Being A Good Muslim By # 3.2

      What does it means when parents told their child to be a good Muslim? Just pray Salaah and read the Qur'an? Yes, those are good things to start with, but it needs a lot more than those two things to be a good Muslim.

      From my whole life experience in the Islamic community, most people around me pray all five prayers, read the Qur'an and frequent Masjid. However, there are always a few people who are really looked up to as being a good Muslim with the most Islamic characteristic. Why would that be, when everyone does exactly the same?

      These are the things I see.

      Being a good Muslim means that we, as Muslims, follow the rulings of Islam and all five of the Pillars of the religion. The Salaah, one of the five Pillars, is one of the first things that will be taken into account on the Day of Resurrection. Whoever neglects Salaah is committing an act of kufr, as it will be the factor that distinguishes between a Muslim and a kaafir.

      Another Pillar of Islam is, in the Month of Ramadhan, a good Muslim proudly fast and encouraged others to do so. It is also in this holy month a Muslim give Zakah.

      Other than those, other things that distinguishes a good Muslim from the average is the amount of their knowledge, and how strong is their will to strive to learn more about Islam, and what they do with the knowledge they have.

      Most of the good Muslims in the community that I go to have a vast knowledge of Islam, however, they are striving to learn more. Despite of their high status in the Islamic community, they still make friends and gather with other Muslim whose knowledge is average. Whilst mingle, they share their knowledge and teach their Muslim brothers many aspects of Islam based on Islamic guidance.

      Moreover, according to the people whom I regarded as good Muslims, there are nine things that we should do to be a good Muslim and exceptionally good in the eyes of Allah. They are:

1) Having patience. Muslims took Prophet Muhammad as their Leader and role model, and since there are lots of stories pointing to the Prophet being extremely patience, that is what we should strive to achieve.

2) Purity of intention in action. When people do something, they always have an intention, whether it's good or bad. As a Muslim, our actions are recorded based on our intentions, and that's why our intentions should be pure at all times.

3) Acting upon what you know. This means that whether you know little or a lot about Islamic rules, you should take what you know and use it as your guide.

4) Always aware that Allah is watching, which means that even if there's nobody around, you shouldn't do anything bad because Allah is always watching you.

5) Make the best use of time. Knowledgeable Muslims know that every second, minutes and hours they pass in a day cannot be replaced, so that they should spend their youth and their old age very wisely and not spend it for useless or haraam things.

6) Precision and focus. When you are learning, be sure to know what you want so that you could focus on it and memorize it properly.

7) Always study. Knowledge is highly valued in Islam, and that's why we should always be searching for knowledge whenever we have time.

8) Choosing companions. Companions are people who are closer to you than friends, and that's why they affect you very much. Being careful in choosing the righteous and pious companions will positively affect you and your characteristic.

9) Good manners. As a Muslim, we must have manners and respect for everybody, even to those who are younger than you. This is one of the first things that is taught to kids when they're little.

      In addition to that, concerning communities, a good Muslim always care for all it's members and contribute as much as he can to the Community, and be friendly with the members and care for them.

      Lastly, to be a good Muslim, we should always be steadfast in our religion, never off and on. We should always be thankful to Allah, because He is the one who supplies us for whatever we might need, and that we must help our brothers and sisters in need.

      Knowing all of these, I realize, it is not easy to be a good Muslim. I am still far away from being good. But, at least, every day, I am taking one step closer to be a good Muslim. Inshaa Allah.

~salaams~