The Quranic Definition of Success

Teachings of the Holy Quran

The Quranic definition of success

Mawlana Abu Nur Rashid Ali Attari Madani

Every intelligent and conscientious person in the world wants to be successful. Yet, the measures and standards of what success is; this can vary from person to person. Running a prosperous business, finding a well-paying job, having a home in an affluent neighbourhood; these are examples of what some consider success. For others, success means much more than this. 

As Muslims, we must learn and understand the standard of success as per what the Quran and the Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم ordained it to be. The Quran declares attaining falāḥ (فلاح), fawz (فَوْز), najāt (نجات), ajr (اجر), and thawāb (ثواب) to be success. Other terms were also mentioned.

A host of verses describing the Quranic definition of success, which further clarifies and emphasises the subject matter. Let us now delve into what the Quran says success is.

Allah being pleased with you

Success is Allah being pleased with you and for you to be happy with what He apportioned of His bounties and blessings. Allah will grant shall such individuals heavenly gardens beneath which rivers flow, which shall be their eternal abode.[1]

Avoiding punishment

Success is when a person is blessed with Allah’s mercy and goes on to avoid being punished on the Day of Judgement.[2]

Truly successful

Success are for those whom Allah has promised gardens of Paradise and with whom He shall be grandly pleased.[3]

Those who have goodness written in their regard

Success is for those whose good deeds are accepted and for whom goodness is written. Gardens are prepared for them beneath which rivers flow, wherein they shall abide forever.[4]

Where success is truly found

Success is for one to reach Paradise. The Quran explains it to be the locus of success, containing gardens, grapes, servants, heavenly maidens, and overflowing cups of pure, uncontaminated wine. This celestial environment has no commotion, unsightly noise, or indecent speech. This is a special reward from Allah.[5]

Those who remain within the boundaries Allah established and obey Him and His Messenger; they will be taken to gardens beneath which rivers flow. They will live therein forever, and this is the great success.[6]

Salvation from punishment and grief

Success is to avoid punishment and sadness, and reach the station of salvation otherwise known as Paradise.[7]

Identifying the successful

Success is for those who were specifically distinguished as successful, such as the Muhājir and Anṣārī Companions, and the Tābiʿīn who followed in their footsteps. They were given glad tidings of Allah being pleased with them. Everlasting gardens of Paradise have been readied for their enjoyment.[8]

Your life for Paradise

Those of the world think success is perhaps remaining alive or living long. This is not the case.  Successful are those from whom Allah has purchased their lives and wealth in exchange for Paradise. They fight and are slain in the way of Allah.[9]

Worldly success

Whoever was given the treasure of taqwā and faith were also issued glad tidings of success, in this life and the Hereafter.[10]

Good deeds are a sign of success

Success is to have the ability to perform good deeds. Obeying Allah and His Messenger is what leads to real success.[11]

Safety from the consequences of sins

Whoever Allah saves from the severe consequences of sins on the Day of Judgement has received His mercy; itself a towering success.[12]

Safety from Hell

Success is for those who are saved by Allah and not punished in Hellfire.[13]

Entering Allah’s mercy

Success is when one is entered into Allah’s mercy .[14]

Sins being forgiven

Success is for those whose sins are forgiven by Allah and who are made to enter Paradise.[15]

The Quranic perspective

Success from a Quranic perspective also entails the Day of Judgement, when believers will have light in front of them and to their right. It is they who are successful. They will also receive glad tidings of living in Paradise forever.[16]

Faith and good deeds being accepted

Success is to have faith. It also connotes having your good deeds accepted and being admitted into Paradise. This form of it is matchless.[17]

Striving in the way of Allah

Success is when one’s striving, effort, and sacrifices in the way of Allah are accepted. Such people are bestowed high ranks by Him.[18]

Success is accepted actions and being placed amongst the successful by Allah.[19]

The people of Paradise are successful

The people of Paradise and residents of Hell; they are not equal in any capacity. Only the former are successful.[20]

Contemplating the verses we have just read, we see the words used to describe success by the Quran do not only refer to being successful in this world. It entails a success which does not lead to loss, harm, punishment, or penalty; a success which leads to salvation from punishment and entry to Paradise.

Success is not based on how much wealth, safety, health, and family one had in the world. It is founded on pleasing Allah and His Messenger, and one attaining access to Paradise.

Millions of Allah’s slaves have come and gone, who spent their lives in illnesses, debts, worries, or poverty. Yet, they have been issued glad tidings of success by Allah Himself.

When humankind began thinking money, fame, and status to be measures of success, they faced terrible outcomes. Humans have forgotten the purpose of their creation:وَ مَا خَلَقْتُ الْجِنَّ وَ الْاِنْسَ  اِلَّا لِیَعْبُدُوْنِ (۵۶)- “And I did not create jinn and mankind but to worship Me.” ^[21] They destroyed and altered things like Islamic law or good character, as these acted as barriers to fleeting worldly “success.”

People began justifying the breaching of religious restrictions. Never-before-seen parameters of morality and humanity were invented. Freedom and equality were changed to make usury, obscenity, occupation of countries, bloodshed, and the destruction of generations acceptable. Those who convey the teachings of the Quran and the Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم, and those who encourage others to offer salah; such individuals are accused of hindering progressiveness and success. These are all signs of misunderstanding the true meaning of success.

Keep in mind the Quran does not teach us to become utterly detached from the world and leave everything for disbelievers. In fact, it teaches us to supplicate for goodness in both worlds:

رَبَّنَاۤ  اٰتِنَا فِی الدُّنْیَا حَسَنَۃً  وَّ فِی الْاٰخِرَۃِ حَسَنَۃً  وَّ قِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ (۲۰۱)

“O our Lord! Grant us goodness in this world and grant us goodness in the Hereafter, and save us from the punishment of Hell.”[22]

Similarly, it commands us to earn halal sustenance according to our needs:

وَ لَا تَنۡسَ نَصِیۡبَکَ مِنَ الدُّنۡیَا

and do not forget your share from the world.[23]

In summary, the world with all its adornment and wealth is a necessity of life. Yet, it is not the purpose of life nor a sign of success. Life’s purpose is attaining guidance, whilst salvation is a sign of success, as the Quran states:

فَمَنْ زُحْزِحَ عَنِ النَّارِ وَ اُدْخِلَ الْجَنَّۃَ فَقَدْ فَازَ ؕ

So, whomsoever was saved from the Fire and admitted to Paradise, indeed he succeeded.[24]