Choose a feeling and receive an ayah of the Qur'an and an authentic hadith from Sahih al-Bukhari or Sahih Muslim, with a concise scholarly explanation and every source one tap away.
أَلَا بِذِكْرِ ٱللَّهِ تَطْمَئِنُّ ٱلْقُلُوبُ
For when you feel
Ready to build something.
Qur'an · An-Najm 53:39
سُورَةُ النَّجۡمِ
وَأَن لَّيْسَ لِلْإِنسَٰنِ إِلَّا مَا سَعَىٰ ﴿39﴾
“And that there is not for man except that [good] for which he strives”
Saheeh International translation
Explanation · Al-Mukhtasar
And that man will only obtain the reward of the action that he did.
Reflection
A person gets nothing except what they strive for. Effort is the currency; results are Allah's to grant.
Qur'an · At-Tawba 9:105
سُورَةُ التَّوۡبَةِ
وَقُلِ ٱعْمَلُوا۟ فَسَيَرَى ٱللَّهُ عَمَلَكُمْ وَرَسُولُهُۥ وَٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ ۖ وَسَتُرَدُّونَ إِلَىٰ عَٰلِمِ ٱلْغَيْبِ وَٱلشَّهَٰدَةِ فَيُنَبِّئُكُم بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ ﴿105﴾
“And say, "Do [as you will], for Allah will see your deeds, and [so, will] His Messenger and the believers. And you will be returned to the Knower of the unseen and the witnessed, and He will inform you of what you used to do.”
Saheeh International translation
Explanation · Al-Mukhtasar
Say, O Messenger, to those who had stayed behind from striving in Allah’s path and who have repented from their sin: : Make up for the harm caused by what you missed and be sincere in your actions to Allah. Do what pleases Him, because Allah, His Messenger and the believers will soon see your actions. Then you will be returned, on the Day of Judgement, to your Lord, the One Who knows everything. He knows what you hide and what you make public and He will inform you about what you used to do in the world and repay you for that.
Reflection
Work, and Allah will see your work. That is the audience that matters. Build as if the Most Generous is watching the quality.
Qur'an · Aal-i-Imraan 3:200
سُورَةُ آلِ عِمۡرَانَ
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱصْبِرُوا۟ وَصَابِرُوا۟ وَرَابِطُوا۟ وَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ ﴿200﴾
“O you who have believed, persevere and endure and remain stationed and fear Allah that you may be successful.”
Saheeh International translation
Explanation · Al-Mukhtasar
O you who have faith in Allah and follow His Messenger, be patient with the obligations of the sacred law, and with the misfortunes that you are given in this world; and outdo the disbelievers in patience and determination, so that they are not more patient than you; and struggle for the sake of Allah and be Mindful, following His instructions and staying away from what He has prohibited, so that you may reach what you desire of safety from the fire of Hell and entry into Paradise.
Reflection
Persevere, outlast, stay stationed, and be mindful of Allah. Four verbs for anyone with a long project ahead.
Hadith · Sahih al-Bukhari 2072
Sahihحَدَّثَنَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ مُوسَى، أَخْبَرَنَا عِيسَى، عَنْ ثَوْرٍ، عَنْ خَالِدِ بْنِ مَعْدَانَ، عَنِ الْمِقْدَامِ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " مَا أَكَلَ أَحَدٌ طَعَامًا قَطُّ خَيْرًا مِنْ أَنْ يَأْكُلَ مِنْ عَمَلِ يَدِهِ، وَإِنَّ نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ دَاوُدَ ـ عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ ـ كَانَ يَأْكُلُ مِنْ عَمَلِ يَدِهِ ".
Narrated Al-Miqdam
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Nobody has ever eaten a better meal than that which one has earned by working with one's own hands. The Prophet of Allah, David (ﷺ) used to eat from the earnings of his manual labor
Reflection
No one has eaten better food than what he earned by his own hands; even the Prophet Dawud did. Skilled, honest work is honoured, and an engineer's craft is exactly that.
Hadith · Sahih Muslim, Book 46, Hadith 52
Sahihحَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، وَابْنُ، نُمَيْرٍ قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ إِدْرِيسَ، عَنْ رَبِيعَةَ بْنِ عُثْمَانَ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ يَحْيَى بْنِ حَبَّانَ، عَنِ الأَعْرَجِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " الْمُؤْمِنُ الْقَوِيُّ خَيْرٌ وَأَحَبُّ إِلَى اللَّهِ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِ الضَّعِيفِ وَفِي كُلٍّ خَيْرٌ احْرِصْ عَلَى مَا يَنْفَعُكَ وَاسْتَعِنْ بِاللَّهِ وَلاَ تَعْجِزْ وَإِنْ أَصَابَكَ شَىْءٌ فَلاَ تَقُلْ لَوْ أَنِّي فَعَلْتُ كَانَ كَذَا وَكَذَا . وَلَكِنْ قُلْ قَدَرُ اللَّهِ وَمَا شَاءَ فَعَلَ فَإِنَّ لَوْ تَفْتَحُ عَمَلَ الشَّيْطَانِ " .
Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying
A strong believer is better and is more lovable to Allah than a weak believer, and there is good in everyone, (but) cherish that which gives you benefit (in the Hereafter) and seek help from Allah and do not lose heart, and if anything (in the form of trouble) comes to you, don't say: If I had not done that, it would not have happened so and so, but say: Allah did that what He had ordained to do and your" if" opens the (gate) for the Satan
Reflection
The strong believer is better and more beloved to Allah. Strength here includes competence, resolve and resilience. Build them.
Nothing here is paraphrased scripture. Qur'an text, translation and hadith text are pulled directly from the sources below and stored with their references; the concise explanation under each ayah is Al-Mukhtasar fi Tafsir al-Qur'an (Tafsir Center for Qur'anic Studies). The short reflections are practical notes written for this page and are not rulings; for guidance on a specific matter, consult a scholar.
