’.

These words display what must surely be regarded as a comprehensive guide for a blessed life, the life we call an 'Islamic life' and the guidance we must follow if we wish to achieve a beautiful and happy lifestyle.

When the hadith says ‘safeguard Allah and He shall safeguard you’ it introduces a sense of self-consciousness and awareness in people. Indeed, we begin to understand that the pinnacle of our belief will be achieved when we realise that every step, every action that we have taken, has been taken in obedience to Allah the Almighty, including the most mundane. We safeguard His commands and guidance by ensuring our actions deserve His pleasure and approval. When we safeguard Allah’s commands in our life, Allah will safeguard our interests, and what matters to us in our life and our dua and prayers will be accepted by Him.

The hadith also says: ‘You safeguard Him and you would find Him around you' and in the other narration it says: ‘You would find Him with you’.

Is there an easy way to have our Creator, the Almighty, ‘with us’ or ‘around us’? The hadith directs us to this simple equation; 'give and take'. Do we not all feel, sometimes, that we are so removed from the blessings of Allah that our lives have become only a matter of routine and ritual. This is because the first part of the equation is missing from our lives and that we don’t safeguard Allah and His commands in our own daily affairs. Obey your creator and you will see practical ‘tawheed’ in action.

The hadith also emphasises that we should ‘only ask Allah and seek assistance from Him alone’. This guidance covers far more than just asking or seeking for His help in general. Allah the Almighty our Creator is part and parcel of our destiny in every sense. Our test is whether we are willing to involve Him in all stages of our lives, both the present and any plans we may have for the future. Any such plans that we do have, that encompass His guidance and teachings, will be beneficial, both to ourselves and to the general public. 

The hadith guides us further as to how we may maintain this equation: by strengthening our belief in Allah’s providence. This part of the message contained in the hadith is very important for the maintenance of happiness and quality in our lives. Worry, concerns about the future, happenings in our own life, our struggle to maintain our livelihoods and provide adequately for our families, all shape our perspective on the way we live and the way we think about and act towards others. Yes, we need to act and make efforts to change our lives for the better, but when things go wrong, or we seem to have become mired by our own circumstances, instead of wallowing in frustration and blaming others, we should accept it as our destiny. If we learn to accept whatever good comes to us and whatever has ‘missed’ us was meant to be, then life becomes much easier to live.

The other narration of the hadith ‘Know Allah in the time of your prosperity and He will come to your aid in the time of hardship’, also affirms the above meaning of safeguarding Allah in His commands and guidance. Most of us remember Him only when the hard times come. In times of ease, prosperity and wellbeing we tend to look the other way, not even bothering to thank Allah, the provider of our prosperity and wellbeing. Should we then question if our dua and prayers are not accepted and that Allah is not with us? Better the question: WHEN WERE WE WITH ALLAH?

The guidance delivered to us in this hadith shows us the way to experience wellbeing in our lives and to gain the blessings that most of us crave. It demonstrates what the 'Islamic life' could and should be, and helps us sort out our problems by giving us a perspective to follow. A perspective which includes our belief in ‘Qadha wa al-qadar’, the destiny that each and everyone of us has in the overall scheme of Allah’s eternal plans for this world.