A Muslim gets up early in the morning with these words on his lips: ‘O Allah, I thank you for enabling me to sleep and for enabling me to wake up.’ He cleanses himself and proceeds to the mosque for the Fajr prayer so that in communion with his believing brothers he may acknowledge God’s majesty and his own servitude to Him. He reads out a portion of the Qur’ān in order to find out what His God expects from him. Then he sets out for his worldly business. During the day, he says three more prayers: Zuhr, ‘Asr, and Maghrib. To be able to say each of these prayers, he leaves aside his work and stands before his God, thus confirming that in his scheme of life, his God receives top priority.
When, on getting hungry, he takes his meals and drinks water, he is completely overwhelmed by emotions of gratitude. He exclaims: ‘O God, how amazing is this water that you have made available for me to let me quench my thirst! How very remarkable is this food that you have offered me to let me overcome my hunger!’ When he experiences success, he attributes it completely to his God’s graciousness and thanks Him for enabling him to achieve it. When he encounters some failure, he acknowledges his ineptitude and asks God to compensate him. When he deals with another person, he does so realising that God is watching him and that He will one day make him accountable for all he had done. As night takes over, he winds up his worldly assignments and cleanses himself once again and says his last prayer and goes to sleep. Before falling to sleep, he prays: ‘O God, in your hands are my life and death. Please forgive me and let me enter the cool shadows of Your mercy.’
Thus, the concerns of God dominate a believer’s life; he works out the plan of his life always keeping his God in mind, without ever ignoring Him.