WINNERS AND LOSERS: The Line Has Been Drawn.

 

Winners & Losers:

The Line Has Been Drawn;

Success Or Failure Is Judged

By Righteousness

Believers with good deeds, who follow and

promote the Truth & Patient Perseverance,

are the winners or the successful.

Everybody else is a loser!

(M. Javed Naseem)

وَٱلْعَصْرِ إِنَّ ٱلإِنسَانَ لَفِى خُسْرٍ

إِلاَّ ٱلَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ وَعَمِلُواْ ٱلصَّالِحَاتِ

وَتَوَاصَوْاْ بِٱلْحَقِّ وَتَوَاصَوْاْ بِٱلصَّبْرِ

"By (the token of) Time (through the ages),

verily Man is in loss, except such as have Faith,

and do righteous deeds, and (join together) in

the mutual teaching of Truth, and of

Patience and Constancy."

(al-Quran 103:1-3)

Allah, the Almighty, has drawn the line between Right and Wrong ; between Good and Evil ; and between the Winners and the Losers. Everything is measured on the scale of righteousness or piety. Your success depends on the pleasure and the mercy of Allah ; and your failure is caused by the evil-doing and disobedience to Allah.

In today’s material world, success is measured by the yardstick of money or possessions. Anybody who is wealthy and who owns buildings, is considered ‘successful’ while the poor are labeled as losers or failures. Money is the yardstick used to measure people’s success. But, as they say, money is not everything. And it is true too. You can buy a lot of things with money and make your life more comfortable with wealth, but the true wealth is not measured with the yardstick of money or material. You righteousness, your love, your sincerity, your honesty, your wisdom, your knowledge, your happiness or peace of mind and your sense of justice are a lot more valuable than money.

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Prophet Jesus said:

“Watch out! Be on your guard against

all kinds of greed. Life does not consist

in an abundance of possessions.”

(Luke 12 :15)

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Man is a social animal who cannot live alone – by himself. He needs others and that makes us a community and a society. It is up to us if we want to make it a material society or balance it with spiritual and sentimental feelings. For that, the rules and regulations have been laid out. There are man-made rules and then there are God-made rules or laws that the Almighty Creator has conveyed to us through His Messengers or the Prophets. While a man judges other people’s success on material wealth, the Almighty has declared His own criterion. God judges us on the scale of righteousness or piety and commands us to do the same.

“But those will succeed

who purify themselves.”

(al-Quran 87:14)

How do you purify yourself? You can do that only by obeying the commands of the Almighty God. Allah has told us what is good and what is bad ; what is right and what is wrong. It’s our choice what path we take. Success is in the obedience to God Almighty. Success is in the pleasure of Allah. Success is to surrender unconditionally to the will of God. Successful are those who live by the Book of Allah, as per the rules & regulations prescribed by Allah.

“So fear Allah as much as you can;

listen and obey; and spend in charity

for the benefit of your own soul; and

those saved from the covetousness of their

own souls, they are the successful.”

(al-Quran 64:16)

The scriptures tell us that the most successful people are those who are closer to God because they fear Him, respect Him and love Him too. They obey God’s commands and stay within the limits prescribed by the Creator. In return, God is pleased with them because of their obedience and righteousness; and raises their status. In truth, they are the people who are really successful in both worlds – on this earth and in the Hereafter. They are the real winners.

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