Ambition
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     Ambition means that a person does not live for himself and his life, but he lives for his ummah, as the Prophet sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam was, as 'Aisha said about him. When `Abdullah bin Shaqeeq, may Allah be pleased with him, asked her if the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam used to pray sitting? She said, "Yes, after the people wrecked him." [Ahmad, Muslim, Abu Dawud.] So he used to confront people, welcome them, and warmly leave them, command them, and prohibit them, mix up with them and tolerate their errors; that is why the people wrecked him sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam and left an effect upon his body to the point that he started to pray sitting and his hair turned gray.

   Deen is three levels; Islam, then Imaan, then Ihsaan. In accordance with this division there is a trilateral division, "And we gave the book as an inheritance to those whom We chose from among our servants; but of them is he who makes his soul to suffer a loss, and of them is he who takes a middle course, and of them is he who is foremost in deeds of goodness by Allah's permission; this is the great excellence. Gardens of perpetuity' they shall abide therein; they shall be made to wear therein bracelets of gold and pearls, and their dress shall be silk." ( Surat al-Faatir:32) Accordingly, there is another trilateral division that the Prophet sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam mentioned, in the hadeeth of the saved group in which he mentioned Islam first which is the only guaranty for entering Paradise.

That is; nobody enters Jannah but a Muslim, and inside this large circle which is the circle of Islam, there is a smaller circle which is the circle of the Saved group and it contains those who stick to the right conduct and correct aqeedah, and no more than that. There is a third cirle which is smaller than the second, and which is better, more noble and greater, and that is the circle of the Victorious group, those who defend and protect the deen and tolerate harm, therefore Allah Azza wa Jalla gives them victory.So the Muslim should be ambitious and reach for these levels, and look in the deen at the one who is above him and look in the duniya at that one who is beneath him. Try to resemble the noble ones, the righteous ones, the renewers, so that you may achieve some good in this life. Have an ambitious nafs that does not get satisfied with stopping at a certain limit, and does
not get enough of doing good until it ends up in the Jannah.

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Source:by Shaykh Salman al-`Awdah
Moral Code of the Daa`iya
Translated by Muhammad Buneef

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