﴿ وَأَقِيمُوا۟ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَءَاتُوا۟ ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ وَأَطِيعُوا۟ ٱلرَّسُولَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُرْحَمُونَ ﴾

“Hence, [O believers,] be constant in prayer, and render the purifying dues, and pay heed unto the Apostle, so that you might be graced with God’s mercy.”

The blessings of God refer to the position of dominance in the present world and Paradise in the Hereafter. Those who want to make themselves worthy of this blessing should foster three virtues in themselves: piety, charity and the willingness to follow the example of the Prophet. The first quality is evinced in the regular saying of prayers. Observance of prayers regularly acts as a strong incentive to lead a life of sincerity, modesty and humility, rather than one of false pride and arrogance. The second quality takes its practical form in zakat, the prescribed alms-giving, which means the setting aside of some amount at the prescribed rate from one’s wealth and handing it over to bayt al-mal or the ‘Public Fund’. Zakat, conveys the message that people should not be selfish but should be the well-wishers of others. Their well-wishing should go to the extent of fostering a feeling that others have a certain right over them. The third quality is obedience to the Prophet Muhammad. During his lifetime, this meant obeying him personally, while beyond his lifetime, it means obeying his sunnah or tradition. In other words, in all matters of life, the ideal example for the people should be the life of the Prophet of God. People should accept only him as their guide and when confronted with his pronouncements, they should forego their personal opinions. The Prophet should be in the lead and all others should be behind him.