God — Blessed and Exalted — says in the Noble Qur’an:
“And those who strive for Us — We will surely guide them to Our ways. And indeed, Allah is with the doers of good.”
(Qur’an 29:69)
To better understand this noble verse, four of its words are especially worthy of deeper reflection and analysis. In fact, God repeatedly commands contemplation and pondering over the meanings of the Qur’an:
“Do they not reflect upon the Qur’an?”
(Qur’an 4:82)
One of the signs of proper contemplation is to deeply consider the meanings of the words and expressions used in the Qur’an. Every word in the Qur’an carries a range of meanings. Studying these semantic ranges opens wide horizons of concepts and truths to the reader.
The first key word is "جَاهَدُوا" (they strive), which means to exert effort and struggle. It is the opposite of laziness, and very close in meaning to perseverance and tirelessness. The next word "فِينَا" (for Us) specifies the direction and purpose of that striving. The servants referred to in this verse direct their efforts exclusively toward God’s path. They do not waste their strength and energy on desires and carnal impulses.
Many people in the world strive and work hard from morning till night. But not all of this effort is for the sake of God. Much of it is spent chasing worldly ambitions and personal desires. The nafs al-ammārah (the commanding self) presents a person with deceptive goals and lures them into relentless pursuit. However, in this verse, through the phrase "جَاهَدُوا فِينَا", God is speaking specifically about that category of human striving that is purely for His sake and aimed at earning His pleasure. And to such people, He gives the glad tidings of guidance.
In the continuation of the verse, the word "لَنَهْدِيَنَّهُمْ" (We will surely guide them) is framed with two emphatic particles. The first is the prefix “la-” (لام), known as lām al-qasam (oath lām), used in Arabic rhetoric to emphasize the statement. The second is the “nūn” of emphasis (نون تأکید ثقیله) at the end of the word. There are two types of emphatic nūns in Arabic rhetoric: khafīfa (light) without a shaddah (stress), and thaqīla (heavy) with a shaddah, the latter being stronger. The use of both the oath lām and the thaqīla nūn shows the intense and unshakable Divine promise: those who strive for God will most certainly be guided by Him.
Reaching this rank, however, requires strong willpower and constant effort. A mujāhid — one who struggles for God and in God’s path — is by definition someone who cannot tolerate laziness.
“Six months, I couldn’t get bread.”
There is a story worth mentioning here from one of the great scholars of the past — whom I personally had the honor of frequently visiting. This noble scholar, during his youth, was engaged in the elementary studies of the seminary in Iraq — the foundational lessons that are prerequisites to reaching the level of fiqh and ijtihād. At that time, he was faced with a severe famine that had swept across Iraq.
This famine, which took place before World War I, was the result of colonialist manipulation. At a certain point, the colonizers orchestrated an artificial shortage in Iraq, launching what was effectively a form of nonviolent warfare against the people. Prices soared to unbearable levels. Goods were available but at sky-high costs.
Naturally, enduring such conditions was far more difficult for seminary students than for others. Even in normal times, they lived lives of great austerity and frugality. Poverty and deprivation had reached such an extent that the students of the religious schools could no longer find anything to eat. According to this scholar, many of his classmates and peers abandoned their studies and the seminary, turning instead to various jobs. Some became clerks, others scribes, and some found work in shops.
Despite all these hardships, that scholar made the firm decision to endure everything and continue his studies no matter what. He firmly believed that “exerting effort,” especially in the path of God, would eventually bear fruit. During the time when famine had cast its shadow over the people of Iraq, this scholar lived through extremely difficult and trying conditions.
He recalled that although he had some money at the time, basic goods such as bread and meat had become so expensive that they were beyond his financial means. Bread, rice, sugar, meat, and other necessities were available in the market, but at exorbitant prices. His place of residence during that famine-stricken period was a ḥusayniyyah — a building similar to a caravanserai, which is still standing today — that was open to the poor and underprivileged.
He recounted that he spent six months there, and during all that time, he was unable to obtain even a single piece of meat or a small chunk of dry bread. Even dry bread — usually leftovers from people’s tables and sometimes found in the streets — was nowhere to be found during that miserable time. The famine had become so severe that people were consuming even the leftover dry bread.
His sustenance came from dates and fruits that shopkeepers would leave outside their stores at the end of the day. These fruits, if kept overnight, would spoil by morning due to the heat, so they were left out for the needy to take. The dates would sour quickly in the intense heat, making it impossible to store them for long. Yet dates provided energy, and the fruits — containing a range of vitamins — somewhat met his body’s nutritional needs and helped him stay on his feet.
Still, the strain on him was immense. He was young, busy with intense study and discussion, and his body needed real, nourishing food. He had become so weakened by hunger that even the scent of bread from beneath someone’s cloak would drive him nearly mad. For someone to go six full months without tasting even a morsel of bread — especially in the prime of youth — it was only natural that the mere smell of it would leave him restless and overwhelmed.
With immense difficulty and perseverance, he endured this harsh and excruciating period. In the end, all that effort in the path of God bore fruit. That individual later became one of the respected and capable scholars of his time — someone who not only found his own way but was also able to guide others and show them the path.
We must not overlook the fact that people’s effort and perseverance vary greatly. This diligent scholar remained so steadfast in his decision that he willingly bore all hardships and deprivation in order to reach his noble goal: to remain in the seminary and continue his education. He once said that the situation had become so dire that even some of his teachers were forced to abandon their scholarly lives and take up work in the marketplace. These were individuals whose academic rank and level of knowledge were greater than his own. This fact alone reflects the depth of hardship at that time and, more importantly, the height of ambition and strength of will that this scholar possessed.
By God’s grace, I had the honor of meeting him many times. Today, numerous students have been nurtured and educated at the hands of this noble scholar. Many of them are now counted among the distinguished academic personalities of the seminary. He also left behind valuable scholarly works — treasures that continue to illuminate contemporary scholarly gatherings. These works will remain faithful companions to the academic and religious communities for generations to come.
The Cause of Success
What truly deserves examination is the reason behind such a remarkable scholarly achievement. How did that scholar attain such a level of knowledge and virtue?
The secret of this success lies entirely and exclusively in his decision and determination.
Undoubtedly, anyone — regardless of class or background, man or woman, young or old, merchant or employee, poor or wealthy — can ascend the ladders of success if they possess these two traits. With a bit of effort and by avoiding laziness, achieving such hope becomes very possible.
It’s enough to sleep a little less and reduce the amount of excessive pleasure and comfort we indulge in. Of course, engaging in recreation and enjoyable activities, to a necessary degree, is essential for family life and psychological well-being. Such engagement is not only acceptable but also beneficial and fruitful — for the person, the family, and the community. But moderation and balance in enjoying comforts is a fundamental principle of true success.
The direction of a person’s efforts also matters. Many people strive hard in life, each seeking some goal — but not all of those goals are divine. Thus, not every effort is considered struggle in the path of God.
In the referenced verse of the Qur’an, Allah gives glad tidings of guidance to those who strive for His pleasure — guidance toward His paths. The word "سُبُلَنَا" (Our paths), being plural and indefinite, indicates generality — implying that God will open all His paths of guidance to those who struggle sincerely in His way. These people are considered so worthy and capable before God that He opens the doors of success and righteousness for them.
This divine success is not exclusive to that scholar. Anyone — young or old — who strives and remains firm in their decision can attain it.
On the other hand, history is full of people who used their determination and effort to pursue base desires and corrupt goals. Excessive greed, lust for power, desire for leadership, and indulgence in pleasures — these have been the arena of effort for many, yet none of these align with seeking God’s pleasure.
For instance, historical records tell us about ‘Abdul Malik ibn Marwān. Before becoming the caliph, he was deeply immersed in worship and night prayers. He was always in the mosque or the sanctuary of the Ka‘bah, so much so that he was nicknamed “Ḥamāmat al-Ḥaram” — the Dove of the Sanctuary, because like a dove, he was always found in the sanctuary. He never parted with the Qur’an.
But when he was informed that the ruling caliph had died and that it was now his turn to rule, he put down the Qur’an — and as historians note, he didn’t even kiss it — and said:
“This is my last encounter with you.”
He formally bid farewell to the Qur’an and turned away from it. In other words, all of his worship, prayers, Qur’an recitation, and apparent devotion to the sacred sanctuary were merely a means to an end — power.
Can his striving be considered of the same nature as what the Qur’anic verse describes — that God, in response, grants His servant guidance toward the divine paths?
Certainly not.
His life and actions are themselves proof of the nature of his effort. It wasn’t in the path of God — rather, it was obedience to Satan. He spent his life in lust and desire, committing injustices against people, and most of his crimes were against Islam itself — ruling falsely and wrongfully in the name of Islam, stripping people of their freedoms, and, like other Umayyad and Abbasid rulers, committing widespread oppression and transgression.
History is filled with the names of individuals who chose a path of darkness and corruption, tarnishing the name and honor of Islam.
If today, Islamophobia and fear of Islam are great afflictions in the world, it is largely due to the un-Islamic behavior of rulers who only appeared to be Muslim.
Another example is Ishāq ibn Sabbāḥ, one of the most detested governors in history, who ruled Kūfa for some time under Hārūn al-Rashīd. He, too, is recorded to have prayed and fasted a lot, but only to win public approval — to later govern over them. But once he gained power, he neither prayed nor fasted again.
One of his companions narrated this poem about him — essentially a confession of his motives:
"He prayed and fasted for something he was seeking;
Once he attained it, he neither prayed nor fasted again."
His acts of worship were solely for the sake of gaining people's admiration, and once his goal was achieved, he abandoned all piety and immersed himself in pleasure and ambition.
Therefore, it is incumbent upon believers — especially young men and women — to cast aside laziness and complacency, to reduce unnecessary sleep and leisure, and to dedicate their lives to hard work and effort in the path of God.
This formula is applicable to everyone — in any field, whether seminary, university, office, market, home, alley, or society. All these places are fields of striving in God's way — provided that the goal is to earn God’s pleasure alone.
Undoubtedly, God does not break His promise. His promise of guidance toward His ways includes immense success that He bestows upon His sincere and striving servants: success in worship, success in service, and the ability to ease the hardships of others. These are all means to eternal salvation that God grants to His devoted and loving servants.
We pray that God grants all of us the success of sincere striving in His path.
Wa ṣallallāhu ʿalā Muḥammad wa Ālihi al-Ṭāhirīn.
