It means different things to different people. Success can be a matter of many minor accomplishments and celebration of small victories, sometimes feeling like a moving target.
Success can mean money and fame, but there is more. Success perhaps can be described as this feeling of accomplishment or promotion in our career, or the ability to do the things we like to do..
Success, in the broader perspective, is an achievement in the journey of life; it is a transformational change from one state to another and hopefully this change will finally end up in the state of happiness and tranquility.
In Islam,
Indeed, true success is related to true happiness, especially in the Hereafter. Surah Hud, verse 11:105, shows how different people are in the afterlife-some being happy and others in misery; this strengthens the idea that true success is measured by the happiness one receives in the Hereafter.
What Prophet Muhammad once said in a hadith-that the end of one’s deeds concerning the end that brings out the true nature of the result of what an individual does-is very important. It is at this final stage of the journey that matters most.
Readers are encouraged to look into Islam with regard to life and happiness for further insight into this perspective on success.
This verse is a hint at the situation in the Hereafter, where some are under absolute felicity and some under miserable conditions. Success, from this point of view, includes the attainment of happiness in the Hereafter. Even if one has had to live under struggle and resistance, with much endurance, if at the end he be among the happy and pleased ones in the Hereafter, it means that the difficulties endured in this world have been worth it. Essentially, the end of the journey is the most important. The Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. once related in a hadith:
“The deeds (of a person) depend on its end.”
(Sahih Al-Bukhari)
On the contrary, it is not necessarily mutually exclusive to attain happiness either in this world or the next. If one lives a life and leads it in accordance with the attainment of the eternal happiness in the Hereafter, he can have true contentment even in adversities and difficulties.
The Quranic Dua guides us to pray for righteousness in this world and the Hereafter:
“Our Lord! Grant us the good of this world and the Hereafter, and protect us from the torment of the Fire.”
(Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:201)
Two key things that are considered to be essential in attaining success are having good character and patience.
Dua to Acquire Good Character
Success begins with your voyage. This key to success is based on soul sanctification and good character building.
Prayer of the Prophet – Good Character:
“O Allah! I seek refuge in You from undesirable manners, deeds, and aspirations.”
(Sunan At-Tirmizi)
This supplication underlines the excellence of good character, as was said in the hadith: “There is nothing which will be put on the believer’s scale (on the Day of Resurrection) that is heavier than good morals.” (Sunan At-Tirmizi)
The Quran adds more force to the above, with the importance of the purification of the soul:
“Indeed, he succeeds who purifies his soul, and indeed he fails that corrupts it.”
(Surah Ash-Shams, 91:9-10)
After all, success does not lie in or depend on external outcomes; rather, it is all about attitude towards oneself, goals, and the community around.
The Prophet Muhammad mentioned that good character is what will be weighted heavy on the scales of the believer on the Day of Resurrection: “There is nothing which will be placed on the believer’s scale on the Day of Resurrection that is heavier than good morals.” Sunan At-Tirmizi
This is what is insinuated in a specific verse of the Quran:
قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَن زَكَّاهَا وَقَدْ خَابَ مَن دَسَّاهَا
Indeed, successful is he who purifies it, and indeed he who corrupts it is a failure. (Surah Ash-Shams, 91:9-10)
One might get all that on earth, in terms of success, and amass money but fail in real life. It’s all a secret hidden in one’s character, outlook towards self, objectives, and people.
Prayer to Get Patience
dua for patience and anger
ربنا افرغ علينا صبرا وتوفنا مسلمين
rabbanā afrigh AAalaynā sraabrān wa-tawaffanā Muslimīnā
Our Lord, pour upon us patience and let us die as Muslims.
“Our Lord! Pour upon us patience and let us die as Muslims [in submission to You].” (Surah Al-A’raf, 7:126)
This dua calls not only for patience but invokes a good ending from Allah. It asks for lasting patience, steady progress, and the ability to commit towards ultimate success.
Allah emphasizes the need for patience for succeeding:
يا أيها الذين آمنوا اصبروا و صابروا و رابطوا و اتقوا الله لعلكم تفلحون
“O you who have believed, persevere and endure and remain stationed and fear Allah that you may be successful.” Surah Al-Imran 3:200
Success is a bumpy ride, for which one needs to have patience. Hence, it draws the element of patience in life and waiting for something big happening really worth it.
Other Duas for Success:
Dua for Victory and Guidance
dua for victory and success
رَبِّ أَعِنِّي وَلَا تُعِنْ عَلَيَّ، وَانْصُرْنِي وَلَا تَنْصُرْ عَلَيَّ، وَامْكُرْ لِي وَلَا تَمْكُرْ عَلَيَّ، وَاهْدِنِي وَيَسِّرِ الْهُدَى إِلَيَّ، وَانْصُرْنِي عَلَى مَنْ بَغَى عَلَيَّ
“My Lord, help me and do not help against me, support me and do not support against me, plan for me and do not plan against me, guide me and make guidance easy for me, and support me against those who act unjustly toward me.” (Sunan At-Tirmizi)
Du’a to Overcome Adversity
dua for successful pregnancy
يَا حَيُّ يَا قَيُّومُ، بِرَحْمَتِكَ أَسْتَغِيثُ، أَصْلِحْ لِي شَأْنِي كُلَّهُ، وَلَا تَكِلْنِي إِلَى نَفْسِي طَرْفَةَ عَيْنٍ
“O Ever-Living, O Self-Subsisting, I seek help in Your mercy. Set right for me all my affairs, and do not entrust me to myself, even for the blink of an eye.” (Sunan An-Nasai’)
Dua for Success in Interview and Presentation
dua success interview
Rabbi ishrah li sadri wa yassir li amri wahlu uluqdatam min lisaanii yafqahu qawli
“My Lord, expand for me my chest, ease for me my task, and untie the knot from my tongue so that they may understand my speech.” (Surah Ta Ha, 20:25-28)
Prayer for Business Success
prayer for success in business
Allahumma inni as’aluka ilman nafi’an wa rizqan tayyiban wa amalan mutaqabbalan
“O Allah, I ask You for beneficial knowledge, good provision, and accepted deeds.” (Sunan Ibn Majah)
Prayer for a Good Family and Successful Marriage
dua for success in marriage
رَبَّنَا هَبْ لَنَا مِنْ أَزْوَاجِنَا وَذُرِّيَّاتِنَا قُرَّةَ أَعْيُنٍ وَاجْعَلْنَا لِلْمُتَّقِينَ إِمَامًا
“Our Lord, grant us from among our wives and offspring comfort to our eyes and make us an example for the righteous.” (Surah Al-Furqan, 25:74)
Prayer for Children’s Success
dua for children’s success in English
رَبِّ هَبْ لِي مِنَ الصَّالِحِينَ
“My Lord, grant me from among the righteous.” (Surah As-Saffat, 37:100)
رَبِّ هَبْ لِي مِن لَدُنكَ ذُرِّيَةً طَيِّبَةً إِنَكَ سَمِيعُ الدُّعَاءِ
“My Lord, grant me from Yourself a good offspring. Indeed, You are the Hearer of supplication.” (Surah Al-Imran)
These prayers are copiously taken from the Prophets Ibrahim and Zakariyya: asking for righteous and successful offspring. A person leaves behind three legacies upon dying, as mentioned in the hadith: a continuous charity given in his name, knowledge which is beneficial to people, and righteous sons who pray for him.
May Allah grant us all righteous and successful offspring; there is no greater blessing than this.
A challenge is a divine blessing from Allah, serving as a potential deviation from a path leading to calamity or misfortune. When undergoing trials, Allah refines us, often revealing our own shortcomings and vulnerabilities. This awareness allows us to rectify those aspects of our lives.
As Muslims, the foremost thing that must be a reality before our minds is that everything happens by the will of Allah. The efforts put in by us and the blessings or achievements in life come from Him alone.
Dua For Business Success
Of course, a good intention and one that coincides with seeking the pleasure of Allah is already a stepping stone to success and blessing in one’s business. Indeed, the verses you have referred to from the Quran highlight the importance of reciting the Book of Allah, establishing prayer, and spending from that which Allah provides. This is holistic-approach Iradah, combining spiritual practices, charity, and ethical business conduct.
The supplication you gave me, “Allahumma inni as’aluka ‘ilman nafi’an wa rizqan tayyiban wa ‘amalan mutaqabbalan,” is a nice dua for getting beneficial knowledge, good provision of sustenance, and deeds that will be accepted. In fact, this supplication reflects the understanding that true success in business goes beyond material gains and encompasses seeking knowledge, sustenance, and deeds that are pleasing to Allah.
The Qur’anic analogy of businesses-that “take a measure from people, take in full” and when it comes to giving, “measure by weight”-is indicative of fairness, honesty, and generosity within business. It serves to remind that only such business enterprises, which rest their foundations upon ethical principles and are outwardly directed toward benefiting others, are those most likely to secure lasting success and elicit blessings from Allah.
May your business activities be a manifestation of sincerity, good conduct, and dedication to serving others for prosperity both in this life and the next.
AoA, my name is Abd al-Rahman, and my vision is to spread the knowledge of the Quran to everyone. I am proud and tall while standing as your trusted mentor on the journey of learning and memorizing the Holy Quran. I, along with a committed team of Islamic teachers, am bound to provide an easy online facility for Islamic studies and Hifz programs.