100 Principles for Purposeful Living

prevailing circumstances. Only then should he start his work according to a wellthought-out plan. Once he starts working at it, he should never leave it in the middle. This is the way to achieve success in life. 24. Being Aware of the Times A tradition of the Prophet guides us in this manner: ‘A wise man must be cognizant of his time.’ (Sahih ibn Hibban, Hadith No. 361) This saying of the Prophet of Islam, a part of a long tradition, explains the perfection of human knowledge. It is not sufficient for a person to be conversant with bookish knowledge and the traditions of the past. Rather he needs to be aware of his times, of the past as well as the present. The importance of knowing the times is both rational and practical. Without this he fails to understand things in the universal context, therefore, an in-depth analysis of reality is not possible. Thus, in practical terms, he is a flawed person. He fails to know how to apply the eternal truths to the conditions of the time. Such a person cannot successfully plan his actions. 25. Purposeful Life The Prophet of Islam said that one of the hallmarks of a believer is that he gives up things that are of no avail. (Musnad Ahmad, Hadith No. 1737) This saying of the Prophet of Islam tells us what a purposeful human life should be like. The fact is that while there are many things to do in the world, a person’s life is too short. In such a situation, he must adopt a selective approach in his engagements. He should only engage in things that are directly related to the purpose of life. He should abstain completely from things that do not serve this