Tag: Muamalah

Praise be to Allah.We are happy to see your concern for this young man and your eagerness to find an effective remedy to offer him in the hope that Allah will benefit him thereby. By doing that you are strengthening the ties of Islamic brotherhood. We hope that Allah will reward you for that. 
You have explained this young man’s situation, and we will reply in the following points: 
1 – In this dunya (this world – the name in Arabic carries connotations both of that which is close and that which is base and vile), a man’s life is not consistent, rather his circumstances will vary between that which he likes and that which he does not like.  The wise man, when he thinks about this world, will realize that he needs to develop an optimistic outlook and put an end to worries and distress that could disturb him and cause him stress.  
What the Shaytaan wants to do is to cause the Muslim grief and stress. Being introverted and thinking constantly about pain and sorrow gives the Shaytaan a great opportunity and may cause the worries and stress to multiply. Looking forward to a happy life and being optimistic is one of the means of feeling content and at peace. It is known that this world is a mixture of ease and hardship, joy and sorrow, hope and pain, so why should a person help the dark side to prevail over the bright side? 
Wisdom dictates that if a man cannot make optimism prevail, then at the very least he should think in a balanced and objective manner. 
Secondly: 
Feelings of stress and that life is too hard do not control a man’s mind unless there are reasons that provoke these kinds of feelings. Rather they are indicative that the relationship between a person and his Lord is not sound. The more a man turns to Allah and focuses on Him, the more he will feel a sense of peace and comfort, to an extent that no one knows except Allah. Hence those who know Allah, are close to Him and fear Him are the happiest of people, to such an extent that one of them said, in a well known expression: “If the kings and the sons of kings knew what joy we have, they would fight us for it with the sword.” This is also what is expressed in the Quran, as Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Whoever works righteousness — whether male or female — while he (or she) is a true believer (of Islamic Monotheism) verily, to him We will give a good life (in this world with respect, contentment and lawful provision), and We shall pay them certainly a reward in proportion to the best of what they used to do (i.e. Paradise in the Hereafter)” [al-Nahl 16:97]
But feeling stressed is a kind of wake-up call that alerts a person to check on his relationship with his Lord, because sins may have the effect of making a person feel scattered and unfocused. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): 
“But whosoever turns away from My Reminder (i.e. neither believes in this Quran nor acts on its teachings) verily, for him is a life of hardship, and We shall raise him up blind on the Day of Resurrection” [Ta-Ha 20:124]
There is a great deal of goodness in the young man whom you are asking about, for he is a person who is keen to seek knowledge, and he does naafil acts of worship such as fasting, and he upholds ties of kinship with his aunt. However you must draw his attention to the fact that he has to check on his relationship with Allah, for there may be some sin that is preventing him from achieving this sense of happiness, some sin that he has committed with regard to the rights of Allah or the rights of others. So encourage him to repent and seek forgiveness a great deal, especially since you said that he sometimes sleeps and misses the prayer – this is a serious matter although many people take it lightly. 
Thirdly: 
It may be that this test of this person through disasters and calamities is something that has been decreed by Allah for him in order to raise him in status, if he persists in obeying what Allah has commanded, which is to be patient and accept whatever Allah decrees. Everything that Allah decrees for a believer is good for him and his affairs, both spiritual and worldly. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “How wonderful is the affair of the believer, for all his affairs are good, and that applies to no one except a believer. If something good happens to him, he gives thanks for it and that is good for him, and if something bad happens to him, he bears it with patience, and that is also good for him.” (Narrated by Muslim, 2999) 
If something bad happens to a believer, he either bears it with patience or panics. If he is patient he earns a great reward and accepts the will and decree of Allah, because he knows that it comes from Allah, so he feels content with it and accepts it. So what reason is there to panic and feel stressed? 
On the contrary, if he is not patient and he reacts to what befalls him of sin with panic and anger, and worry and stress, he will lose the reward that Allah has promised to those who are patient. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): 
“Only those who are patient shall receive their reward in full, without reckoning” [al-Zumar 39:10]
Fourthly: 
He should sincerely turn towards Allah and call upon Him (du’a’), beseeching Him to relieve him of this waswaas (whispers from the Shaytaan) and seeking refuge in Him a great deal from the accursed Shaytaan. For it annoys the Shaytaan to see a believing slave feeling peace of mind and contentment, so he whispers to him to distract him from that and make him fearful and confused.  
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) taught us a du’aa’ by which we may ward off worries and distress. Ahmad (3528) narrated that ‘Abd-Allah ibn Mas’ood said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:
“There is no-one who is afflicted by distress and grief, and says: ‘Allahumma inni ‘abduka ibn ‘abdika ibn amatija naasyati bi yadika, maada fiyya hukmuka, ‘adlun fiyya qadaa’uka. As’aluka bi kulli ismin huwa laka sammayta bihi nafsaka aw anzaltahu fi kitaabika aw ‘allamtahu ahadan min khalqika aw ista’tharta bihi fi ‘ilm il-ghayb ‘indaka an taj’al al-Qurana rabee’ qalbi wa noor sadri wa jalaa’ huzni wa dhihaab hammi (O Allah, I am Your slave, son of Your slave, son of Your maidservant; my forelock is in Your hand, Your command over me is forever executed and Your decree over me is just. I ask You by every name belonging to You which You have named Yourself with, or revealed in Your Book, or You taught to any of Your creation, or You have preserved in the knowledge of the Unseen with You, that You make the Quran the life of my heart and the light of my breast, and a departure for my sorrow and a release for my anxiety),’ but Allah will take away his distress and grief, and replace it with joy.” He was asked: “O Messenger of Allah, should we learn this?” He said: “Of course; everyone who hears it should learn it.” 
(Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in al-Silsilah al-Saheehah, 199) 
Fifthly: 
Try to suggest that he change something in his daily routine, to allow himself the opportunity to do different kinds of permissible things that will relieve him of boredom and renew his energy. There is nothing wrong with travelling for leisure purposes or to relax, so long he does not go to extremes. Even better than that is if he can travel for the purpose of ‘Umrah and to visit the Prophet’s mosque, because a change of scene can be very beneficial. 
Sixthly: 
He has to keep away from places that he feels make his worry and distress worse, or that stir these feeling up again. He should avoid reading novels that tell sad stories, and he should try not to sit with people who are worried and distressed, even if his intention is to console them.  On the contrary, he should try to read useful books that will take him away from these worries. If he feels stressed and upset, he should not isolate himself or think constantly about his problems in this situation.  
Finally: 
Our advice to this young man is that he should raise his head and look forward, and view the future with optimism and the certainty that he will succeed. I say to him: You have a great deal of potential for success and high achievement, and a lot is to be expected of someone like you. We hope that these troubles and worries will be lifted from you. May Allah make things easy for you and relieve you of your distress and worry. 
And Allah knows best.

Praise be to Allah.Firstly:
We praise Allah, may He be exalted, for guiding you and enabling you to repent, and we ask Him to help you and grant you a full recovery.
Secondly:
You must do what you are able to of religious duties, and you will be excused – in sha Allah – with regard to what you are unable to do or what is definitely too difficult and is more than you can bear, according to your situation.
Your praying in the mosque is something that is required according to Islamic teachings, and it is also part of your recovery, because mixing with people and good people will have a beneficial impact, in sha Allah.
If you sleep and miss Zuhr, or it is too difficult for you to go out to pray in the mosque, then you may pray at home or when you wake up, because of the report narrated by Muslim (684) from Anas ibn Maalik, who said: The Prophet of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever forgets a prayer or sleeps and misses it, his expiation is to offer that prayer when he remembers it.”
Thirdly:
Fasting is an important obligation which it is not permissible to omit except when one has an excuse. If you will be harmed by delaying taking your medicine until after iftar, this is an excuse which makes it permissible for you not to fast, because Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
{O you who have believed, decreed upon you is fasting as it was decreed upon those before you that you may become righteous.
 [Fasting for] a limited number of days. So whoever among you is ill or on a journey [during them] – then an equal number of days [are to be made up]} [Al-Baqarah 2:183-184].
If you will not be harmed by delaying taking your medicine until after iftar, then you must fast.
If you will face hardship and find it too difficult to carry on fasting during the day, even though you are physically healthy – meaning that you are not feeling any symptoms of sickness, not even a headache, for example – then you must intend to fast from the night before, then if you start finding it too difficult to carry on and you become certain that it is beyond your capability to continue fasting, and you fear that you may be harmed by severe thirst, then you may drink, then you must refrain from eating and drinking for the rest of the day, and make up that day later on.
It says in Fatawa al-Lajnah ad-Da’imah (10/233): It is not permissible for the accountable person not to fast during the day in Ramadan just because he is working.
But during the day, if he faces extreme hardship and realises that he has no choice but to break the fast during the day, he may do so by eating or drinking that which will ward off the hardship, then he should refrain from eating and drinking until sunset and break the fast with the people, and he must make up that day on which he broke the fast. End quote.
But if you are suffering from illness, such as a severe headache, this makes it permissible to not fast.
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymin (may Allah have mercy on him) said: There are several different scenarios with regard to the sick person and fasting.
1.. He will not be affected by fasting, such as if he has a mild cold, a mild headache or a toothache and the like. In this case, it is not permissible for him not to fast, even though the scholars say that it is permissible for him not to fast because of the general meaning of the verse (interpretation of the meaning): {and whoever is ill} [al-Baqarah 2:185].
But we say: If this ruling is connected to a scenario in which breaking the fast will ease the hardship for him, then in that case we say that he may break the fast. But if the sick person will not be affected by fasting, then it is not permissible for him not to fast, and he is obliged to fast.
2.. If it is difficult for him to fast (because of his sickness), but it will not harm him, then in this case it is disliked (makruh) for him to fast, and it is Sunnah for him to not fast.
3.. If it is difficult for him to fast and it will harm him, such as a man who is suffering from kidney disease, diabetes or the like, then in that case fasting is prohibited for him.”(Ash-Sharh al-Mumti‘  6/341).
We advise you to offer a great deal of supplication and beseech Allah, may He be exalted, to accept your repentance and grant you good health. Strive to offer supplication at the times when a response is likely.
We ask Allah to comfort you, make things easy for you and accept your repentance.
And Allah knows best.

Praise be to Allah.Faith becomes weaker as a result of neglecting obligatory duties and doing haraam things. So long as you are doing your duty towards Allaah and heeded His prohibitions, your introversion and keeping away from people, and your fear of them,  will not harm you. But if your fear keeps you from doing any obligatory duty then you will have committed sin thereby, for example, if your fear stops you attending prayers in congregation in the mosque, or stops you denouncing any evil action that you could change by speaking out or taking action, or stops you from offering advice that you should offer to those who need it. 
You should not give in to these fears or accept them, rather you should look for the causes and try to deal with them. It may help you to know that created beings have no power to bring benefit to themselves or to ward off harm, rather if the nation were to gather together to benefit you in some way, they could not do so unless Allaah has decreed that for you, and if they were to gather together to harm you in some way, they could not do that unless Allaah has decreed that for you. The pens have been lifted and the pages have dried. 
Everything is in the hand of Allaah, and He is the One Whom you should fear and put your hopes in. The criticism of people has no value and carries no weight; it is sufficient for the believer to attain the pleasure of Allaah even if all the people are displeased with him. 
Whoever adheres to the command of Allaah and persists in doing so, is the most honoured of people, for Allaah has decreed honour for His believing slaves. As Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): 
“But honour, power and glory belong to Allaah, and to His Messenger (Muhammad), and to the believers…”
[al-Munaafiqoon 63:8]
The effects of this honour should be manifested in the believer’s words and actions, in all circumstances. He should speak up for the truth, offer sincere advice, remind people and teach them. His approval and anger should be for the sake of Allaah, and he should only get angry when the limits of Allaah are transgressed. 
This is what a person will be able to do when he becomes aware of his role in life, for he is commanded to worship Allaah and to convey and spread His religion as much as he can. This means that he should mix with people and bear any annoyance they cause with patience, especially close relatives. According to a hadeeth narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 1307 and Ibn Maajah (4032) from Ibn ‘Umar, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The believer who mixes with people and bears any annoyance they cause with patience, is better than the believer who does not mix with people and does not bear any annoyance they cause with patience.” (This hadeeth was classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami’, no. 6651). 
Perhaps you can start to get to know some righteous friends with whom you can feel comfortable and secure, who can help you to overcome your feelings of fear of people, and this will help you to find the sincere brotherhood, good treatment, clear goals and sincere intentions that you are missing in the people around you. 
We also advise you to go to a doctor who specializes in treating psychological illness, perhaps he could help you to solve your problem. 
We ask Allaah to help you and give you strength.

Praise be to Allah.Ruling on men imitating women
Islam forbids men to imitate women and women to imitate men , and in fact it emphatically forbids that, to such an extent that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) cursed those who go against the human nature with which Allah created them. 
It was narrated from Ibn `Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) cursed men who imitate women and women who imitate men, and he said: “Throw them out of your houses.” (Narrated by Al-Bukhari, 5885) 
Undoubtedly one of the most obvious signs of an effeminate man is that he wears women’s clothing and imitates their ways. 
It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) cursed the man who wears women’s clothing and the woman who wears men’s clothing. (Narrated by Abu Dawud, 4098 and classed as authentic by An-Nawawi in Al-Majmu`, 4/469 and by Al-Albani in Sahih Abu Dawud) 
`Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) cursed masculinized women. “Narrated by Abu Dawud, 4099; classed as good by An-Nawawi in Al-Majmu`, 4/469 and as authentic by Al-Albani in Sahih Abu Dawud) 
Al-Munawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said:  
“As An-Nawawi said, this indicates that it is prohibited for men to imitate women and vice versa, because if it is prohibited with regard to clothing then imitating them in one’s movements and tone of voice is even more abhorrent. So it is prohibited for men to imitate women and vice versa with regard to clothing that is unique to one’s sex, and the one who does that is subject to the threat of being cursed.” (Fayd Al-Qadir, 5/343) 
Once this is established, we will know that the Islamic ruling on this kind of sexual perversion is that it is prohibited, and it is a major sin. So it is not permissible to do that whether alone or with one’s wife, because going against the sound human nature (Fitrah) that Allah has created in us can only result in corruption and evil. Allah has created man with masculine qualities that cannot go with wearing women’s clothing or imitating women’s mannerisms. 
Undoubtedly the one who seeks to be effeminate and derives pleasure from that and thinks that it fulfils his desire is sick with a disease that the doctors describe as a “fetish”. They have behavioural programs to treat such cases that are presented to them, so anyone who is faced with this problem should not hesitate to go to a psychologist to supervise his treatment for this sickness. 
Remedy to issue of men imitating women
All we can do is remind him of Allah and make his religious commitment a positive and effective factor in ridding him of this Waswas . He should remember the wrath of Allah towards effeminate men, and he should remember that He can see everything they do, and that this life is a few short days that will quickly cease to be, and a man will be left with his deeds in the Hereafter. 
We remind him to seek the help of Allah, for He is the best of helpers and the best One to ask for help. If a person is sincere in his du’a’ and seeking help and turning to Him, Allah will answer his prayer and relieve him of his problem. But part of praying sincerely is sincerely applying the means and striving hard and being patient until full healing comes and he gives up these evil haram practices. And for his efforts and patience he will be rewarded by Allah, may He be glorified and exalted. 
The best thing that will help him to give up this inclination is marriage, because it opens the door to satisfying sexual desires in good and permissible ways. Whilst he is waiting for that, he should distract himself from desires by filling his time with acts of worship and beneficial habits, and he should try to fast, because it is very helpful in controlling desires. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said concerning it: “Whoever cannot afford (to get married) should fast, for it will diminish his desire.” (Narrated by Al-Bukhari, 1905 and Muslim, 1400) 
One of the most important things that will help him is: respecting the sacred limits set by Allah, by refraining from looking at people’s `Awrahs and refraining from thinking of desires, because looking at prohibited things is the basis of every calamity, and that is what leads one to these bad, perverted habits that he sees among some perverts.  
Ibn Al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said:  
“Looking generates thoughts, then thoughts generate ideas, then ideas generate desire, then desires generate will, then the will grows strong and resolves to do the deed, and then the deed will inevitably take place unless there is something to prevent it. Concerning this it was said that patience in lowering the gaze is easier than patience in bearing the pain that comes afterwards.” (Al-Jawab Al-Kafi, p. 106) 
It should be noted that thinking about such perversions will inevitably lead to doing them, so it is essential to divert oneself from such thinking, and to distract oneself with permissible kinds of pleasure with one’s wife. He should not try to connect fulfilment of desire with those bad practices. That is the whispers of the Shaytan.
Undoubtedly the best kind of pleasure is that which is achieved in accordance with the sound human nature with which Allah has created people. 
We ask Allah to guide you to the straight path. 
And Allah knows best.

Praise be to Allah.It is not permissible for a Muslim to hate life and despair of what Allah, may He be exalted, could grant him of relief and good health. What is required of him is to bear with patience whatever he is facing of what Allah has willed and decreed, and to seek reward with Him, may He be exalted, for what befalls him of calamities, and to ask Him, may He be glorified, to avert that from him, to help him and to reward him for what He decrees should befall him of that. And he should wait for relief from Allah, as He, may He be glorified, says (interpretation of the meaning): “For indeed, with hardship [will be] ease.  Indeed, with hardship [will be] ease” [ash-Sharh 94:5-6]. It is makrooh for a Muslim to wish for death because of some harm that befell him, such as sickness, hardship or anything else. In as-Saheehayn it is narrated that Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “No one of you should wish for death because of some harm that befalls him. But if he must do that, then let him say: ‘O Allah, cause me to live so long as life is good for me, and cause me to die so long as that is good for me.’” From the wording of the hadith, we understand that this is a kind of delegating one’s affairs to Allah and submitting to His will and decree. Whatever befalls a Muslim of calamities in this world is an expiation for him, if he seeks reward for that with Allah, may He be exalted, and does not become discontent. This is a wake-up call to turn away from heedlessness, and a lesson for the future.
And Allah is the source of strength. May Allah send blessings and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad and his family and companions. End quote.
Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn ‘Abdullah ibn Baaz, Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez Aal ash-Shaykh, Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzaan, Shaykh Bakr Abu Zayd.
Fataawa al-Lajnah ad-Daa’imah li’l-Buhooth al-‘Ilmiyyah wa’l-Ifta’ (25/398).

Praise be to Allah.Is masturbation prohibited?
The masturbation is prohibited , as we have explained in the answer to question no. 329 . You have to repent from this action and give it up , and regret what you have done , and resolve not to go back to it. 
There are many punishments for the sinner in this world, let alone the punishment that he deserves in the Hereafter. We have already mentioned some of these punishments in the answer to question no. 23425 . 
So hasten to repent sincerely before you are no longer able to do so, and before you feel regret at the time when regret will be to no avail. 
If Allah honours you by enabling you to repent, you will be forgiven for this sin, and it will be as if it never happened. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “The one who repents is like the one who did not sin.” (Narrated by Ibn Majah; classed as good by Al-Albani in Sahih Ibn Majah, 3427) 
Punishment for Masturbation in Islam
Breaking the hymen as a result of masturbation is not Zina, and no Hadd (fixed prescribed punishment) or expiation is required. 
Shaykh Al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked about masturbation and he replied: 
With regard to masturbation, the basic ruling is that it is prohibited according to the majority of scholars, and the one who does it should be given a Ta`zir punishment (punishments that are not fixed in Islam and are decided by the ruler), but it is not like Zina. And Allah knows best.” (Al-Fatawa Al-Kubra, 3/439) 
If it is obvious that the hymen has been broken as a result of masturbation, then you have to tell your fiancé what happened to you, without giving any details that may cause you embarrassment. It is sufficient for him to know that this happened without any fornication, because the hymen may be broken because of exercise, being beaten, falling or being sick. 
You will never be exposed if you repent to Allah and are sincere in your repentance, for Allah is the Concealer and loves concealment.
For more details, please refer to the following answers: 37673 , 127290 , 826 , and 2571 .
And Allah knows best.

Praise be to Allah.There are several causes of apathy and before dealing with the problem we have to pause and find out the cause. There are several ways of finding out the cause and dealing with apathy. 
Some of these causes are: a weak relationship with Allaah, laziness in worship, keeping company with careless people, being distracted by this world and its delights, and not thinking about the end of this world and the consequences of being ill-prepared to meet Allaah. 
As for how to treat the Muslim who has been afflicted by apathy in worship, there are several ways of doing so including the following: 
1 – Strengthening his relationship with his Lord, by reading the Qur’aan and pondering its meanings, realizing the greatness of Allaah by seeing the greatness of His Book, thinking about the greatness of His names and attributes and actions. 
2 – Regularly offering naafil prayers and persisting in doing so, even if they are few, because one of the greatest causes of the Muslim becoming apathetic is when he starts to do acts of worship and does a great deal in the beginning. This is not the way of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and is not what he advised his ummah to do. ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) described his actions as ongoing, i.e., not interrupted or infrequent. And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) told us that, “The most beloved of actions to Allaah are those which are done persistently, even if they are little.” If a Muslim wants not to be afflicted by apathy, then let him strive to do a small action persistently, because this is better than doing a lot infrequently. 
3 – Striving to keep company with righteous and active people. A man who is energetic (in worship and Islamic activities) will make you more active and lazy people do not like active companions. So look for active friends who strive to memorize Qur’aan, seek knowledge and call people to Allaah. Friends like that will encourage you to worship and will show you the way to good things. 
4 – Read books that tell the stories of active people so that you will have good examples in your journey towards Allaah. For example, ‘Uluw al-Himmah by Shaykh Muhammad ibn Ismaa’eel al-Muqaddim; Salaah al-Ummah fi ‘Uluw al-Himmah by Shaykh Sayyid ‘Afaani. 
5 – We advise you to make du’aa’, especially in the latter part of the night. The one who turns to his Lord and seeks His help to remain steadfast in worshipping Him and to worship Him well will never be let down.
We ask Allaah to help you to do that which pleases Him and to guide you to the best attitudes, words and deeds. 
And Allaah knows best.

Praise be to Allah.We ask Allah to bless you with righteous offspring and to bless this child. 
There is nothing wrong with telling other people about the pregnancy after you find out about it, and it is not essential to wait until three months have passed. Rather it is permissible to tell others before then, but you should limit that to family and close friends only. This is a general principle which should be paid attention to when telling others of blessings. The news should be given only to those who wish good for you and will rejoice over it, so as to ward off the evil eye and destructive envy. 
The evidence for that is the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): “Be discreet in order to achieve what you want, for everyone who is blessed is envied.” (Narrated by At-Tabarani and Abu Nu`aym; classed as authentic by Al-Albani in Sahih Al-Jami`, no. 943) 
For more details, please refer to the following answers: 82465 , 119767 , 12368 , 7889 , 12287 , and 88734 .            
And Allah knows best.

Praise be to Allah.The name of failure is enough to put us off it and strive for success, regardless of the material gains that a man may attain as the result of his success, because failure is a word that implies shortcomings and loss, and success is a word that implies perfection and praise. 
Failure and success are two sides of the same coin, although they may seem to contradict one another at first glance. But in fact they are interconnected if you think about it, based on experience and real life.
Success is the path in this life which Allaah wants to be the aim of every believer. He has created the universe and subjugated it to meet this aim. He, may He be glorified, has enjoined man to believe, and has asked him to adhere to full submission to Him, as he cannot be anything but a slave to Allaah, and He has made that the purpose of creation, as He says (interpretation of the meaning): 
“And I (Allaah) created not the jinn and mankind except that they should worship Me (Alone)”
[al-Dhaariyaat 51:56]
And He has promised that the one who dies following this path will be the successful one, and others will be losers: 
“And whoever is removed away from the Fire and admitted to Paradise, he indeed is successful”
[Aal ‘Imraan 3:185]
So success is the story of life, the purpose for which Allaah has created this universe. He only sent the Messengers and revealed the Books to call people to attain true success before Allaah. He has decreed certain matters in order to motivate us to attain success in this world and in the Hereafter, as follows: 
-He decreed eternal and everlasting delight for those who pass the test of faith and full submission, and adhere to that path and die following it:
“Then as for him who will be given his Record in his right hand will say: ‘Here! read my Record!
20. ‘Surely, I did believe that I shall meet my Account!’
21. So he shall be in a life, well‑pleasing.
22. In a lofty Paradise,
23. The fruits in bunches whereof will be low and near at hand.
24. Eat and drink at ease for that which you have sent on before you in days past!”
[al-Haaqqah 69:19-24]
-The Qur’aan depicts the state of those who refused to follow the path of success and insisted on following the path of evil and failure, and described their situation on the Day when results will be shown, and it will be known who succeeded and who failed:
“But as for him who will be given his Record in his left hand, will say: ‘I wish that I had not been given my Record!
26. ‘And that I had never known how my Account is!
27. ‘Would that it had been my end (death)!
28. ‘My wealth has not availed me;
29. ‘My power (and arguments to defend myself) have gone from me!’”
[al-Haaqqah 69:25-29]
-Allaah, may He be glorified and exalted, decreed a good life in this world for the one who follows the path of success, He said (interpretation of the meaning):
“Whoever works righteousness — whether male or female — while he (or she) is a true believer (of Islamic Monotheism) verily, to him We will give a good life (in this world with respect, contentment and lawful provision), and We shall pay them certainly a reward in proportion to the best of what they used to do (i.e. Paradise in the Hereafter)”
[al-Nahl 16:97]
Ibn Katheer (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:  
This is a promise from Allaah to the one who does righteous deeds, that Allaah will give him a good life in this world, and a good life includes all kinds of comfort and delight. It was narrated from Ibn ‘Abbaas and others that they interpreted it as meaning a goodly halaal provision, and it was narrated from ‘Ali ibn Abi Taalib (may Allaah be pleased with him) that he interpreted it as meaning contentment. ‘Ali ibn Abi Talhah said, narrating from Ibn ‘Abbaas, that it means happiness. The correct view is that a good life includes all of these things. Tafseer al-Qur’aan il-‘Azeem (4/601). 
This is the way according to which the Muslim should live throughout his life. The one who starts out on the basis of this understanding will inevitably be led to success and achievement in all his affairs, both religious and worldly, because the believer knows that he is required to establish truth and justice in this world, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): 
“Indeed We have sent Our Messengers with clear proofs, and revealed with them the Scripture and the Balance (justice) that mankind may keep up justice”
[al-Hadeed 57:25]
An individual’s success is part of the success of the ummah in achieving justice and fairness. 
And the believer also hears the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) who said: “Allaah loves, when one of you does a thing, that he should do it well.” Narrated by Abu Ya’la (7/349) and classed as hasan by al-Albaani on the basis of corroborating evidence in al-Silsilah al-Saheehah (1113). Doing things well is one of the pillars of success. 
These motives are all things that prepare the believer to attain the highest degrees of success. He always strives to develop his talents and learn useful skills, and to develop himself on the educational, moral, social and economic levels. He knows that the successful, striving believer is better than the one who is idle and lazy, who earns nothing from his laziness but loss in both worldly and religious terms. 
It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The strong believer is better and more beloved to Allaah than the weak believer, although both are good. Strive to do that which will benefit you and seek the help of Allaah, and do not feel helpless. If anything befalls you, do not say ‘If only I had done (such and such), the such and such would have happened,’ rather say: ‘Allaah has decreed and what He wills He does,’ for ‘if only’ opens the door to the work of the shaytaan.” Narrated by Muslim (2664). 
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: This hadeeth includes several important principles of faith, including the following: 
That a person’s happiness lies in his seeking that which will benefit him in this life and in the Hereafter, and this striving means expending effort and doing one’s utmost. Because a man’s striving and action can only be with the help of Allaah and by His will and support, He commanded him to seek His help, so that he will be acting in accordance with the meaning of the verse (interpretation of the meaning): “You (Alone) we worship, and You (Alone) we ask for help (for each and everything)” [al-Faatihah 1:5]. His striving for that which will benefit him is an act of worship to Allaah, which cannot be done except with His help, so He commanded him to worship Him and seek His help. 
Then he said: “and do not feel helpless”, because feeling helpless is contrary to striving for that which will benefit him, and it is contrary to seeking the help of Allaah. The one who strives for that which will benefit him and seeks the help of Allaah is the opposite of the one who feels helpless, so this is telling him, before what has been decreed happens, of that which is one of the greatest means of attaining it, which is striving for it whilst seeking the help of the One in Whose hand is control of all things, from Whom they come and to Whom they will return. If he does not attain what was not decreed for him, then he may feel either of two things: helplessness, which opens the door to the work of the shaytaan, so his sense of helplessness leads him to say “if only”, but there is nothing good in saying “if only” in this case, rather that opens the door to blame, panic, discontentment, regret and grief, all of which are the work of the shaytaan, so the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) forbade us to open the door to his works in this manner, and told us to adopt the second option, which is looking at the divine decree and bearing it in mind, for if it was decreed for him it would never have missed him and no one could have prevented him from attaining it. Hence he said: “If anything befalls you, do not say ‘If only I had done (such and such), the such and such would have happened,’ rather say: ‘Allaah has decreed and what He wills He does,’” and he taught him that which will benefit him in either case, whether he gets what he wanted or not. Hence this hadeeth is one which a person can never do without. 
Shifa’ al-‘Aleel (37-38). 
With this thinking one can overcome every obstacle and every failure, and there is nothing that he cannot achieve; there will be no limit to his hopes and no end to his ambition and resolve.  
Rather he will realize that failure is a sign of someone who is striving, because the one who strives is the one who may fail, but the one who does nothing and is lazy will neither fail nor succeed. Effort must inevitably lead to success one day, even if it is a long way off. So he should take failure as a step towards success, learning from it the causes of shortcomings, and trying to overcome them and set them straight, so that he becomes stronger than he was before, until he attains the success for which he is striving. 
The door of repentance which Allaah, may He be exalted, has opened to those who make mistakes and fail is another incentive to overcome failures and attain success, especially if the one who falls short learns from his experience. One of the salaf said: A sin that generates humility and regret is better than an act of obedience that generates self-admiration and arrogance. 
Finally, with all these motives for attaining success and overcoming failure, there remains no excuse for being inactive or lazy. The way is easy and all it requires of you is some determination, will power and wisdom. 
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “All of my ummah will enter Paradise except those who refuse.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari (7280). 
See also the answer to question no. 22704. 
And Allaah knows best.

Praise be to Allah.It should be understood that the more a person tries to draw close to Allah, the more the Shaytan will try to block his path in order to undermine his efforts and make his life difficult, and divert him from worshipping and obeying Allah, may He be exalted.
So the Muslim must strive to be patient and strive against his nafs and evil inclinations and against the Shaytan. He should offer a lot of supplication and beseech Allah, may He be exalted, to help him to remain steadfast.
Upholding regular prayer, keeping away from haram things, remembering Allah a great deal, and seeking to draw close to Him by doing supererogatory (nafil) acts of worship – all of this is the straight path, which you must strive hard to adhere to and be patient in bearing its hardships.
Remember the words of the Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him): “A person will still be answered so long as his supplication does not involve sin or severing ties of kinship, and so long as he does not become impatient.” It was said: O Messenger of Allah, what does being impatient mean? He said: “Saying, I offered supplication, and I offered supplication, and I did not receive any response, then he becomes frustrated and stops offering supplication.” Narrated by Muslim (2735).
So do not say, “I remembered Allah a great deal, and I prayed and I spent the night in prayer, but my heart was not softened.” Rather you should strive hard in remembering Allah (dhikr), praying and spending the night in prayer (qiyam), until you attain what you are seeking.
As it is said: Whoever keeps knocking on the door, it will be opened to him; as for the one who knocks only once and goes away…
You should understand that what befalls you sometimes of grief, sadness, distress and lack of motivation is part of the Shaytan’s scheme that he uses against the believers to make them despondent. Once a person realizes that, and he becomes certain that it is the scheme of the Shaytan, then he will be on the alert and will seek refuge with Allah from that.
And you should understand that the sweetness of faith and finding pleasure in the remembrance of Allah, may He be exalted, is something that the believer will never attain except after striving against his nafs and evil inclinations, and against the Shaytan. Hence one of the early generations said: I struggled to make myself read the Quran for twenty years, then I found pleasure in it for twenty years. Similarly, finding pleasure in the remembrance of Allah and obeying Him can only come after persisting in doing righteous deeds and striving hard for a long time, until the believer starts to taste the sweetness of faith.
May Allah help you to do that which He loves and is pleased with, and may He suffice you against the evil of your own self (nafs) and the evil of the Shaytan.
And Allah knows best.