❖ English Translation ❖
Source: Khutbāt Ḥāfiẓ Muḥammad Isḥāq Zāhid – Compiled by: Tauheed.com
✦ Twelve Divine Principles for a Prosperous Life in Light of Qur’an and Sunnah
❖ Introduction
Allah created all human beings from clay and made Ādam عليه السلام their common father. Although all humans share the same origin, they differ in:
• Appearance and color
• Wealth and status
• Character and faith
Some are wealthy, others poor; some are generous, others miserly; some are righteous believers, others corrupt disbelievers. Yet, one desire unites them all:
✓ The desire for a prosperous life.
❀ The businessman strives to expand his trade.
❀ The laborer toils day and night.
→ Their goal is happiness and comfort.
Even the worshiper and the sinner both seek a life free from sorrow.
So, we ask:
➊ Does everyone attain prosperity?
➋ What are the real means of escaping distress?
➌ Which path leads to a truly fulfilling life?
The Qur’an and Sunnah provide clear, actionable guidance toward peace and success.
➊ First Principle: Faith and Righteous Deeds
The foundation of a successful life is Imān (faith) and ʿAmal Ṣāliḥ (righteous deeds).
Allah says:
﴿مَنْ عَمِلَ صَالِحًا… فَلَنُحْيِيَنَّهُ حَيَاةً طَيِّبَةً﴾
📖 [al-Naḥl 16:97]
❝Whoever does righteous deeds—male or female—while having faith, We will grant them a good life.❞
﴿الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ طُوبَىٰ لَهُمْ…﴾
📖 [al-Raʿd 13:29]
❝Those who believe and do righteous deeds—glad tidings and a blessed end await them.❞
These verses emphasize:
◈ ➊ True faith
◈ ➋ Consistent good deeds—worship, morals, and social conduct
And Allah never breaks His promise:
﴿إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يُخْلِفُ الْمِيعَادَ﴾
📖 [Āl ʿImrān 3:9]
✓ Characteristics of a Believer Who Attains Happiness:
❀ Performs prayers regularly
❀ Pays zakāh
❀ Fasts during Ramaḍān
❀ Honors parents and relatives
❀ Deals with honesty and integrity
❀ Avoids deceit and harām income
➤ Such a person receives barakah in this world and Paradise in the Hereafter.
✘ In contrast:
One who neglects prayer, lies, cheats, consumes harām, and disobeys parents—**no matter how hard he tries—**he will not find lasting peace.
Allah says:
﴿وَمَنْ أَعْرَضَ عَن ذِكْرِي… فَإِنَّ لَهُ مَعِيشَةً ضَنكًا﴾
📖 [Ṭāhā 20:124–126]
❝Whoever turns away from My remembrance, for him is a life of hardship… and on the Day of Judgment he shall be raised blind.❞
✓ The Foundation of Faith: Tawḥīd
Prosperity lies in holding firmly to Tawḥīd (pure monotheism):
• Worship only Allah
• Call only upon Him
• Believe that only He gives benefit and harm
• Understand that He alone is al-Dātā, al-Nāfiʿ, al-Muʿīn
Those who seek help from others besides Allah fall into disgrace and humiliation.
Allah says:
﴿وَمَن يُشْرِكْ بِاللَّهِ… فَكَأَنَّمَا خَرَّ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ﴾
📖 [al-Ḥajj 22:31]
❝Whoever associates partners with Allah—it is as if he falls from the sky and is snatched by birds or blown into a distant abyss.❞
✓ Follow the Messenger ﷺ
Following the Prophet ﷺ is essential to faith. Innovations and neglect of Sunnah bring fitnah and loss.
﴿فَلْيَحْذَرِ الَّذِينَ يُخَالِفُونَ…﴾
📖 [al-Nūr 24:63]
❝Let those beware who oppose the Messenger’s command, lest a trial befall them or a painful punishment.❞
❖ Summary of Principle 1:
Success = Faith + Righteous Action
Its essence lies in Tawḥīd and adherence to Sunnah.
➋ Second Principle: Prayer (Ṣalāh)
Prayer is the key to nearness to Allah and a pillar of success.
The Prophet ﷺ said:
❝The closest a servant is to his Lord is while in prostration—so make many duʿās therein.❞
📖 Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 482
Allah says:
﴿يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اسْتَعِينُوا بِالصَّبْرِ وَالصَّلَاةِ…﴾
📖 al-Baqarah 2:153
❝O you who believe, seek help through patience and prayer; surely Allah is with those who are patient.❞
Prayer provides:
✓ Relief from grief
✓ Connection with Allah
✓ Strength in hardship
The Prophet ﷺ said:
❝And the coolness of my eyes has been placed in prayer.❞
📖 Aḥmad, al-Nasā’ī – Authentic
✦ A Moving Story: Help Through Prayer
A poor man driving a mule cart was attacked in a remote valley. Begging for his life, he asked only to offer two rakʿāt of prayer. While praying, Allah inspired his tongue with:
﴿أَمَّنْ يُجِيبُ الْمُضْطَرَّ إِذَا دَعَاهُ…﴾
📖 al-Naml 27:62
❝Who answers the distressed one when he calls Him…?❞
Suddenly, a horseman appeared, killed the attacker, and said:
❝I was sent by the One who answers the distressed when he calls.❞
→ This is the power of ṣalāh during desperation.
➌ Third Principle: Taqwā (God-Consciousness)
Especially for those burdened with debt, unemployment, or poverty, taqwā is the divine key to relief and provision.
Allah promises:
﴿وَمَن يَتَّقِ اللَّهَ يَجْعَل لَّهُ مَخْرَجًا﴾
📖 al-Ṭalāq 65:2
❝Whoever fears Allah, He will make for him a way out.❞
﴿وَيَرْزُقْهُ مِنْ حَيْثُ لَا يَحْتَسِبُ﴾
📖 al-Ṭalāq 65:3
❝And He will provide for him from where he does not expect.❞
Taqwā brings:
✓ Relief from hardship
✓ Ease in affairs
✓ Blessings from the heavens and earth
➍ Fourth Principle: Tawbah and Istighfār (Repentance and Seeking Forgiveness)
Most difficulties stem from our sins. The divine solution is sincere repentance and frequent istighfār.
Allah says:
﴿وَمَا أَصَابَكُم مِّن مُّصِيبَةٍ…﴾
📖 al-Shūrā 42:30
❝Whatever affliction befalls you is because of what your own hands have earned…❞
Prophet Nūḥ عليه السلام advised:
﴿اسْتَغْفِرُوا رَبَّكُمْ… يُرْسِلِ السَّمَاءَ…﴾
📖 Nūḥ 71:10–12
❝Seek forgiveness from your Lord—He will send rain, increase your wealth and children, grant you gardens and rivers.❞
→ Istighfār brings prosperity.
➎ Fifth Principle: Duʿā (Supplication)
All blessings and relief come from Allah alone. Thus, supplicating to Him is key to achieving contentment.
The Prophet ﷺ said:
❝Allah is shy and generous; when a servant raises his hands, He feels shy to return them empty.❞
📖 Tirmidhī, Abū Dāwūd – Authentic
Duʿā benefits:
➊ Is accepted directly
➋ Becomes reward in the Hereafter
➌ Prevents future calamity
﴿أُجِيبُ دَعْوَةَ الدَّاعِ إِذَا دَعَانِ﴾
📖 al-Baqarah 2:186
➏ Sixth Principle: Dhikr (Remembrance of Allah)
Spiritual peace comes through the remembrance of Allah.
﴿أَلَا بِذِكْرِ اللَّهِ تَطْمَئِنُّ الْقُلُوبُ﴾
📖 al-Raʿd 13:28
❝Surely, hearts find peace in Allah’s remembrance.❞
Most virtuous dhikr:
✓ Lā ilāha illā Allāh
✓ Subḥān Allāh
✓ Al-ḥamdu liLlāh
✓ Allāhu Akbar
✓ Lā ḥawla wa lā quwwata illā biLlāh
→ Avoid music or harām entertainment; these increase restlessness.
➐ Seventh Principle: Gratitude (Shukr)
Gratitude ensures increase in blessings.
﴿لَئِن شَكَرْتُمْ لَأَزِيدَنَّكُمْ﴾
📖 Ibrāhīm 14:7
❝If you are grateful, I will surely increase you.❞
Gratitude is both verbal and practical.
The Prophet ﷺ used to pray at night until his feet swelled. When asked why, he replied:
❝Should I not be a grateful servant?❞
📖 Bukhārī, Muslim
➑ Eighth Principle: Ṣabr (Patience)
When facing trials, patience earns Allah’s mercy and forgiveness.
﴿وَبَشِّرِ الصَّابِرِينَ﴾
📖 al-Baqarah 2:155–157
❝Give glad tidings to the patient… they are the rightly guided.❞
Prophet ﷺ said:
❝No fatigue, illness, sorrow, harm, or even a thorn befalls a Muslim, except that Allah expiates his sins through it.❞
📖 Bukhārī, Muslim
➒ Ninth Principle: Tawakkul (Trust in Allah)
True reliance on Allah removes fear, uncertainty, and anxiety.
﴿وَمَن يَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى اللَّهِ فَهُوَ حَسْبُهُ﴾
📖 al-Ṭalāq 65:3
❝Whoever trusts in Allah, He is sufficient for him.❞
Prophet ﷺ said:
❝If you truly trusted Allah, He would provide for you like He provides for birds.❞
📖 Ṣaḥīḥ al-Jāmiʿ: 5254
➓ Tenth Principle: Contentment (Qanāʿah)
Be pleased with what Allah has provided. Compare yourself to those with less, not more.
The Prophet ﷺ said:
❝Look at those below you, not above you, lest you belittle Allah’s favors.❞
📖 Muslim: 2963
He also said:
❝Whoever wakes up healthy, safe, and with a day’s provision—it is as if he possesses the whole world.❞
📖 Tirmidhī, Ibn Mājah
⓫ Eleventh Principle: Utilizing Free Time Wisely
Use spare time for Qur’an, Sunnah, biographies of the righteous—not vain pursuits.
The Prophet ﷺ said:
❝Two blessings many are cheated of: health and free time.❞
📖 Bukhārī: 6412
⓬ Twelfth Principle: Helping Others in Distress
Relieve others’ burdens—Allah will relieve yours.
Prophet ﷺ said:
❝Whoever wants his duʿā accepted and hardship lifted, let him help the needy.❞
📖 Aḥmad
❖ Conclusion:
If we sincerely desire dignity, peace, and prosperity, these twelve principles must become a living part of our practice, not just words we read.
May Allah grant us the ability to act upon them. Āmīn.
