Seriousness in the Life of a Muslim

And I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah alone with no partner. To Him belongs the dominion and praise; He gives life and causes death, and He has power over all things. He commanded all people to take matters firmly and to abandon frivolity.

Allah says:

Take what We have given you with determination

[Al-Baqarah: 63]

(Meaning: Hold firmly to what We have given you.) And He says:

Say, "Allah [revealed it]." Then leave them in their [empty] discourse, amusing themselves.

[Al-An‘am: 91]

(Meaning: Say “Allah,” then leave them to indulge in their play.)

And I bear witness that our master Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, who urged us to take matters with seriousness and resolve.

He used to seek refuge in Allah from helplessness and laziness, saying: “O Allah, I seek refuge in You from anxiety and sorrow; I seek refuge in You from incapacity and laziness; I seek refuge in You from cowardice and miserliness; and I seek refuge in You from being overwhelmed by debt and overpowered by people.

(Meaning: O Allah, I seek refuge in You from worry and grief, from incapacity and laziness, from cowardice and miserliness, and from the burden of debt and being overpowered by men.)

O believers: Islam aims to form a righteous nation—fit for stewardship and building the earth—preserving its identity and rising to higher ranks.

This will not be achieved except by adopting seriousness and positive action, starting with oneself, moving from the seat of criticism to the field of work, shaping events, taking initiative, believing in one’s role in life, and seeking Allah’s help without being hindered by obstructers or swayed by the masses.

Therefore, our topic is “Seriousness in the Life of a Muslim,” through the following main elements:

- Definition of seriousness

- Seriousness in seeking knowledge

- Importance of seriousness

- The danger of frivolity

- Signs of seriousness

- The reality of seriousness in the life of the Prophet ﷺ and the righteous predecessors Element One: Definition of Seriousness

Seriousness is the opposite of joking, negligence, weakness, and laxity. It is: carrying out religious and da‘wah duties immediately, with perseverance and continuous effort, employing all available means, and overcoming excuses and obstacles that stand in the way. Hence the Qur’an emphasizes that it is decisive, not play: “إIndeed, it [i.e.

, the Qur'an] is a decisive statement,And it is not amusement.” (Meaning: It is a decisive word, not a jest.

Imam Muslim narrated that Yahya ibn Abi Kathir said: “Knowledge is not attained with bodily comfort.” And it is said: “Whoever seeks comfort abandons comfort.”

Al-Khalil ibn Ahmad al-Farahidi said: “The heaviest hour upon me is the hour in which I eat.” Some of them would grieve and even fall ill if they missed a piece of knowledge. It was mentioned to Shu‘bah a hadith he had not heard, and he exclaimed: “How sad I am!” He used to say: “I review a hadith then it slips away from me, so I fall ill.”

‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Taymiyyah said about his father: “When my grandfather entered the restroom, he would say: ‘Read in this book and raise your voice so I can hear.’”

Imam Abu Yusuf, the judge, was intensely devoted to his teacher Abu Hanifah. He stayed with him more than seventeen years, never missing the dawn prayer with him, and never leaving him on Eid al-Fitr or Eid al-Adha except due to illness. It was narrated that Abu Yusuf said: “My son died, and I did not attend preparing him nor his burial.

I left him to my neighbors and relatives, fearing that I might miss something from Abu Hanifah that my regret would never leave.

Imam Ibn Jarir al-Tabari said about himself: “I memorized the Qur’an at seven, led people in prayer at eight, and wrote hadith at nine.” A man once asked him about a topic in prosody (‘arud). He said: “Come tomorrow.

” He requested the book of prosody by al-Khalil; it was brought to him, and he mastered it in a single night—saying: “I went to sleep not knowing prosody, and woke up a master of prosody.

Seriousness is a foundational quality for believers who have pledged to live for Allah’s call—or die for it. It shapes their stances and appears in their conditions. We sense this in Allah’s call:

"O John, take the Scripture [i.e., adhere to it] with determination."

[Maryam: 12]

Ibn Kathir explains: (Meaning: learn the Scripture with strength—i.e., with seriousness, eagerness, and effort.)

And Allah says:

And We gave him judgement [while yet] a boy

[Maryam: 12]

(Meaning: We granted him wisdom while still a child—understanding, knowledge, seriousness, and resolve.)

Seriousness is necessary because through it duties are fulfilled, messages are delivered, calls spread, obstacles are overcome, and the highest goals are achieved. Without seriousness, efforts are wasted, the tree of da‘wah withers, its banner dims, the caravan falls behind, enemies advance, and the trust is lost.

Lack of seriousness leads to sin and hypocrisy—Allah protect us. The first cause of sin is forgetfulness, weak resolve, and lack of seriousness; these are the first doors through which Satan enters a person.

Allah says:

And We had already taken a promise from Adam before, but he forgot; and We found not in him determination.

[Taha: 115]

(Meaning: Adam forgot, and We did not find in him firm resolve.)

Therefore, the messengers and their calls were as serious as needed to prevent error and achieve protection. Some were distinguished as “those of firm resolve among the messengers.”

If you reflect on Qur’anic verses about the hypocrites, the first thing you notice is the absence of seriousness in their lives.

Allah says:

And if you ask them, they will surely say, "We were only conversing and playing." ...

[At-Tawbah: 65]

(Meaning: “We were only talking and playing…”)

And about their worship:

[An-Nisa’: 142]

(Meaning: They stand for prayer lazily, showing off, remembering Allah little.)

The Prophet ﷺ said:

““Four traits—whoever possesses them is a pure hypocrite: when he speaks, he lies; when he makes a covenant, he betrays it; when he makes a promise, he breaks it; and when he disputes, he behaves in a wicked and abusive manner.”

(Meaning: Whoever has these four traits has a form of hypocrisy… lying, betrayal, breaking promises, and obscene argument.)

Scholars clarified that this refers to minor hypocrisy, yet such traits prepare a person to fall into real hypocrisy.

Also from the Sunnah: The Prophet ﷺ said: “Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day should speak what is good or remain silent.”

(Meaning: Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day should speak good or remain silent.) Because faith demands mindfulness, accountability, and seriousness.

And Allah says:

And do not pursue that of which you have no knowledge ...

(Meaning: Do not pursue what you have no knowledge of.)

And the hadith: ““Indeed, a person may speak a word, thinking there is no harm in it, yet because of it he will fall into the Fire for seventy autumns.”.” (Meaning: A person may speak a word thinking it harmless, yet it drags him deep into the Fire.) Element Five: Signs of Seriousness

Seriousness has signs and indicators. Let each person examine himself: if he finds them, let him praise Allah and remain steadfast; if not, let him strive to acquire them so he becomes a strong brick in the community. The Prophet ﷺ raised Muslims on these signs:

- Being serious in worldly matters—dealing with family, neighbors, and society: “Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day should be kind to his neighbor, and whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day should honor his guest.” (Meaning: honor the neighbor and the guest.)

- Being serious about providing for oneself and dependents through lawful earnings and lawful spending: “The feet of a servant will not move on the Day of Resurrection until he is asked about his life—how he spent it; and about his wealth—how he earned it and how he spent it.

” …” (Meaning: A servant will be questioned bout life, knowledge, wealth, and body.

- Seriousness in religious matters—worship and devotion, and applying Allah’s rulings.

- Valuing time—using it in obedience, serving da‘wah, checking on brothers, maintaining kinship ties, and fulfilling people’s needs.

- Immediate execution of obligations—no postponement, no procrastination, so tasks do not pile up.

This was clearest when wine was prohibited. When Allah revealed:

O you who have believed, indeed, intoxicants, gambling, [sacrificing on] stone alters [to other than Allah], and divining arrows are but defilement from the work of Satan, so avoid it that you may be successful.

Satan only wants to cause between you animosity and hatred through intoxicants and gambling and to avert you from the remembrance of Allah and from prayer. So will you not desist?

[Al-Ma’idah: 90–91]

They stopped at once and said: “We have stopped!”

Likewise, when the verses of hijab were revealed:

and to wrap [a portion of] their headcovers over their chests

[An-Nur: 31]

The women of the Ansar immediately complied.

- Overcoming excuses and obstacles: the serious Muslim does not surrender to hardship; he searches for solutions, increases effort, and participates to the last moment. Examples include ‘Amr ibn al-Jamuh (who was lame) insisting on jihad, and the companions responding after Uhud to go out to Hamra’ al-Asad despite severe wounds.

- Strength and resolve: like ‘Umar at his migration, challenging Quraysh; and companions pursuing the enemy after Uhud while wounded.

- Perseverance and continuous effort: seen in the Prophet ﷺ conveying the message openly and secretly without fatigue. When his people tried to deter him, he said: ““By Allah, if they were to place the sun in my right hand and the moon in my left on the condition that I abandon this matter, I would not abandon it.

- Using all capabilities—self, wealth, family: Abu Bakr giving all his wealth; ‘Uthman equipping an entire army (Tabuk). And the righteous woman who sent even her young boy to defend the Prophet ﷺ. Element Six: The Reality of Seriousness in the Life of the Prophet ﷺ and the Righteous Predecessors

Whoever wants to see seriousness in real practice should look at the lives of the righteous predecessors.

When Allah revealed at the start of the da‘wah:

O you who wraps himself [in clothing] Arise [to pray] the night, except for a little – or subtract from it a little ... ﴾ [Al-Muzzammil: 1–3]

the Prophet ﷺ stood for long night prayers until Khadijah feared for him. He said:

““The time for sleep has passed, O Khadijah.” (Meaning: The time of sleep has passed, O Khadijah.)

The believer from Pharaoh’s family, when he heard of the plot to kill Moses, moved immediately and argued:

Do you kill a man [merely] because he says, 'My Lord is Allah' ...

Ghafir: 28

and later declared:

follow me; I will guide you to the way of right conduct.

[Ghafir: 38]

- When Abu Bakr accepted Islam, he felt responsibility and called others—bringing to Islam great companions such as ‘Uthman, al-Zubayr, ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn ‘Awf, Sa‘d ibn Abi Waqqas, and Talhah. He is reported to have said words indicating vigilance and steadfastness.

- In al-Qadisiyyah, the blind companion ‘Abdullah ibn Umm Maktum requested to carry the banner, arguing he would not flee—and he was later found martyred holding it.

- Salah al-Din al-Ayyubi was consumed by concern for al-Aqsa; he would not laugh and said: “I am ashamed before Allah that He sees me laughing while Jerusalem is in the hands of the Crusaders.” Allah honored him with liberating it.

Then the article recalls the first generation’s awareness: Islam came to free humanity and move with firmness and seriousness. It cites the speech of Ribi‘ ibn ‘Amir before Kisra: “We are a people whom Allah has sent to bring people out from the worship of servants to the worship of the Lord of servants.

Finally: let the Muslim know that the latter part of this Ummah will not be rectified except by what rectified its first part.

So let each person strive to show Allah goodness, remain closely connected to Allah, and be active in seeking Allah’s pleasure—individually and collectively. We are called today to raise this Ummah to the level of seriousness and responsibility so it may regain leadership as the predecessors carried it.

O Allah, we seek refuge in You from laziness, incapacity, and senility. You are the Guardian of that and fully able.