• 1- Indeed believers have succeeded• 2 Those who humble themselves in their prayers• 3 Who avoid vain talk• 4 Who are active in deeds of charity• 5 Who protect their chastity• 6 Except with those joined to them in the marriage bond or

(the captives) whom their right hands possess for (in their case) they are free from blame

• 7 But those whose desires exceed those limits are transgressors

• 8 Those who faithfully observe their trust and their covenants; • 9 And who (strictly) guard their prayers • 10 Those will be the heirs • 11 Who will inherit Paradise: they will dwell therein (forever).

• Google defines success as the accomplishment of an aim or a purpose.

• It says that its opposite is failure; failure to accomplish the aim or purpose.

• In these times we are inclined to think of success: a big bank balance, luxury car, spacious house, an overseas vacation powerful position or fame. • People work hard for these small successes and they are

not to be trivialized. However such success is transient.

• Prophet Muhammad(SAW) said:

• “Three things follow the dead person to his grave, two of which return and one of which remains with him.

• His family, money and deeds accompany him [to the grave].

• Then his family and wealth return, and his deeds stay with him.

• “Everyone shall taste death. And only on the Day of resurrection shall you be paid your wages in full. And whoever is removed away from the fire and admitted to Paradise, he indeed is successful. The life of this world is only a deceiving thing.” (Quran 3:185)

• Prophet Muhammad (SAW) tells us that,

The one who has accepted Islam is successful,

The one who has been sufficient provision for his wants and is content with what God has given him is successful.

Submitting to the will of God makes a person successful. This does not necessarily mean that one is rich or healthy or even constantly happy.

• Prophet Muhammad said, “How wonderful is the affair of the believer, for his affairs are all good, and this applies to no one but the believer.

• If something good happens to him, he is thankful for it and that is good for him.

• If something bad happens to him, he bears it with patience and that is good for him.”

• Thus when one devotes his life to pleasing God by submitting to His will, he is successful.

• My success (in my task) can only come from Allah: in Him I trust and unto Him I look. (Hood, 11:88)

• What if you lose your livelihood, your health, wealth, house, car or your spouse?

• What if you are not recognized as the good person you are striving to be.

• None of this has the least bit of influence on whether or not you are ultimately successful.

• What is taken into account is how you react and how you face life’s challenges.

• A person is successful and on the road to the ultimate success because of his attitude, his intention, and his ability to trust God's promise.

Say: "Shall we tell you of those who lose most in respect of their deeds? "Those whose efforts have been wasted in this life while they thought that they were acquiring good by their works?" They are those who deny the Signs of their Lord and the fact of their having to meet Him (in the Hereafter): vain will be their works nor shall We on the Day of Judgment give them any Weight.” Al-Kahf,18: 13-15• They are the ones led by their lusts and whims away from the

straight path sticking to misguidance from their leaders.• They are the ones who spent all their lives in delusion.

• Qarun was of the people of Moses; but he acted insolently towards them: such were the treasures We had bestowed on him that their very keys would have been a burden to a body of strong men: Behold his people said to him: "Exult not for Allah loves not those who exult (in riches). (Qasas: 28:76)

Set forth to them the parable of two men: for one of them We provided two gardens of grapevines and surrounded them with date-palms: in between the two We placed corn-fields. Each of those gardens brought forth its produce and failed not in the least therein: in the midst of them We caused a river to flow. (Abundant) was the produce this man had: he said to his companion in the course of a mutual argument: "More wealth have I than you and more honor and power in (my following of) men. (Kahf, 18:32-35)

So his fruits (and enjoyment) were encompassed (with ruin) and he remained twisting and turning his hands over what he had spent on his property which had (now) tumbled to pieces to its very foundations and he could only say "Woe is me! would I had never ascribed partners to my Lord and Cherisher!" Nor had he numbers to help him against Allah nor was he able to deliver himself. (Al Kahf, 18:42,43)

• The Prophet (SAW) once taught his Companions how to weigh people and how to see who is a real loser and who is a real winner. Thus, he asked:

• “Do you know who is a bankrupt?”• They answered:• “To us, a bankrupt is the one who has no money or

possessions.”• Then, the Prophet (SAW) said to them:• “A real bankrupt is the one who brings so many good

deeds; fasting, Hajj, prayer, but alongside he brings with them slandering for this, backbiting that, beating such. People will thus gather around him to take from his good deeds in compensation of what he has done, till his good deeds are gone. By then, their bad deeds will be given to him till he ends up being cast into the Hell-”

• ‘Falah’ is when a person reaches the epitome of success, i.e., in every facet of his life, every action of his life, every movement of his life, he is absolutely successful and he encounters no hardship or loss whatsoever.

• This true and complete Success, can ONLY be achieved in Jannah where a person has no pain, no suffering, no fatigue, no hunger, i.e., in “DarusSalaam” (The House of Peace).

• However, Allah (SWT) does give the Believers some solace, comfort and some type of victory and success in this world as well…..

• The Sahaba (RA) report, that when sitting around Rasulullah (SAW) at certain times Jibreel (AS) would come down with Wahi.

• Rasulullah (SAW) would remain silent for some time.

• A very beautiful sound could be heard, which was similar to the ‘buzzing or humming of bees’.

• So, on one occasion when this happened, Rasulullah (SAW) then turned towards the Qibla and made a Dua :

ا ول رمنا ول تهنا، وأعطن للهم زدنا ول تنقصنا، وأك ا

اينا، وأرضنا وارض عن تحرمنا، وآثرنا ول تؤثر عل

“O Allah! Increase us (in Your Blessings) and do not decrease us, honor us and do not disgrace us, bestow upon us [from Your Bounties] and do not

deprive us, give us preference over others and not others over us, and make us satisfied and be

pleased with us.” ~ (Tirmidhi)

• Rasulullah (SAW) said, “Ten verses (of Surah Al Mu’minoon) were revealed to me now, via Jibreel (AS) from Allah (SWT)

• Whoever abides by these verses, he shall enter Jannah …

• These are: ‘Successful indeed are the believers…….‘{until the completion of these Ayaat (23:1-10).}

1-Who have

Khushoin their Salah

(prayer)

2.

Who turn away from

‘Laghw’

3.

Who pay

their Zakat

4.

Who protect

their chastity

5.

Who are true to their

Amanah and to their

promise

6.

Who strictly guard their Salah

at their fixed

stated hours

They

shall inherit

the Firdaus, they shall dwell

therein forever

.

• Full concentration in Salah • Devotion and dedication in Salah; • It is mentioned that in the beginning some of the

Sahaba (AS) as they were performing Salah, they would look towards the sky but when these verses were revealed they immediately began keeping their gaze fixed on the place of Sajdah.

• Scholars explain that if a person is able to ponder over the meanings of the verses as he is reciting, then the rest of his limbs will also develop this concentration and this type of Khushoo will come easily into a person.

• We should try our level best to concentrate on what we are reciting when standing before Allah Ta’ala.

• We should have this feeling that we are standing before our Allah Ta’ala, the Lord of the Universe in Ibadah.

• Salah is something that Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala himself has ordained for us.

• It is a time when we ‘connect’ to Allah with sense of accountability. In Salah we should realize that we are standing before Allah Ta’ala, who knows our whispers and out thoughts and will hold us accountable.

• We should control wandering thoughts during Salah. If we think of businesses and other activities in our lives, then we will not be able to develop this type of Khashyah in our Salah.

’

• ‘Laghw’- is any statement or action which is futile, purposeless, not beneficial and is needless.

• A Believer moves away from futile activities and places of Haraam useless entertainment.

• A believer considers his time very precious and utilizes in productive deeds beneficial for hereafter.

• Disbelievers are heedless of the day of Qiyamah, and are involved in frivolous pursuits and futile activities.

• Some scholars say that this verse was revealed in a Makki Surah, whereas Zakah became compulsory in Madinah.

• The essence of what they explain is that the Sahaba (RA) were already ordained to pay Zakat in Makkah, but a fixed amount was not incumbent. It was only ordained later in Madinah.

• Others have taken the explanation to be, not just “Zakah of Maal” (purification of wealth), but the purification of the heart and soul.

• As Allah Ta'ala states in another verse:

• Indeed whosoever purifies himself shall achieve success 87:14 ~ Surah Al ‘Ala

• In this verse, Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala talks about the purity of our wealth as well as our character and soul

• They protect their chastity and do not commit Zina (fornication).

• One should control his/her carnal desires. We are human beings and are created with desires.

• Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala has given us permission and has commanded us to satisfy our desires with our pure spouses and what our right hand possesses.

• But those who seek to gratify their sexual desires outside marriage or have relationships with somebody else, that is not legal for them.

• Zina is major sin which will lead to hellfire if no Taubah is done.

• When entrusted with something, they do not breach that trust.

• They safeguard and protect those trusts.

• And, when they make a promise or take a pledge, they are true to their word.

• These believers are the inheritors of the perpetual and eternal Jannatul Firdos.

• Rasulullah SAW said that when you make Dua for Jannah, ask for Jannatul Firdos (the highest level of Jannah whose roof is the Arsh of Allah).

• These qualities are of a true Mu’min.

• May Allah (SWT) grant us the Tofeeq and Hidayah of trying to bring these beautiful qualities into our lives and may HE make us the Heirs of Jannatul Firdos.