'Hard work' is the key to success. Is it?

'Hard work' is the key to success. 

Look at Elon Musk. He works 18 hours a day. 

Look at Apple. Thanks to the vision and the relentless hard work of Steve Jobs, we enjoy such incredible products. 

Do you want to become successful? 

Do you want to impact the world the way Elon Musk and Steve Jobs did? 

What kind of life do you want to live? 

What car do you want to drive? 

Where do you want your children to study? 

What kind of life do you want to give to your children? 

What kind of financial freedom do you want? 

Do you want to be remembered? What do you want to be remembered for? 

Know your passion, know what you want, set your goal, and work for it. Work so hard as if this is the last day of your life. Work as if there is no tomorrow! 

Look at Sundar Pichai. His family had their first TV when he was 10 years old. His father had to spend his one year of salary to buy the plane ticket for him to go from India to the US for studies. 

Look what he has become today! He is the highest-paid CEO in the world.

Look around you; you have much more! 

So what is stopping you from working hard to achieve your dream life? 

It is only you who is holding yourself back.

But know that you can achieve anything if you know what you want and work hard for it...

...

This is what we are learning. 

This is the culture you are working with. 

This is the competitive world you are doing business in. 

Do you want to survive in this world? Work hard!

Now you are motivated!

Pumped up!

You imagined a life that you want.

A dream job/business.

A dream school for your children.

A dream holiday!

A dream house!

Your dream car!

That BBQ party where you invite all your friends and they’re amazed seeing your new house and car.

A lot of laughter...

A lot of happiness...

You saw it all!

You saw it in your imagination. 

And you remembered, if you can dream it, you can do it!

So you are even more pumped up!

‘Yes, I can do it.

I just need to work hard!’

You work hard!

You work hard every day!

You do a 9-5 job... but you work hard until 9 pm for that coming promotion. 

You work extra hard for that annual bonus which gives you a little more ease.

Your spouse is also working hard.

But your spouse also complains, ‘Your children don’t see you anymore!’

You reply, ‘honey, you know how important this promotion/bonus is, right? 

I am doing this so that I can give you and our children a good life...

I am going to start a side hustle right after my promotion.

I will then have more time for you and our children.

Please be patient for now.’

You work harder!

You barely have time for Salah. 

You pray Dhuhr salah just when the time is about to end.

You pray hastily. 

After a few years of hard work, now you have your own business.

You have a house that you are paying the mortgage on every month.

You have that (decent dream) car!

But you don’t know your spouse anymore...

Your children don’t know you at all.

You get frustrated!

You call it a midlife crisis.

...

Sounds familiar? 

Do you feel the stress? 

You have been under stress all along from the beginning!

You have been under stress from the moment someone made you imagine ‘your dream life.

You fail to recognize that it was not your dream life. It was a life that they projected on the screen during that motivational speech.

You fail to recognize that it was their dream to sell their book/CD/seminar/online-course/master class so that they can live ‘their’ dream life. 

You fail to recognize your priority!

You fail to recognize that Allah told you to search for your provision, but not at the expense of your duties.

You fail to recognize that Allah assures you of your provision so that you can be stress-free. 

You fail to remember that your provision has been written by Allah.

You fail to remember that Allah is Ar-Razzaq! 

Your provision will come to you even if you try to flee from it. 

All you have to do is to go out and search for it and continue remembering Allah.

Allah would suffice you.

Allah would provide you from where you could not even imagine.

Allah would take you out of all difficulties. 

Allah would give you a life with abundant (Barakah) satisfaction and happiness. 

Allah would increase more and more.

Do you really want Allah to increase your Rizq? This is what you should be doing:

1. The consciousness of Allah (Taqwa): Whosoever fears Allah and keeps his duty to Him, He will make way for him to get out (from every difficulty). And He will provide him from (sources) he never could imagine. (65:2-3)
2. Reliance on Allah: Whosoever puts his trust in Allah, then He will suffice him. Verily, Allah will accomplish his purpose. Indeed Allah has set a measure for all things. (65:3)
3. Prayer: Enjoin prayer upon your family [and people] and be steadfast therein. We ask you not for provision; We provide for you, and the [best] outcome is for [those of] righteousness. (20:132)
4. Faith and good deeds: Those who have believed and done righteous deeds - for them is forgiveness and noble provision. (22:50)
5. Helping others: RasulAllah sallAllahu 'alaihi wasallam said, seekout the vulnerable among you. Verily, you are only given provision and support due to your support of the weak. (at-Tirmidhi 1702)
6. Keeping good relations with family: “Whoever would like his lifespan to be extended, his provision to be increased and a bad death to be warded off from him, let him fear Allah and uphold his ties of kinship” (Musnad Ahmad 1213)
7. Thankfulness: 'If you are grateful, I will surely increase you [in favor]; but if you deny, indeed, My punishment is severe.' (14:7)
8. Asking forgiveness and repentance: 'Ask forgiveness of your Lord. Indeed, He is ever a Perpetual Forgiver. He will send [rain from] the sky upon you in [continuing] showers And give you increase in wealth and children and provide for you gardens and provide for you rivers. (71:10-12)
9. Charity: Who is it that would loan Allah a goodly loan so He may multiply it for him many times over? (2:245)
10. Migration for the sake of Allah: Whoever emigrates for the cause of Allah will find on the earth many [alternative] locations and abundance. (4:100)

We have no choice on how much Rizq we’ll get in our lives. But we can choose how we get it.

Anas bin Malik narrated that the Messenger of Allah (?) said:

“Whoever makes the Hereafter his goal, Allah makes his heart rich, and organizes his affairs, and the world comes to him whether it wants to or not. And whoever makes the world his goal, Allah puts his poverty right before his eyes and disorganizes his affairs, and the world does not come to him, except what has been decreed for him.” [Collected by At-Tirmithi (2465), Ibn Majah (4105)]

Hard work, the capitalistic way ... or Hard work, by being conscious of Allah (Taqwa).

The choice is ours!