Methodology of the Muslim

From: Muhammad ibn Saleh al-'Uthaymeen.
To: a son - may Allah the Elevated preserve him.

As Salamu Alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatahu

You have asked me, may Allah bless you, to lay out a methodology for you to implement throughout your life. Indeed, I ask Allah the Elevated to grant all of us success in attaining guidance, righteousness and steadfastness, to make us amongst those who are guided as well as those who are a source of guidance, and make us amongst the righteous as well those who cause rectification.

Firstly: with regards to Allah – the Mighty and Majestic:

You alone we worship, and from You alone we seek assistance

• Be keen on always being with Allah the Glorified, always being conscious of his Greatness, always thinking about His worldly signs; such as the creation of the Heavens and Earth, and what was placed within them with His profound wisdom, magnigicent ability, tremendous mercy and favor. In addition, think about His legislated signs which He sent His Messengers with, especially the seal of the Messengers – Muhammad - ﷺ.
• Fill your heart with the love of Allah - the Elevated, for the favors He bestows upon you, and the calamities He prevents from befalling you. Especially for the favor of Islam and being steadfast upon it. [Fill your heart with love] to the point that Allah is more beloved to you than anything else.
• Fill your heart with the reverence of Allah - the Mighty and Majestic, until He is more revered to you than anything else. When love and reverence for Allah – the Elevated - are combined in your heart, you will be steadfast upon obeying him; enacting what He ordered due to your love for Him, and abstaining from what He prohibited due to revering Him.
• Be sincere to Allah - the Mighty and Majestic - in your worship. Be fully dependent upon Him in all your affairs, so that you may achieve the status of:
• Be conscious - with your heart - that you are implementing what He ordered in obedience to His command, and abstaining from what He has prohibited in obedience to His prohibitions. For indeed, with this method, you would discover an experience with your worship that you would not be able to precieve if you were in a state of negligence. You would also be assisted by Him in your affairs in a manner that you would not attain if you depended on yourself.

Secondly – with the Messenger of Allah - ﷺ :

• That you love him more than anything else created, and that you give precedence to his guidance and Sunnah over any other guidance and Sunnah.
• Take him as your Imam (role model) in your worship and mannerisms; in that you are conscious you are following [his example] while you are performing an act worship, just as if he were before you; treading upon his footsteps and following his method. Likewise shoul your interactions with people be, you should emulate his manners which were described by Allah as:

And indeed, you are of a great moral character. Al-Qalam: 4

If you commit yourself to this, you would be extremely keen on learning his legislation and manners.

• Be a caller, supporter and defender of his sunnah, for Allah the Elevated will support you according to your support of His Shari’ah.

Thirdly: Daily Tasks other than your Obligations.

• If you wake up at night, mention/remember Allah the Elevated, and supplicate for whatever you wish. For indeed Du’a at this time is likely to be answered, and recite from the statement of Allah:

  Indeed in the creation of the Heavens and Earth… Aal-‘Imran: 190

  Until the end of Surat Aal ‘Imran, which are ten verses.

• Pray as much as was decreed for you at the end of the night, and end your prayers with one Rak’ah.
• Commit yourself to what is easy for you to recite from the Adhkar (supplications) of the morning;
• Say: There is no deity worthy of worship except Allah, alone having no partners, to Him belongs praise and His is the sovereignty, and He is Able to do all things^[1].
• Pray your two Raka’s of Duha.
• Commit to what is easy for you from the Adhkar of the afternoon/evening.