Are you a worry wart, always thinking that the worst will happen with any particular scenario you are in?

There is nothing wrong with wanting the best, and fearing the worst, it is human nature. It is critical to a successful outcome, regardless of the circumstances you face.

If you are barely doing the minimum, that is all you will ever have… the minimum. Strive for the best, and you will achieve greatness! How?

Being a perfectionist has taught me one thing in life… there is no such thing as being “over-prepared”. I’ve had numerous people throughout my life tell me that I worry too much about everything, but if I didn’t worry about things to some degree, I’m sure I wouldn’t have accomplished what I have done in my life thus far.

I remember when I was in high school and university, I was convinced that I was going to fail every exam that was approaching. I studied relentlessly because I measured myself by my grades. If I failed something, I would feel like a complete loser.

No matter how much I prepared, I went into every single exam thinking I was going to fail miserably. However, every single time, I came out on top with the highest grades in my class.  Subhanallah! I’m sure that if I didn’t ever ponder about the chance of failing that I wouldn’t have tried as hard as I did.

Looking back, in hindsight… I’m glad I was a worry wart! It pushed me to always try to do better and better.

Shouldn’t we try to always do our best?

If we do our utmost best, we will always come out on top, but if we slack our way through life, we would ultimately find ourselves doomed, regardless of what the subject matter is.

If you hope for the best, and prepare for the worst, you can achieve greatness!

This concept also applies to our acquiring knowledge, and implementing what we learn in regards to our faith as well. How can you be an ideal Muslim/Muslimah if you only do the bare minimum?

Allah wishes the best for His creation, giving us the final reward of Jannah. We should do as much as we can to prepare for our Hereafter because we don’t know what will be “enough”.

Simply sitting back, living life according to our desires and hoping for the best will not get us very far in this life or the next. You get what you prepare for. If you don’t prepare, you can face a horrible life and a horrible hereafter. Allah will not reward us with greatness if we don’t do our part! You must prepare for the worst and pray for the best by doing everything you possibly can to please your Creator and put your trust in Him to give you what you deserve.

Are You Preparing Yourself?

Are you fulfilling the five pillars of Islam? Are you doing the obligatory acts prescribed for you? You can’t do all the sunnahs if you are neglecting the fard, and expect for it to compensate for it. Imagine meeting Allah and He asks you:

“Why did you neglect your prayers? Am I not worthy of your worship?” How would you reply?

Would you say:

“Oh, well, I didn’t do what you created me for, but I tried to be a good person, isn’t that enough?”

Seriously? Do you think that will get you anywhere? It may get you somewhere alright, but it may not be where you were expecting it to be.

And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me. (Quran 51:56)

Since Allah created us for the sole purpose to worship Him, don’t put Him on the back burner, or you will be the one that will end up burning in the end. Prepare for your Hereafter now, so that you will not be disappointed and regret not having lived your life as He told us to. If you keep yourself aware of the possible outcomes, you can prepare yourself better.

Are You Being True to Yourself and Others?

Ask yourself this: “Does my lifestyle fit that of a pious Muslim?”

Really…does it?

Are you doing all that you can, or just the bare minimum?

Allah gave us a conscience, and you know deep inside your heart if something is right or wrong. Allah gave us the ability to sense right from wrong, but we must not be too blind to see it. If your journey becomes cloudy, you have the map to success (the Quran) for direction.

Many people fall into denial about their own personality and behaviors sometimes. They commit evil acts, while denying them shortly after, and thus forget to repent. Stay true to yourself and others, do good deeds, surround yourself with those that remind you of Allah instead of evil and you will avoid this grave mistake. Uphold good morals and do good deeds for the sake of Allah.  Have taqwa in all that you do to be labeled as one of those among the righteous.

“Truthfulness leads to righteousness, and righteousness leads to Paradise…” (Al-Bukhari)

What Should I Do?

Allah gave us a guidebook to live by – the Quran, and a teacher to make sure we understand what Allah has prescribed for us. The Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, is our perfect example to live by. The Quran and Sunnah are filled with ways to prepare our souls for a wonderful life in this life and the Hereafter.

If you don’t seek knowledge about your Creator and what He has given you (Islam), how would you know what would lead you to Hell, and what can lead you to Jannah?

“He who treads the path in search of knowledge, Allah would make that path easy, leading to Paradise for him…” (Muslim)

Avoiding Arrogance

Do you find yourself thinking: “I’m a good person, that is enough”?

Beware this a dangerous form of arrogance. Allah doesn’t need mankind, but mankind needs Allah. Man is to know that he is in constant need of Allah’s guidance and support, and that his destiny is in Allah’s control. This doesn’t mean that we should abuse our free will and ascribe bad behavior to being Allah’s will. He gives us a choice and can change our path from a rough one to a smooth one if we do our best and are sincere in going about it.

Submit to Allah, worship Him with sincerity, and strive to do good deeds and you will not fail. Allah should be in your mind at all times, privately and publicly.

A Glorious Reward Awaits the Righteous Ones

“Allah said, ‘I have prepared for My righteous slaves (such excellent things) as no eye has ever seen, nor an ear has ever heard nor a human heart can ever think of.'” (Al-Bukhari)

Mankind can’t expect to be perfect, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try our best to be. If you are doing everything in your abilities to please Allah with full sincerity, you will be greatly rewarded. Who else is worth trying to please to our maximum capacity?

But the ones who believe and do righteous deeds – We will admit them to gardens beneath which rivers flow, wherein they will abide forever. [It is] the promise of Allah , [which is] truth, and who is more truthful than Allah in statement. (Quran 4:122)

So, Are You amongst the Righteous?

There are various stages of righteousness: the good “Muslims” who merely perform the five pillars of Islam, the “Mu’minoon” who believe in the six articles of faith, and then there is the “Mu’hsinoon” who are always God-conscious, fearing Allah, are pious and restrain themselves from evil. Which one are you?

Prepare yourself and become one of the Mu’hsinoon, and not just a mere Muslim doing the basics.  Imagine yourself doomed to the Hell-fire, and do all that you can imagine to earn the reward of Jannah to achieve this level. Prepare for the worst and hope and pray for the best, and you will be given your just rewards.

A Parting Reminder…

And fear a Day when you will be returned to Allah. Then every soul will be compensated for what it earned, and they will not be treated unjustly. (Quran 2:281)

So….Are you prepared?

This article is from Reading Islam’s archive and was originally published at an earlier date.