Dec!De Y0uR PaTh W!sELy (:

(Turn towards Allah, O believers, every one of you, so that you may be successful) (An-Nur 24:31)

Ahh...Success! It is among my favourite words, really.

I love this ayah (verse). It has one simple guidelines that allows us to become successful in both this world and in the Hereafter. The words "so" in " so that you may be successful" sounds like a guarentee. Like, drink so that your thirst is quenched. Eat so that your hunger is gone. Study so that you pass the exam. Follow Allah so that you can become successful. A guarentee from Allah! Want to change? Turn to Him. This is our Lord said.

Let me share with you a "micro" mini-book I once read, a super-short story containing five scenes with an analogy worth sharing....

Scene 1 :

I walk down a street, and there's a deep hole in the sidewalk. I fall in. It takes forever to get out. It's not my fault.

Scene 2 :

I walk down the same street. I fall in the hole again. It still takes a long time to get out. It's my fault.

Scene 3 :

I walk down the same street . I fall in the hole again. It's becoming a habit. It is definitely my fault. I get out immediately.

Scene 4 :

I walk down the same street and see the deep hole in the sidewalk. I walk around it.

Scene 5 :

I walk down a different street.

Cute, right? Finally, the narrator walked down a different street. This story is beautifully written as it is very simple and direct. And I love its simplicity. Despite that, it carries with it a fundamental guideline for change....

Think about the street you are walking now. Is there a hole which you keep falling in and end up hurting yourself? Why do you still fall in, despite knowing of its existence? Why is it so hard for you to walk around it, or maybe even use another street?

Remember my dear friends, Allah promises. Not me. Not your parents. Not your friends. Not your boss. It is the promise of our Creator, our Lord, the Most Powerful.

Change, Turn towards Him. And be successful...