When asked to talk about "The Art Of Achievement"

First of all, I am not someone who has achieved the ultimate success or something that I can sit back, relax and write about this....I am only writing this as per my friend's (my sister in Islam) suggestion....

I guess nobody should feel that they have reached the ultimate success, in the first place...We are a greedy species..and so just like how we "want" more of everything, we should be wanting to "do more" too....We should be desiring to excel more in the sight of Allah, first and foremost, just as the Sahaba Radhiyallahu anhum were always seeking from the Prophet Sallallahu alaihi wasallam to know of the greatest deeds contrary to today's lazy man. We are not as ambitious as the righteous Salaf of the past when it comes to investing for the aakhirah.

Here are some reminders I go back to when I feel down or discouraged, and I have things to accomplish:

1. Sincerity and commitment:
These 2 factors in itself should be behind one's motivational drive. Your sincerity and commitment could be to your kids and family, to your job, to a good consistent deed that you are trying to keep up with- it can be anything. But the most important is sincerity to Allah SWT and commitments to your duties you do for His Sake. For example, you just started on a physical fitness program. You are driven by the fact that you have to lose 10 lbs or so, in order that you will be able to fit into that dress that's been hanging in your closet for a while now. This motivation could drive you for a while- either you become successful in losing these extra 10 lbs and then you quit caring about your physical fitness, or you become like the fox who decided that the unreachable grapes were sour anyway (you give up). But if you are focusing on your fitness so that you can become a better person for the sake of Allah and for accumulating more for your aakhirah, then you and I will be driven forever bi idnillah.

2. The right kind of tawakkul and dua = giving your best effort + relying on Allah SWT for results + optimistic about whatever comes out is from Allah and Allah knows best, and is the best of planners.

3. Get yourself prepared to face challenges and obstacles. Don't expect everything to go perfectly- if it did, you wouldn't savor the sweetness of what you have achieved. Hardwork and sweat gives you satisfaction at the end of the day.

4. Believe in yourself even if nobody else does. Don't expect support and encouragement always. Sometimes, even the people you love and turn to the most, can fail you. But keep going, for the sake of Allah.

5. Seek advice from people you know can guide you. Keep company who can benefit you.

6. When you face difficulties, remember to ask Allah alone, and again remind yourself- Allah knows what is best for you.

7. Think of great people of the past whom Allah is pleased with. (May Allah make you and me from among those with whom Allah is pleased.)

8. Laziness will just make you depressed afterward. But if you have been lazy or made any mistake, forgive yourself. Learn from your mistakes- don't allow your mistakes to cling to you like leeches and take advantage of you.

9. Eat well, Sleep (rest/relax) well and play well(have a physical activity other than regular housework).

10. Accept criticism with a good heart....Ok, don't even consider them as criticism, see them as opportunities to learn from, ponder...if it doesn't pertain to you in anyway that you can improve, forget it. Love everybody. Forgive and forget. Be happy. Be positive.

"Cleanse" - The Ramadan Experience

Zaara grew up in the perfect Muslim home; her parents were God-fearing and religious and taught her everything they knew about Islam. They were very involved in community work, Da'wah and they always looked for opportunities to fill up their books of good deeds. As Zaara grew up, she followed in her parents' footsteps. In short, she was really proud of being blessed with such good parents, and they were proud to have brought up a daughter like her.

Living Islam and preaching Islam was something that came naturally to her. She didn't need a force that would empower her from within to live the way she did; it had never occurred to her why she did something, or stayed away from something. After she finished High School, she traveled overseas so she could pursue her Duniyawi Ilm. Her parents always reminded her of sticking to the dheen wherever she went. And in a way, she did pay heed to their advice.

But now Zaara felt there was something missing in her life; she felt as though she led 2 different lives. One: the life her Lord Almighty and her parents wanted to live. She still continued to do what she did as she grew up- holding halaqaat, calling people to the truth, encouraging people to practice. In fact, her naseeha and advice made deep impact on the people she spoke to, than on herself. Her words were always profound, made people think and ponder, she spoke with feeling, from deep within- but she always felt that there was some major core of the heart where the "Eman" just didn't touch her. And she felt that this struggle to actually feel close to Allah was her second life.

And then one day, something happened. On her way to school, as she was crossing the street, yes- that's what happened. A reckless driver who had the music system in his car in booming volume (and hence, intoxicated) hit her. Zaara became unconscious, and when she regained her senses, she was in the hospital, and her legs were in traction. She had multiple fractures in her ribs and other bruises. Her eyes felt heavy. And she drifted back to sleep, on effect of the anesthesia. The next couple of days were a blur for her. On the third day, however, she felt her renewed energy level come back to her, and she was transferred to the normal ward.

As she lay in her hospital bed, with her right leg still in traction, and her room lit because of the full moon shimmering through the curtains, she suddenly felt something that overpowered her pain and aches. An emotion so strong that it was as though the moon light had penetrated into her heart, and it reflected back. but this light was brighter than the moon light itself. She suddenly knew why she was there. She felt totally at peace and this brought a big smile on her lips. She whispered out loud: Allahu As-salaam, Huwa Al-Haakim (Allah is The Bestower of peace, He is the Wise). Of course, she always knew the meaning, and she had always said this too. But this time, it was different. She understood it in a profound way, in a deeper and a higher level. Allah SWT had chosen her to be cleansed through her trials. Allah Azza Wajal knew that her soul had been searching for knowing Her Lord more.

All of us have such moments, sometimes in situations of hardships; sometimes when things go perfectly and there is joy around. Whatever the situation, we treasure these moments and crave for more. That is the fitrah of mankind that Allah SWT has blessed him with. We find comfort in being close to our Lord, in knowing Him more, and being His sincere slave in total submission. And that is why we love Ramadan!!! In Ramadan, we experience more "cleanse"-ing moments than at other times. Ramadan burns away our sins and bad thoughts and scars in the soul just as the extreme scorching heat of the Sun burns away matter. We feel that Ramadan just peeps in, and then rushes off. We never seem to get enough of it, SubhanAllah. (Let's do some serious soul search like Zaara, and then Allah will bring us closer to Him, and cleanse our souls. Let's not just think about this in Ramadan; at the same time, lets do our best now- Alhamdulillah He has blessed us with this month now.)

We live in an age where luxury has become necessities of life. We have a lot of everything- our refrigerator is full, our wardrobe is full, every family has 2 vehicles (both the latest models in most cases)- all but lesser time to reflect upon Nature and its Creator. We need to stop ourselves from our daily, busy, monotonous flow of things happening, and really think. Think so that we can cleanse ourselves, and experience the bliss of connecting more firmly with Our Lord.

Cleanse....cleanse your souls of sins, negative thoughts and unnecessary, lingering emotions- But How?! Cleanse the way Prophet Yunus Alaihiwassalam cleansed his soul when he was inside the whale. The way he had repented to Allah Subhanahu wa tha'ala with utmost humility and proved that he was in real need of Allah's Mercy. Cleanse the way we open up to the Majesty of Our Lord Almighty.

1. Pray Qiyamu-al-Layl and make lots of duah:

We have to let go of our ego, really humble ourselves as much as we can, and talk to Allah. Raise our hands and beg Allah. Your Lord is the Only One worthy of this begging. We do not have to beg anyone else to achieve some worldly gain. Let's remember and try to visualize how we will stand before Allah in the Mahshara on the Day of Judgment (and remember that the real picture is nothing like how we visualize.)

2. Count our Blessings- how we should actually show gratitude:

Alhamdulillahi Rabb-il-'Aalameen. Isn't it one of the greatest blessings that Allah Subhanahu wa tha'ala gave us yet another chance to experience Ramadan (May Allah give us all long lives, and many more Ramadan's that will be beneficial for our Hereafter, aameen), in spite of our lack of sincerity and negligence in the other months. We have to really value it, and treat it like the most honored guest of the year. If we do so, then inshAllah we will habituate the art of treating the less honored guests (the other 11 months) also with considerable love and zeal.

3. Remember Qur'an is the theme of this month.

Fasting has been prescribed for you in order that you main acquire Taqwa (Surah Al-Baqara: 183) - so that you may become more conscious of Allah, so that we may center our lives with the love of Allah. And when we love someone, truly love someone- we pay heed to His words. The theme of Ramadan is Quran. The Quran was revealed in the month of Ramadan, and by fasting and other increased Ibadah, we show gratitude to Allah Azza Wajal for revealing the Quran to us. And The Book introduces itself to us that it is a Guidance for those who have Taqwa. (Surah Al Baqara:2)

So, Taqwa and Guidance, and Ramadan and Quran are all connected and intermingled with each other. 4. Ramadan Special goal-setting: This is the best time to train ourselves to make our whole life surrounded by our purpose in life. It is the best time to start good habits, and make stronger the base of our old habits (the good ones). Allah has blessed this month so much that He SWT chains the devils- so isn't this the best time to get rid of bad habits too. Set 2 special goals that we can accomplish, 2 things that will help us grow better bi idhnillah; that will raise our level in the Sight of Allah Azza Wajal. If we find it difficult, we have to keep striving. Practice, practice and more practice. What we are, is represented by what we do. Let's imagine it as mountain climbing, and bi idhnillah, if we reach this mountain peak, we have reached our goal. (till you spot another more promising mountain to climb!) We have to do what it takes to get to the pinnacle. We have to cultivate the habit of journalis-ing our special goals. And keeping a track of it. Seeing is believing and often, a moment of realization. When we see it on paper, the result itself critiques us, it will connect with our souls and provide further motivation.

Make a Ramadan special schedule: Because of how blessed this month is, believe you me, we can do more than we ever did in the other months. Allah SWT has put so much blessing in this time. There is a special blessing in our physical strength and stamina too. Its all about the struggle to get organized and make the best use of our time, especially if one has little kids at home. The keyword is: do jihad, strive and don't give up. Maybe everything wouldn't have gone the way we wanted on the first day of Ramadan, but we learn from experience, and make each day better.

5. Don't carry excess baggage:

"Be in this world as is you are a wayfarer" - Can the one who is traveling carry more than the necessary? Can he afford to have a lot of excess baggage- most probably he will have to pay (duty/excess baggage) for it. So what all can we avoid and what should we carry, especially in Ramadan?

a. Too much food can do harm and prevent us from excelling in our Ibadah- We have to pay heed to the one-third rule- "One-third water, one-third food and one-third air". This is what the Prophet Sallallahu alaihi wassalam advised us. Too much food means too much time wasted in the kitchen- so time subtracted from "Ibadah time". Too much food will make us sleepy, and we cannot stay up late or wake up in the middle of the night to pray Taraweeh or Qiyam-u-layl. Eating too much food especially in Ramadan even opposes one of the purpose of fasting which is feeling for the poor. The generosity boost we feel in Ramadan to feed should not be directed to our own stomach, rather the poor.

Follow the sunnah of Prophet Sallallahu alaihiwassalam of having a lot of dates and water. Water is the elixir of life- the one that keeps us going. Instead of having all those oil-fried items- have ones that are water-filled-like fruits and greens.

b. Over-socialising in the month of Ramadan- Keep your conversations over the phone and or in the masjid after Taraweeh to a minimum. InshAllah, we will keep it for Eid when we will celebrate with our loved ones. Time lost in idle talk cannot be brought back. This is one of the main regrets we have when Ramadan comes to a end- the regret whether we have utilised our time well or not.

At the same time, have company around you who are the bearers of the fragrance of musk. Have a Ramadan buddy with whom you can discuss how well you are doing in your ibadah, so that you can motivate each other. Let the people we are with, be the ones who will take us with them on the journey to Allah SWT.

c. And most of all, we have to develop a good heart, a good soul and a content mind. We have to strive to push away our negative thoughts and emotions and doubts/ suspicions about others. Ramadan is a month of forgiveness, Allah SWT forgives His slaves who ask for it with sincere repentance. We have to forgive and forget others' mistakes. Forget in a way that it is completely erased from our minds. A person who has accomplished this will have the most heart warming smile, a smile that can make someone's day, a smile that is da'wah for others. Now is the best time to bring out the hidden positive attitude inside us.

Let's succeed bi idhnillah, in eliminating unnecessary stuff from our bags and fill it with good stuff that will be allowed to pass through the Siraat-ul-mustaqueem without any repurcussions. Let's hurry and race for good deeds when their reward is on sale. Let's sincerely repent to Allah Azza Wajal and erase all our bad recording with the Mercy of Our Lord. May Allah accept our humble good deeds and our fasting and prayers from us, and forgive us our sins, and enter us all into Jannathul Firdaws without any ihtisaab(questioning). May the gate of the fasters (Ar-rayyan) open to us for us to enter through it (and all the other gates too). May Allah SWT bless us with good health and long lives so that we can do more ibadah and please Our Lord more and more. Aameen...

Inspired by Sr Heba AlShareef (Her "Cleanse" talk on iamsheba radio launch)- may Allah preserve and increase her.

Time Management

We all have heard of the Pickle Jar Theory. Imagine a large empty jar. Now we throw in big yellow lemons, we keep adding till we feel we can add no more. Try shaking the jar, and we will see that we can, in fact, add a lemon or two more. Of course, there is still space left, so lets try filling it with something smaller than lemons- maybe gooseberries, and then nutmegs. And when you can add no more, add lentils, kidney beans etc. Make it colorful. Finally, when you feel none of that will go in, add salt, sugar, some red chili powder, and other spices. And still, you will feel there is space left for lime juice, water or vinegar- maybe even some hot/ chili sauce.

The big empty jar is our time. We need to learn to prioritise our activities and goals for each day. The most important and urgent are the lemons- you have to do them whether you like them or not, the less urgent but equally important and the urgent but not-so-important things come in between. And you will still find space and time to fit in that extra cool glass of water to relax your mind and soul, and that chili sauce and other seasonings to spice up and bring excitement to your life. As a Muslim, we need to put in more of "the less urgent but equally important" gooseberries (amla). We know that gooseberries taste sour when you eat, but you feel so rewarded when you drink water after that. A Muslim, if he increases his righteous deeds in order to please His Lord, then he is rewarded highly for his struggle and perseverance in fighting his laziness and procrastinating attitude. SubhanAllah

We have the best role models in our beloved Prophet Sallallahu alaihiwassalam, his family, and his Sahabahs and Sahabiyaat. If we look into their biographies even casually, we come across the various roles they had in life, and they managed these roles in a very balanced fashion. They led stress-free lives compared to the life of an average person who has a busy and stressful life, and SubhanAllah, they were the "actual" busy people.

Take the example of Our Prophet Sallallahu alaihiwassalam: we read about him as a Prophet receiving revelations, a father who would calmly advise his daughter, a loving and dutiful husband (that too, to many wives) and even finding to play with them and have races etc, a man who would sit and teach his companions, a warrior of Islam fee sabeelIllah and a devotee of Allah The Almighty who would stand up in Qiyam and Ibadah at night. How did he manage all these roles efficiently?! Isn't it because of the deep understanding about what our purpose in life is?!

If we learn to prioritise things in our life, we wouldn't have problems with time-management. The reason we often feel stressed and overwhelmed, is due to the dissatisfaction we feel within ourselves for not having accomplished enough, utilising our potentials to the maximum. One of the reasons that one feels in the dumps or bored with his life is also this. People often complain that their life is monotonous. We have to remember that it is ourselves who make our lives the way it is; monotonous because we make it that way, eventful and interesting because we make it that way! We have no right to blame it on anybody else or our fate. Allah SWT has blessed us with a lot of potential, and we don't even use half of it to please Him and serve His Dheen. This should be our inspiration, our urgency to fit in more and more gooseberries into our time, and hence, our life. We have to make use of our health before sickness, our intelligence at its peak before it gets rusty and our time before our death.

We have to reflect upon the lives of great scholars and the beloved companions of Prophet Sallallahu alaihiwassalam- The Torch Bearers of Islam. We will also notice that age should not be a factor to do things. Be it young or old, or our prime years. We have the examples from the past and from today, of people whose stories inspire us. When you procrastinate, bring into your visual mind their images and try to picture yourself there. Think of how you want to lead your life now, and think of what you want to leave in this world when you die. And most of all, think of what you want to carry with you to stand before Allah Azza Wajal tomorrow. We have to seize the moment, before something happens and regret strikes us.

Let's all rise and shine and show off in front of Allah Subhanahu watha'ala!

Disclaimer: This is to motivate me first and then you. I am sure I need it more than you!

What Allah SWT does not love

To read the previous part, click here.

All praise is due to Allah, Rabb-ul-'Aalameen. I testify that there is no Deity worthy of worship except Allah, and Muhammed is the Messenger of Allah. While writing this, inshAllah I will remember that this is for me to reflect upon first, and then all those who will read this. And I hope and pray that we will keep striving to stay away from the likes of these categories.

Allah does not love......

1. Al-Kaafiroon (disbelievers): Allah says in the Qur'an:

قُلْ أَطِيعُواْ اللَّهَ وَالرَّسُولَ فإِن تَوَلَّوْاْ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لاَ يُحِبُّ الْكَـفِرِينَ

Say: "Obey Allah and the Messenger.'' But if they turn away, then Allah does not like the disbelievers. [Surah Aal Imran:32]

Allah SWT commands us to obey Him and His Messenger, and not doing so, by turning away from the path of Rasoolullah who is the most beloved to Allah, is a way that constitutes kufr(disbelief). Indeed, Allah does not like whoever does this, even if he claims that he loves Allah and seeks a means of approach to Him, unless and until, he follows the unlettered Prophet, the Final Messenger from Allah.

2. Al-Mu'tadoon (transgressors): Allah says:

إِنَّ اللَّهَ لاَ يُحِبُّ الْمُعْتَدِينَ

Verily, Allah does not like the transgressors. [Surah Al-Maa'idah: 87]

The transgressors are ones who make unlawful what Allah has made lawful, and lawful what Allah has made unlawful. For example, a Muslim should not abandon his livelihood, his family, his wealth etc, which Allah has made halal or him. Islam teaches us to simply have and enjoy these things in the duniya, in a particular code of law, that if applied sincerely, one will be rewarded. We do not have think that Dheen and Duniya are separate, both are in fact one, just like a bottle and its cap. If the bottle is the duniya, then the cap(dheen) is a means of security for the duniya. A Muslim can love The Duniya as long as he does not risk his success in his aakhirah. Keeping this mind, a Muslim should not transgress beyond what has been halal for him, and enter the zone of haram, as this will lead to decrease in his status in the Hereafter.

3. Adh-Dhaalimoon (oppressors, wrong-doers). Allah SWT says:

وَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا وَعَمِلُواْ الصَّـلِحَاتِ فَيُوَفِّيهِمْ أُجُورَهُمْ وَاللَّهُ لاَ يُحِبُّ الظَّـلِمِينَ

And as for those who believe and do righteous good deeds, Allah will pay them their reward in full. And Allah does not like the wrongdoers. [Surah Aal Imran: 57]

Allah SWT talks about the wrong-doers and oppressors in many ayaat. They will face a severe torment on the day of Resurrection, and none can avail them on that Day. May Allah exclude us from among the dhaalimoon. The Dhaalimoon(oppressors) are the ones who initiate the act of wrongful action. Prophet Sallalahu alaihiwassalam said: When two persons indulge in abusing each other, the one who initiated the wrongful action is to blame, unless the one who was wronged oversteps the mark in retaliation. (Sahih Al-Bukhari, Muslim)

4. Al-Mufsidoon. Allah SWT warns us:

وَابْتَغِ فِيمَآ ءَاتَاكَ اللَّهُ الدَّارَ الاٌّخِرَةَ وَلاَ تَنسَ نَصِيبَكَ مِنَ الدُّنْيَا وَأَحْسِن كَمَآ أَحْسَنَ اللَّهُ إِلَيْكَ وَلاَ تَبْغِ الْفَسَادَ فِى الاٌّرْضِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لاَ يُحِبُّ الْمُفْسِدِينَ

"But seek, with that which Allah has bestowed on you, the home of the Hereafter, and forget not your portion of lawful enjoyment in this world; and be generous as Allah has been generous to you, and seek not mischief in the land. Verily, Allah likes not the Mufsidoon(mischief-makers, corrupts, tyrants, oppressors, one who commits great crimes and sins).'' [Surah Al-Qasa: 77]

Allah has rights over us, and we also have rights over ourselves. Allah has blessed with infinite bounties, and is The Most Generous, we need to be generous in doing goodness to our society, community, nation and the world. Our aim should be to seek The Hereafter, and not to cause mischief in this world. This ayah may sound to us like its addressing only the tyrants and oppressors in this world, like our political leaders etc. But let's apply it to us, in our relations with our family, friends and relatives. Sometimes, even saying something against our brother in Islam can cause a lot of mischief.

5. Al-Khaa'inoon (treacherous). Allah says:

إِنَّ اللَّهَ لاَ يُحِبُّ الخَـئِنِينَ

Certainly Allah likes not the treacherous. [Surah Al-Anfaal: 58]

6. Al-Mustakbiroon (proud). Allah says:

إِلَـهُكُمْ إِلهٌ وَحِدٌ فَالَّذِينَ لاَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِالاٌّخِرَةِ قُلُوبُهُم مُّنكِرَةٌ وَهُم مُّسْتَكْبِرُونَ - لاَ جَرَمَ أَنَّ اللَّهَ يَعْلَمُ مَا يُسِرُّونَ وَمَا يُعْلِنُونَ إِنَّهُ لاَ يُحِبُّ الْمُسْتَكْبِرِينَ

Your god is one God. But for those who believe not in the Hereafter, their hearts are in denial, and they are proud. Certainly, Allah knows what they conceal and what they reveal. Truly, He does not like the proud. [Surah An-Nahl: 22-23]

The Proud are those who feel too proud to worship Allah alone, and their hearts reject the idea of singling Him out. [taken from Tafseer Ibn Kathir]

Pride and arrogance is the first crime/sin committed, and it was by Iblees (shaytan). He knew the truth that Allah is The One, The Unique, The Only Lord worthy of worship, and yet, he chose to deny and reject and obey, out of pride; pride that he was created from a more superior matter than clay. He forgot that he was so in fact, "created", and thus, he was required to obey and submit to His Lord, The Creator. He forgot due to his pride and arrogance. And this is what will happen if one considers himself self-sufficient. We always have to remember that it is only because of The Blessings and Mercy of Our Lord that we are here, and so, to please Him, is our only purpose. InshAllah, let's fight the pride in us that makes us give more importance to the desires of our Nafs, and let's humble ourselves in front of Allah, and submit to him completely. Let's become "Slaves of Allah", and hence, become the "Masters of this Duniya". (If we become masters of the duniya, then we will control our duniya, our life, not the other way around, where we fall into the traps and mirages of this duniya, hence becoming "slaves to duniya")

7. Al-Mukhtaal and Al-Fakhoor: Allah SWT says:

وَلاَ تَمْشِ فِى الاٌّرْضِ مَرَحاً إِنَّ اللَّهَ لاَ يُحِبُّ كُلَّ مُخْتَالٍ فَخُورٍ

"And turn not your face away from men with pride, nor walk in insolence through the earth. Verily, Allah likes not any arrogant boaster". [Surah Luqmaan: 18]

The arrogant boaster loves himself, and feels he is better than the others. He will look down upon others with pride and arrogance. The way he walks will also reflect his pride. The lessons that we can take from this ayah are numerous. We should humble ourselves by remembering that all mankind is from the same father and mother, Adam and Hawwa(Eve) Alaihummassalam. Wealth, status, family name or power will not make anyone in a higher position than the rest. Only our humble deeds that are for the sake of Allah alone can make our status higher. And we do not know who has a high position in the eyes of Our Lord Azza Wajal. Therefore, we cannot judge, or look down upon anyone. We should never deal with our house maids or other people who do lowly jobs (but without whom we wouldn't have comfortable lives), in an arrogant way. We should be cheerful to everyone, and smile genuinely to everyone. Our humility should be reflected in the way we walk and the way we dress.

______________________________________________________

Let us "really" love Allah. As Allah says:

قُلْ إِن كُنتُمْ تُحِبُّونَ اللَّهَ فَاتَّبِعُونِى يُحْبِبْكُمُ اللَّهُ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْ وَاللَّهُ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ

Say (O Muhammad to mankind): "If you (really) love Allah, then follow me (i.e. Muhammad), Allah will love you and forgive you your sins. And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.'' [Surah Aal Imran: 31]

May Allah SWT always keep us on the path of those whom He is pleased with, and not on the path of those whom He does not like, aameen...

And Allah knows best.

What Allah SWT loves and what He does not

Our purpose and goal in this life should be please Allah SWT, and to earn His love, and avoid His wrath. InshAllah our goal should be to keep striving to become among those whom Allah loves, and to have the characteristics of the one He Azza Wajal loves. And we should avoid all the characteristics of the ones that Allah detests, dislikes or hates. And Alhamdulillah, Qur'an gives us endless guidance to nourish this purpose.

Allah loves:

1. Al-Muhsinoon (the good doers). Allah SWT says:

وَأَنفِقُواْ فِى سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَلاَ تُلْقُواْ بِأَيْدِيكُمْ إِلَى التَّهْلُكَةِ وَأَحْسِنُواْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُحْسِنِينَ

And spend in the cause of Allah and do not throw yourselves into destruction, and do good. Truly, Allah loves Al-Muhsinin (those who do good). [Surah Al-Baqara: 195)

The word "Muhsin" comes from the word "Ihsaaan" (Superlative of Hassan) which means Excellence in religion, in faith etc. Our Prophet Sallallahyu alihiwassalam was the best Muhsin, followed by the righteous Sahabah Radhiyallahu anhum. For us to attain this excellence in religion, in ibadah, faith, in character etc, we have to work hard with perseverance and be "Isthiqaama" (Steadfast). We have to set high goals like having the best men and women as our role models (The Prophet, Sahabahs and the rightly guided scholars).

2. At-Tawwaaboon and Al-Mutatahhiroon. Allah says:

إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ التَّوَبِينَ وَيُحِبُّ الْمُتَطَهِّرِينَ

Truly, Allah loves those who turn unto Him in repentance and loves those who purify themselves. [Surah Al-Baqara: 222]

We should keep doing "Tawbah" to Allah SWT, even if we repeat the same sins again. With repentance, you feel closer to Allah each time, and at one point, inshAllah we will get rid of the act of sinning. That does not mean that one can feel free to keep sinning as long as he repents later. True repentance is when we seek forgiveness out of fear of the Hell-fire, and abstain ourselves from the act again. Allah loves the one who seeks repentance as the one who does it is admitting with his heart that Allah is The Most Merciful One. He is pleading to His Lord, The King of all that He has created.

Seeking repentance also purifies oneself. And Allah loves those who purify themselves. Purification is being free from physical impurities (impurities that invalidate Ibadah- Najas), spiritual impurities like diseases of heart and soul like greed, lack of trust in Allah SWT, envy, hatred for your brother, arrogance etc.

The physical purification is the two ritual purification: Wudu' (ablution) and Ghusl (ritual bath). Our clothes and surroundings like the place we perform Salah, our bed etc should be free from ritual impurities. Spending in the way of Allah, in charity (both obligatory Zakah and Sadaqah) purifies our wealth and our hearts and souls, and Allah puts more Blessings in it, for us. Doing good deeds and constant dhikr (remembrance of Allah) also purifies us spiritually.

3. Al-Muttaqoon (the pious). Allah says:

بَلَى مَنْ أَوْفَى بِعَهْدِهِ وَاتَّقَى فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُتَّقِينَ

Yes, whoever fulfills his pledge and fears Allah much; verily, then Allah loves the Muttaqin (the pious). [Surah Aal Imran: 76]

The command of Allah SWT "Ittaqaa" means to fear Allah and thus obey Him, and adhere to the teachings of Prophet Sallallahu alihiwassalam, fearing the Hereafter. Whoever avoids Allah's prohibitions, obeys Him and adheres to the Shari`ah that He sent with His Final Messenger and the master of all mankind, is the Muttaq, whom Allah loves. And Allah has prepared Paradise for The Muttaqoon. Oh Allah, Increase us in Taqwa, and make us among us the Muttaqeen!

4. As-Sabiroon (the patient ones). Allah SWT says:

وَكَأَيِّن مِّن نَّبِىٍّ قَاتَلَ مَعَهُ رِبِّيُّونَ كَثِيرٌ فَمَا وَهَنُواْ لِمَآ أَصَابَهُمْ فِى سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَمَا ضَعُفُواْ وَمَا اسْتَكَانُواْ وَاللَّهُ يُحِبُّ الصَّـبِرِينَ

And many a Prophet fought and along with him many thousands(patient, pious scholars). But they never lost heart for that which befall them in Allah's way, nor did nor they weaken nor degrade themselves. And Allah loves the patient. [Surah Aal Imran: 146]

Patience is a very important virtue that we seriously need to work on. All the Prophets possessed this gem of a virtue, and they were able to succeed in every trial and test they had to face in this world. We should remember that our lives can never be as challenging as theirs, and if they were able to be patient, so can we. Whenever we have difficult times, we should find solace and comfort in becoming closer to Allah SWT, and seeking forgiveness for our sins. Allah expiates our sins when we have difficult times and if we be patient with it.

We should never lose heart, feel that Allah is humiliating us, revert to misguidance from guidance at times of trials. Our Emaan should not weaken, instead become strong, and believe that the trials are a blessing in disguise. Allah SWT tests us with good things and difficult times.

5. Al-Mutawakkiloon (the ones who put their trust in Allah). Allah Azza Wajal says:

فَإِذَا عَزَمْتَ فَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى اللَّهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُتَوَكِّلِينَ

Then when you have taken a decision, put your trust in Allah, certainly, Allah loves those who put their trust (in Him). [Surah Aal Imran: 159]

The believer puts his complete trust in Allah Alone. Allah facilitates what is best for us. So, we take a decision that will not cause displeasure of Allah, and then we "tawakkul" (put trust) unto Him Azza Wajal. If Allah helps us, nothing can overcome that, and all victory is except from Allah: this is the attitude of a believer. Wouldn't you love people to trust you, especially your loved ones like spouse, kids, parents etc? So what about the One who deserves all our trust, The One who created us, provided for us, The Sustainer, the One who takes care of all our affairs, and has control over all matters!

6. Al-Muqsitoon (those who act justly). Allah says:

وَإِنْ حَكَمْتَ فَاحْكُم بَيْنَهُم بِالْقِسْطِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُقْسِطِينَ

And if you judge, judge with justice between them. Verily, Allah loves those who act justly. [Surah Al-Maa'idah: 42]

Allah SWT is The Most Just, and He loves us also to be just. When we judge, we should do so by what Allah has revealed in The Qur'an. We should not decide according to our love for the person etc. Even if we have to be against ourselves or our loved ones, justice should prevail. In Islam, Justice is the foundation of Sharia'h (Islamic Law). We have our code of law (the sharia'h in Islam) for the preservation of human rights, and so we should practise the foundation on which it is built on.

7. Those who fight in the cause of Allah, in rows as one solid structure (the Straight Line): this is as Allah SWT says:

إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الَّذِينَ يُقَاتِلُونَ فِي سَبِيلِهِ صَفًّا كَأَنَّهُم بُنيَانٌ مَّرْصُوصٌ

Verily, Allah loves those who fight in His cause in rows as if they were a solid structure (building firm and compact). [Surah As-Saff: 4]

We should stick to each other, as Muslim brothers and sisters in Islam with firmness and unified, to fight to defend Islam, and work for Islam, and to do da'wah. Our Ummah should be like one body, undivided by our differences. We should not be divided by nationalities, creed, race, color, madhahibs(sects) etc. Allah loves those who fight in His cause, unified.

To read "what Allah does not love", click here

Aim Real High- what one should "actually" be greedy for

Our Prophet Sallallahu alaihiwassalam taught us to pray for Jannathul Firdaws Al-A'laa (High position in Jannath-ul-Firdaws), not just seek Jannah. He said: If you ask Allah for Paradise, then ask him for Al-Firdaws, for it is the highest part of Paradise, in the middle of Paradise, and from it spring the rivers of Paradise, and above it is the (Mighty) Throne of the Most Merciful. (Saheeh Al-Bukhari, Muslim)

We often find ourselves thinking and making dua'h: Oh Allah, at least make us at least the last person to enter Jannah. Or, Oh Allah, grant us atleast a small portion of Jannah or at least the lowest position in Jannah. Or, even "Its OK if I have to be in Jahannum for a while, my final abode should be Jannah, that's all I want." This is like how the Qur'an says about the Jews:

وَقَالُواْ لَن تَمَسَّنَا النَّارُ إِلاَّ أَيَّامًا مَّعْدُودَةً

And they (Jews) say, "The Fire shall not touch us but for a few numbered days.'' (Surah Al-Baqara: 80)

We should never wish like that, because a day in The Hereafter is equivalent to 50,000 years. Can we even bear a minor burn that comes with direct contact with fire? The intensity and heat of the fire of Jahannum is 70 or 70,000 times that of the fire in this world.

Therefore, we always pray for a very high position in Jannah. Now does it make sense that we only pray, and not try to do our part of implementing Islam(Submission to Allah) in our acts, speech and thoughts?! Is it fair? And so, we should pray such to Allah Azza Wajal, and also work towards attaining it.

Suppose, we have an exam to attend to. And we want at least a "B" or "C" grade. Don't we have to study for an "A" to get this "B" or "C"? Because, we keep in mind about the careless mistakes that could happen, and hence, lose marks. Shouldn't the same principle be applied here? In fact, shouldn't it be applied more, considering that the Hereafter is eternal; and that sometimes, when we do an act of Ibadah, our intentions keep fluctuating between the wish to please Allah alone, and the probability of wishing for the praise of others or to be a good role model to your kids or to show others that Islam is the best religion? And sometimes, we make mistakes out of ignorance or carelessness.

The popular saying goes, "Aim for the sky, and you will reach the top of the tall tree"! And this is exactly what our beloved Prophet Sallallahu alihiwassalam said more than 1400 years ago when he taught us to make dua'h to be granted A HIGH POSITION IN JANNAH. Another scary thought but a true fact is: What happens when we are content with just doing the minimum and sometimes even taking some commands of Allah SWT light, with the hope that "Oh, Allah will forgive me for this" (which by the way, shows that we are not having Ikhlaas- sincerity that is only for Allah) and we feel we shouldn't be greedy(considering that we are not doing a lot of deeds) and just ask for the minimum from Allah, The Almighty -And then we miss this minimal requirement because of some carelessness or due to a forgotten sin? What happens then?? We get degraded- and to where? Oh Allah, forbid it for us, aameen...On the other hand, if we were to miss the high position that we want and ask from Allah Subhanahu Watha'ala and work towards it, we would be degraded, but we would still be in a considerably good position in Jannah, InshAllah.

Let's be greedy for more and more in Jannah, just the way we feel greedy to earn more, live more comfortably, have more secular knowledge, have the latest car and a big house, have more friends etc in this world. Let's not trade the Hereafter for the amusement and play of this world. Let's be more ambitious and try to earn more and more love of Our Lord Almighty inshAllah. Let's be a better Muslim today than yesterday, and strive to be even better tomorrow. Let's love Our Lord more and more, let's love Him more through our deeds and thoughts than just saying "I love Allah the most". May Allah grant us all Jannath-ul-Firdaws-al-A'laa, aameen.

Attaining Jannah in the Duniya

Alhamdulillahi Rabbi Al-'Aalameen. I testify that there is no Deity worthy of worship except Allah, and Muhammed is the Messenger of Allah SWT. The true believer feels that he is rewarded in this world itself. SubhanAllah, this is the mercy of Allah SWT, that when we obey Allah Azza Wajal, He puts peace of mind and tranquility of soul and heart in us. He puts the sense of contentment in our hearts, a satisfaction that comes with truly believing that our purpose of this life is Hereafter, and working towards its betterment. The true believer knows that Allah will keep His Promise if he does his small part of obeying His Lord in this world. He believes that His Lord is The Most Merciful and The Most Just.

Allah SWT is The Most Gracious. He promises us Eternal Paradise for the one who believes and does righteous deeds. We have so little to do to attain the ever-lasting bounties of The Hereafter, and still we fail by allowing our chances to slip away! And SubhanAllah, if one lets his numerous chances slip away, he is losing the Jannah of this world too. And only the one who attains Jannah in this world will attain the Jannah of the Hereafter.

By attaining Jannah in this world, I mean, attaining peace of mind and tranquility in our hearts. Nowadays, we have a notion that if we are physically enjoying perfect health, have wealth and all the latest technologies and facilities that come with it, we will find our inner peace and will be able to be happy. But true happiness comes with being content with The Lord and what He Azza Wajal has provided us with. It is a sense of stability that carries us throughout the trials of life.

Our Prophet said: “Whoever makes this world his goal God will confuse his affairs and place poverty before his eyes and he will be able to attain nothing from this world except for what God has already written for him. Whoever sets the Hereafter as his goal, God gathers his affairs for him, gives him richness of (faith in) the heart and the world will come to him grudgingly and submissively.” (Ibn Maajah, Ibn Hibbaan)

We can enjoy inner peace and thus enjoy happiness in this world and Paradise in the Hereafter if we can always reflect on the following:

- Surrender completely to the will of Allah SWT. Allah Azza Wajal has not commanded us to do anything that is not beneficial for ourselves and the whole mankind in this world and/or the Hereafter. We should have that trust in Him and thus, follow His Dheen (religion). For example, when someone is going for a job interview, and she removes her hijab (or he shaves his beard) fearing that she (he) won't get a job otherwise; shows the lack of trust in Allah SWT. He/she feels that following the dheen of Islam is going to be against him/her, and thus prefers to disobey Allah SWT.

Ibn Abbas Radhiyallahu anh narrated that one day he was riding behind Allah's Messenger and he said, "Young man, if you are mindful of Allah, He will be mindful of you, and if you are mindful of Allah, you will find Him before you. When you ask for anything, ask it from Allah, and if you seek help, seek help in Allah. Know that if the people were to unite to do you some benefit, they could benefit you only what Allah has recorded for you, and if they were to unite to do you some injury, they could injure you only with what Allah has recorded for you. The pens are withdrawn and the pages are dry. (Ahmad and Tirmidhi -Sahih).

Allah says:

شَهِدَ اللَّهُ أَنَّهُ لاَ إِلَـهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ وَالْمَلَـئِكَةُ وَأُوْلُواْ الْعِلْمِ قَآئِمَاً بِالْقِسْطِ لاَ إِلَـهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيمُ - إِنَّ الدِّينَ عِندَ اللَّهِ الإِسْلَـمُ

Allah bears witness that none has the right to be worshipped but He, and the angels, and those having knowledge (also bear witness to this); (He always) maintains His creation in justice. None has the right to be worshipped but He, the Almighty, the All-Wise. Truly, the religion with Allah is Islam. (Surah Aal Imran: 18,19)

- Total Submission and Obedience, which is required after the surrender: There is no "but"s, it is incumbent on every believing man and woman. When we fully submit to the commands of Allah, and try to excel as much as we can, we will be pleased with ourselves, for we know that we are trying to please no one but The Lord Almighty whose approval is the most important thing to us. Allah SWT says:

وَمَا كَانَ لِمُؤْمِنٍ وَلاَ مُؤْمِنَةٍ إِذَا قَضَى اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَمْراً أَن يَكُونَ لَهُمُ الْخِيَرَةُ مِنْ أَمْرِهِمْ وَمَن يَعْصِ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ فَقَدْ ضَلَّ ضَلَـلاً مُّبِيناً

It is not for a believer, man or woman, when Allah and His Messenger have decreed a matter that they should have any option in their decision. And whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger, he has indeed strayed into a plain error. (Surah Al-Ahzaab: 36)

- Remembrance: The constant remembrance that it is Allah SWT who created us and sent each one of us to earth for a purpose. Each one of us is a representative of Allah (khalifah) on Earth. Each one of us should have one purpose in this life, and that is to attain Jannah in The Hereafter. And we should remember that inshAllah we will meet with Our Lord, and will be able to see Him.(Ya Allah, bless us to be among those who will be able to see You, Ar-Rahman!) And only those who surrender and submit with firm belief will be able to do so. Allah says in the Qur'an:

الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَتَطْمَئِنُّ قُلُوبُهُمْ بِذِكْرِ اللَّهِ أَلاَ بِذِكْرِ اللَّهِ تَطْمَئِنُّ الْقُلُوبُ - الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ وَعَمِلُواْ الصَّـلِحَاتِ طُوبَى لَهُمْ وَحُسْنُ مَـَابٍ

Those who believed and whose hearts find rest in the remembrance of Allah. Verily, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest. Those who believed, and work righteousness, happiness and comfort is for them and a beautiful place of (final) return. (Surah Ar-Ra'd: 28-29)

Everything a Muslim does will be with the remembrance of Allah, be it in his thoughts, speech or actions. This is like what Allah says:

قُلْ إِنَّ صَلاَتِى وَنُسُكِى وَمَحْيَاىَ وَمَمَاتِى للَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَـلَمِينَ - لاَ شَرِيكَ لَهُ وَبِذَلِكَ أُمِرْتُ وَأَنَاْ أَوَّلُ الْمُسْلِمِينَ

Say: "Verily, my Salah, my sacrifice, my living, and my dying are for Allah, the Lord of all that exists. He has no partner. And of this I have been commanded, and I am the first of the Muslims." (Surah Al-An'aam: 162-163)

- Patience and Accepting the will of Allah SWT: We always say that we believe in the six pillars of emaan, one of them being the belief in the good and evil, that it is all from Allah. And at times of distress, we start complaining and asking Our Lord, "Why me?!" This is because we forget that we believe in the Qadr of Allah SWT by becoming impatient. A strong and firm believer will always be content with the will of Allah, and understand that there is good (khair) in every trial and difficulty, and that there is no absolute evil. And that Allah knows what is best; and sometimes, what we, as humans, comprehend as bad and evil is in reality, good for us. Allah SWT says:

وَعَسَى أَن تَكْرَهُواْ شَيْئًا وَهُوَ خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ وَعَسَى أَن تُحِبُّواْ شَيْئًا وَهُوَ شَرٌّ لَّكُمْ وَاللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ وَأَنتُمْ لاَ تَعْلَمُونَ

And it may be that you dislike a thing which is good for you and that you like a thing which is bad for you. Allah knows but you do not know. (Surah Al-Baqara: 216)

And Allah says:

وَلَنَبْلُوَنَّكُم بِشَيْءٍ مِّنَ الْخَوفْ وَالْجُوعِ وَنَقْصٍ مِّنَ الاٌّمَوَالِ وَالاٌّنفُسِ وَالثَّمَرَتِ وَبَشِّرِ الصَّـبِرِينَ - الَّذِينَ إِذَآ أَصَـبَتْهُم
مُّصِيبَةٌ قَالُواْ إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّـآ إِلَيْهِ رَجِعونَ - أُولَـئِكَ عَلَيْهِمْ صَلَوَتٌ مِّن رَّبْهِمْ وَرَحْمَةٌ وَأُولَـئِكَ هُمُ الْمُهْتَدُونَ

And certainly, We shall test you with something of fear, hunger, loss of wealth, lives and fruits, but give glad tidings to As-Sabirin (the patient). Who, when afflicted with calamity, say: "Truly, to Allah we belong and truly, to Him we shall return.'' They are those on whom are the Salawat (i.e., who are blessed and will be forgiven) from their Lord, and (they are those who) receive His mercy, and it is they who are the guided ones. (Surah Al-Baqara: 155-157)

Prophet Muhammed Sallallahu alihiwassalam said: Whoever pretends to be patient (with a desire to be patient) God will give him patience. (Sahih Al-Bukhari)

- Thawakkul upon Allah: The content believer does his part and then prays to Allah for the khair (good) to happen, and leaves all his affairs unto Him. He knows that Allah will facilitate the best for him. This is the meaning of the famous hadeeth of Rasoolullah: Tie your camel first and then, put your trust in Allah Azza Wajal. (At-Thirmidhi)

We should ponder upon ayahs like:

اللَّهُ خَـلِقُ كُـلِّ شَىْءٍ وَهُوَ عَلَى كُل شَىْءٍ وَكِيلٌ

Allah is the Creator of all things, and He is the Trustee (Guardian and Disposer of all affairs) over all things. (Surah Az-Zumar: 62)

Let's pray to Allah with utmost humility that we become sincere Muslims putting our trust in Allah SWT alone, and find contentment within ourselves. May Allah give us tranquility of heart and soul, and purify them for us. May Allah give us happiness in both the worlds, aameen.

Balancing matters of Duniya and Aakhirah- do we have time to work for the Hereafter

Allah has sent us to This world(the duniya) for a purpose, and the purpose is nothing but to worship Him Azza Wajal and do righteous deeds to seek His pleasure. And the religion He wants us to follow, is one of total submission and obedience - and a complete way of life. Allah SWT says:

الَّذِى خَلَقَ الْمَوْتَ وَالْحَيَوةَ لِيَبْلُوَكُمْ أَيُّكُمْ أَحْسَنُ عَمَلاً وَهُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الْغَفُورُ
He Who created death and life to test which of you is best in action. He is the Almighty, the Ever-Forgiving. (Surah Al-Mulk: 2)

And Allah says:

يَـأَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اعْبُدُواْ رَبَّكُمُ الَّذِىْ خَلَقَكُمْ وَالَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ
Oh mankind! Worship your Lord (Allah), Who created you and those who were before you so that you may acquire Taqwa. (Surah Al-Baqara: 21)

Islam should be inculcated into every action and deed in our everyday routine, be it at our work, in our business transactions, our family life (with our spouse and kids), our parents, our social life among our friends, community and everything that surrounds us and to matters of our heart. And inshAllah with this in our mind, all of us will be able to balance our time between the matters of Duniya and matters of the Hereafter. For a believer, all matters of the duniya are also matters of the Hereafter. He does not keep them separate. He indulges in matters of the duniya in such a way that will benefit him and not bring harm or evil to him in The Hereafter.

Allah says in the Qur'an:

وَمَا الْحَيَوةُ الدُّنْيَآ إِلاَّ لَعِبٌ وَلَهْوٌ وَلَلدَّارُ الاٌّخِرَةُ خَيْرٌ لِّلَّذِينَ يَتَّقُونَ أَفَلاَ تَعْقِلُونَ
The life of this world is nothing but a play and amusement. The hereafter is better for those who guard against evil. So will you not use your intellect? (Surah al-An'am: 32)

A true believer will always, therefore, remember his final destination. He does not forget the Hereafter, even for a second. He will live in this life as though he is a traveller, and he has to earn and prepare for his eternal abode, a luxurious, successful life.

Ibn 'Umar Radhiyallahu anh narrated that Prophet Sallallahu alihiwassalam said: “Be in this life as if you were a stranger or a traveller on a path.” (Sahih Al Bukhari)

Imagine a man is travelling by road from a point 'A' to his destination 'B' and he has a prescribed time to reach 'B'. He has his GPS with him to guide him to the right place. He needs to have food on his way. What do you think? Should he stop at a point 'C', which is on the way to 'B', or should he take a completely different out-of-the-way direction and go to a restaurant at point 'D' that might be more fancier and more expensive? Should he compromise on his time at this point, and trade his time just to enjoy more fancy food? And then, he sees something else that he feels he has to check out, and he stops there also, all the while moving farther and farther away from his destination. (And hence, 'D' leads him to 'E' and 'F' and so on to greater mistakes and farther from point B) But the Mercy of Allah Azza Wajal is this, if by mistake, he does take to point 'C' or even 'D', he can re-calculate and re-route himself to 'B' again through his GPS. And similar is the believer's true repentance.

This is a parable of our life in this world. Our final destination is The Aakhirah, and we have time to accumulate ibadah(worship Allah SWT) and do good deeds only till we die. And we don't even have a known prescribed time for this, unlike the example above! It can be anytime, anywhere. If we are consistent in the remembrance of Allah, we will be prepared when Malak-ul-Mauth approaches, and it is time for us to leave. (May Allah Bless us to die in a high state of emaan, aameen) We should use our provisions that Allah has blessed us with, in a way that will please Him, all the while staying on the right path, without going farther from our road to our final abode, Jannah.

Allah SWT says in the Qur'an:

إِنَّ اللَّهَ فَالِقُ الْحَبِّ وَالنَّوَى يُخْرِجُ الْحَىَّ مِنَ الْمَيِّتِ وَمُخْرِجُ الْمَيِّتِ مِنَ الْحَىِّ ذلِكُمُ اللَّهُ فَأَنَّى تُؤْفَكُونَ
Verily! It is Allah Who causes the seed grain and the fruit stone to split and sprout. He brings forth the living from the dead, and it is He Who brings forth the dead from the living. Such is Allah, then how are you deluded away from the truth. (Surah Al-An'am: 95)

The Qur'an is like The GPS and more, that keeps guiding us, and we should pay serious heed to it, with strong faith in the instructions and guidelines it provides endlessly. The Qur'an is perfect in all senses and flawless, and if we stick to it, we will never be led astray with The Mercy and Blessings of Allah Azza Wajal.

Allah says:

ذَلِكَ الْكِتَابُ لاَ رَيْبَ فِيهِ هُدًى لِّلْمُتَّقِينَ
That is the Book in which there is no doubt, guidance for the Muttaqin." (Surah Al-Baqara: 2)

If a matter of Duniya that will not benefit us, attracts us from a distance away from the straight path we are on, we should not think that maybe for once, we can move towards it, and then run back to the path we are supposed to be on, as we never know what is in store for us at that point. Maybe we could end up moving further away because of other worldly mirages, and ultimately leave us in darkness and lead to Hell-fire. Shaytan has a way of making our evil thoughts and actions look like "harmless fun" and nothing more.

Allah says:

أُولَـئِكَ الَّذِينَ اشْتَرَوُاْ الْحَيَوةَ الدُّنْيَا بِالاٌّخِرَةِ فَلاَ يُخَفَّفُ عَنْهُمُ الْعَذَابُ وَلاَ هُمْ يُنصَرُونَ
Those are the people who trade the hereafter for the world. The punishment will not be lightened for them nor shall they be helped. (Surat al-Baqara: 86)

InshAllah, let's be cautious of ourselves so that we will not be included in this type of people, may Allah save us all. Allah says:

وَذَرِ الَّذِينَ اتَّخَذُواْ دِينَهُمْ لَعِباً وَلَهْواً وَغَرَّتْهُمُ الْحَيَوةُ الدُّنْيَا
Leave alone those who take their religion to be mere play and amusement, and are deceived by the life of this world. (Surah Al-An'am: 70)

This does not mean that one cannot have fun in this world. Have fun, but within the boundaries of Islam. And keep it balanced. And now to the question: how do we balance it? I have heard people talking about the comparatively few people who try to live their life as much "Muslim" as they can: Come on, he is too orthodox. One is supposed to balance the Duniya and The Aakhirah.
Answer: For one, like mentioned above, a true believer tries to make his whole life an ibadah.And his life can be an ibadah only if he is obeying His Lord at all times. For example, at his work place, he follows the etiquettes and laws of Islam by being nice to his colleagues, trying to give Da'wah when he gets a chance (needn't be through speech, his actions speak too), abstaining from intermingling(talking unnecessarily, coming in contact like shaking hands, patting each other etc.), being sincere to his work not just for worldly gains but out of fear of Allah SWT and most of all, having a halal job. In his business transactions, he will be fair, stay away from interest and any other kind of dealings that are against the shariah of Islam. Even when he relaxes and has fun, he keeps thanking Allah SWT.

Secondly, let's weigh the time we spend to make our life here better and the time we spend to make our Aakhirah better, by keeping in mind that the Aakhirah is eternal and this world is for such a short span of life. Surely, we spend quite an amount of unavoidable time for the duniya. How can we then, be satisfied with ourselves for the amount of time we spent only to worship Allah SWT and the little or no time we spend in learning His dheen? (Indeed, He is The Most Merciful that inshAllah, we will enter Paradise, for the little we do here for our own Aakhirah's sake as gratitude for this life he has Blessed us with!)

Allah SWT says:

يأَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اتَّقُواْ رَبَّكُمْ وَاخْشَوْاْ يَوْماً لاَّ يَجْزِى وَالِدٌ عَن وَلَدِهِ وَلاَ مَوْلُودٌ هُوَ جَازٍ عَن وَالِدِهِ شَيْئاً إِنَّ وَعْدَ اللَّهِ حَقٌّ فَلاَ تَغُرَّنَّكُمُ الْحَيَوةُ الدُّنْيَا وَلاَ يَغُرَّنَّكُم بِاللَّهِ الْغَرُورُ
Oh mankind! Have Taqwa of your Lord, and fear a Day when no father can avail aught for his son, nor a son avail aught for his father. Verily, the promise of Allah is true, let not then this present life deceive you, nor let the chief deceiver deceive you about Allah. (Surah Luqman: 33)

Thirdly, let's always stop ourselves and think twice when we feel tempted to think/say, "We have no time", when it comes to doing a good deed or an act or worship. Allah has given each and everyone of us 24 hours a day and 7 days in a week. All men are equal. If the companions of The Prophet Sallallahu alihiwassalam and the rightly guided scholars of the Islamic Era, (may Allah be pleased with them all) were able to run homes (sometimes more than one) with many kids, run businesses or do some work in order to earn their bread, govern the nation/state, do da'wah and teach Islam to their people, recite the Qur'an and contemplate on it on a daily basis, participate in battles, travel to seek knowledge of dheen, pray thahajjud and other extra prayers etc, why cannot we find time then?

"O Lord ! Give unto us in the world that which is good and in the Hereafter that which is good and guard us from that doom of the Fire ".