This world is temporal. Everyone born into this world, rich or poor, king or pauper, has departed despite trying to gain immortality.

After leaving this world the soul is sent to the hereafter wherein it will dwell for eternity. There will be no death and no returning back to this world. There is only one way to gain salvation and Divine Pleasure in the hereafter: to follow the Shariah; to perform what Allah commands and to abstain from what He forbids.

The first commandment of the Shariah is to have faith [īmān]; to believe in the articles of faith and have the deepest conviction about them.

The second commandment is to perform five daily prayers. This is obligatory upon every male and female above the age of puberty. Males should pray their prayers in the mosque with the congregation. The Prophet [Allah bless him and give him peace] states, “Prayer with congregation has an increase in reward by 27 fold”.   To perform the prayer with congregation is wajib [obligatory]. To forego congregational prayer without a valid excuse is a sin (for males).

If one does not possess the ability to stand, then one should sit and pray. If one cannot do so then one should pray lying down. If one cannot do so then one should pray by moving the head, but at any cost the prayer should not be missed or abandoned. The Prophet [Allah bless him and give him peace] has stated that to miss the prayer intentionally is tantamount to kufr [disbelief]. If prayers in the past have been missed then one should calculate how much one has missed and make them up. It is obligatory to make-up the five fardh prayers as well as the witr prayer. There is no make-up for sunnah or nafl prayers.

The third commandment is to fast the month of Ramadhān. One should vigilantly perform these fasts. If one has missed fasts in the past then one should make them up as well.

The fourth commandment is to give charity out of the wealth that Allah has bestowed you. Money does not decrease because of charity but is returned manifold in the hereafter. How one gives zakāt, and to whom one gives it, should be asked of the ‘ulamā.  

The fifth commandment is to perform Hajj if one has the ability to do so.

All the above was related to the rights of Allah. Similarly, there are rights of human beings. If one has taken something unjustly, stolen something, backbited or slandered someone then one should either return the right or get it forgiven.

The Shariah has also forbidden certain acts like playing music,  attending ta’ziyah gatherings in Muharram, to attend the ‘urs and to attend the religious ceremonies of unbelievers. All the above are harām and should be avoided.

One should adopt all of the above and inculcate the same in one’s family members and friends in a courteous manner.   

SIX TASBIH: After Fajr and Maghrib Prayers, Subḥānallāh 100x, Alḥamdulillāh 100x, Lā ilāha illa llāh 100x, Allāhu Akbar 100x,

Astaghfirullāh alladhī lā ilāha illā huwal ḥayyul qayyūmu wa atūbu ilayh 100x,

Allāhumma ṣalli ‘alā sayyidinā wa mawlānā muhammadin wa ‘alā ālihī wa ṣaḥbihī wa bārik wa sallim kamā tuhibbbu wa tarḍā ‘adada mā tuhibbu wa tarḍā 100x.

I am in need of duā, I will make duā for you and request you to do the same for me.