Seeking the Highest – This Is My Goal

By Shirien Elamawy

Mass Communication Student – US

I hate clichés. How many times have we heard people say, "Don't aim low when setting your goals?" When people tell us this, does it really drive us to aim high? Or does it just sound like the old same rhetoric we've been hearing all our lives?

Most likely, it's the latter.

I used to think this way too until I stumbled upon a hadith of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) that changed my outlook on everything. In the hadith, the Prophet tells us that when we ask Almighty Allah for Paradise, we should ask for Al-Firdaws Al-`ala, the highest level of Paradise.

Between the lines, you can almost hear the Prophet say, "Don't aim low."

How many times have we taken exams hoping just to pass; you know, get away with a C or B max.? Rarely will we come out of that exam making an A. The Prophet is telling us to set the bar high. Because if you aim for mediocrity, unfortunately, that's the best you'll ever get.

So now we know we should set our goals high. But what if we don't have concrete goals? What if we still don't know what exactly we want to do in our lives? Who's to say we'll live long enough to accomplish our goals?

I'll be perfectly honest, I hate making lists. I hate when people tell me to write down my goals and check them off as I accomplish them. Most of the time, that piece of paper ends up being used for my grocery list a couple of days later!

However, if we keep a couple of things in mind while thinking about our future, the rest will be easy, God willing.

1. Everything should come back to your purpose in life.

Almighty Allah says,

(And I did not create the Jinn and humankind except to worship Me (alone)) (Adh-Dhariyat 51:56).

Our purpose in this life is to worship Allah the way He prescribed us to worship Him. Therefore, in setting your goals, you have to make sure that anything and everything you do is in accordance to what is most pleasing to Allah. If you work toward haram goals in this world, your ultimate goal is lost; the goal of attaining Al-Firdaws; seeking Allah's grace.

2. All actions are but by intentions. Not only is this the key to success in both worlds, it's effortless. The difference between a student who goes to class routinely every morning because he or she has to go and the one who goes to class for the sake of Allah, is that the former is losing out on the reward he or she could get if that adjustment in intentions is made.

3. Almost any field can be for the sake of Allah.Whether you want to go into medicine, physics, or media, you should learn it to benefit Islam and humanity around you. If you plan to be a doctor, benefit those in need; plan to save people's lives knowing that Allah says,

(If anyone saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of all humankind)(Al-Ma'idah 5:32).

If you plan to work in the media, work for spreading true Islam to mass audiences. Work against the agendas and the propaganda used against Muslims today. Almost any field can be for the sake of Allah so long as it does not cross into the haram. More importantly, when you have the right intentions, your work will be meaningful and worthwhile.

4. Have passion in what you do, not only what you think will make the most money. Find what you can be the absolute best in! Find what you have a passion for – something that completely intrigues and captivates you, and find an economic engine to drive it forward! Our parents might try to pressure us to go into a field because of its prestige. Although it's good to please one's parents, we should try to convince them to let us do something we like to do. When we do something that interests us, it sets us up for doing that thing it with ihsaan — Arabic for: striving to do it with the highest standards and recognizing that Allah himself is watching you; perfecting what we do. If you're worried that your hobby is something that won't bring you enough money, then remember if you're doing it for Allah's sake, then put your trust in Almighty Allah and fear Him because He will provide for you. You just have to be confident that He will.

5. You will be tested.Lastly, when you have the right intention, expect opposition and hardship. Don't give up. There will be people telling you that your goals aren't realistic and there will be people who try to sabotage your goals. If you crumble under pressure, then know that you have failed the test and have proven that you did not put enough trust in Allah and turn to Him for help. Remember, if you walk toward Allah, He runs toward you. He is the only one who can give you success, and He is the only one who can take it away from you to test you. It's important to realize that we should all have goals — long-term and short-term. But our ultimate goal should be to attain the highest levels of Paradise without being punished in our graves or in Hell. Work in this life as if you'll live forever and prepare for the Hereafter as if you'll die tomorrow. For what have you prepared for tomorrow? Know that tomorrow may never come. Prepare for the worldly tomorrow, today, and most of all prepare for the Hereafter now and always.

Shirien Elamawy is a Mass Communication student and opinion columnist at Louisiana State University, the US. She specializes in doing public relations work for various Islamic projects and businesses. She can be reached at youth_campaign@iolteam.com