(قُلْ يَا قَوْمِ اعْمَلُوا عَلَىٰ مَكَانَتِكُمْ ) (Say, “O my people, work according to your position): The Arabic word in this verse for (position) refers to (place), which has space. (work according to your position): meaning to work according to your own capability. ([for] indeed, I am working): It is a matter of deeds, for they lead to the general good.
The Prophet (saws) said:
“All people are of God’s dependents, but the dearest to Him are the most beneficial to His dependents.”
The intentions behind our actions should be for the benefit and goodness of others, and that is the basis of every religion. The following words of Allah (swt) represent the core of Islam:
وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ إِلَّا رَحْمَةً لِّلْعَالَمِينَ
(And We have not sent you, [O Muhammad], except as a mercy to the worlds.) (Al-Anbiyaa:107)
( فَسَوْفَ تَعْلَمُونَ مَن تَكُونُ لَهُ عَاقِبَةُ الدَّارِ) (And you are going to know who will have succession in the home): A (home) is one of the most important fundamentals of life.
Allah (swt) says:
وَمَا هَٰذِهِ الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا إِلَّا لَهْوٌ وَلَعِبٌ ۚ وَإِنَّ الدَّارَ الْآخِرَةَ لَهِيَ الْحَيَوَانُ ۚ لَوْ كَانُوا يَعْلَمُونَ
(And this worldly life is not but diversion and amusement. And indeed, the home of the Hereafter – that is the [eternal] life, if only they knew.) (Al-Ankaboot: 64)
There is the difference between the worldly life and the Eternal life. The lateral is the origin of the worldly life. The worldly life is the life we live in now and it can never be a source to any living creature as long as it will eventually end with death. Allah (swt) says:
إِنَّكَ مَيِّتٌ وَإِنَّهُم مَّيِّتُونَ
(Indeed, you are to die, and indeed, they are to die.) (Az-Zumur: 30)
As for the Hereafter, it is the eternal life and it is everlasting. The succession home is the everlasting home in which there are gardens, rivers, and everlasting pleasure.
(إِنَّهُ لَا يُفْلِحُ الظَّالِمُونَ) (Indeed, the wrongdoers will not succeed):The Arabic word of (succeed) brings an image of a farmer who ploughs and spreads seeds, and then he reaps the fruit of his success as a result of his work. In a similar manner, a wrongdoer can never succeed because he has transgressed lines and violated the rights of others.
Allah (swt) says in the Qudsi-Hadith:
“O MY slaves, I have made oppression unlawful for myself and I have made it unlawful among you, so do not oppress one another.”[1]
The worst punishment falls upon unjust people because they have violated the rights of others.
For this reason, Allah (swt) says at the end of some verses:
(Indeed, the wrongdoers will not succeed), (and Allah does not like the wrongdoers), (Indeed, He does not like wrongdoers).
Right from the very beginning, Islam taught us to spread justice between people and to treat them equally.
Abu Nadra (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated: “I was told by someone who attended the speech of the Messenger (saws) during the days of Tashriq [during the days of Pilgrimage], that he (saws) said:
“O’ people. Your God is One, and your father is one, an Arab has no virtue over a non-Arab, nor does a Non-Arab have virtue over an Arab, a red skinned person is not more virtuous than a dark skinned person nor is a dark skinned person more virtuous than a red skinned person except through righteousness. Have I delivered?”, they said, “O’ the Messenger of Allah, you have delivered.”[2]
All men are born equal, and this notion is very much represented in the act of praying. It is where all people stand together in one line equally; a strong next to a weak; a rich next to a poor; and a leader next to a servant. Not only they all take off their shoes at the front steps of the mosque before they enter, they as well leave their positions. So that the only honor that each of them have, is the honor of being close to Allah (swt). This is how justice prevails between all human beings.
[1] Sahih Muslim, the Book of Virtue, Enjoining Good Manners, and Joining of the Ties of Kinship, Hadith No. 2577.
[2] Musnad Imam Ahmed, no.23536.