Have a life of purpose | The Sunday Guardian | 26th August 2012 | Page 12
The Quran advocates a purposeful life. It exhorts people not to indulge in useless talk or useless activity. On this subject there is an apt verse in the Quran. It reads: "Successful indeed are the believers; those who are humble in their prayer; and those who turn away from everything vain" (23:1-3).
Human pursuits fall into two categories: worthy and unworthy. A worthy pursuit is one which leads to positive results and an unworthy pursuit is one which leads to no result at all. A true believer is one who has a specific target before him, this makes him selective. He therefore makes a point of always selecting that kind of activity which is worthy and avoids that which is unworthy. It is this kind of person who will be rewarded with success by God.
Before taking any action, the believer must assess its possible result. He must anticipate its consequences. His response to any situation must be rational and well-considered and not simply an emotional outburst. This principle includes all kinds of human expressions and activities like thinking, discussion, dealing, association, shopping, outings, reading, etc. A believer must adopt this kind of behaviour in every aspect of his life, both in word and in deed.
It is a fact that we are on this planet earth for a limited time. Our lifespan being so very short, we cannot afford the luxury of wasting time and energy; we have to be very prudent. We have to select only such targets about which we can say with certainty that in the end they will yield the required result. No excuse in this regard is acceptable.
When you use your mind, use it on healthy subjects, if there is any possibility that your step will prove to be counter productive, then refrain from taking it.