Hard Work & Islam

There’s no doubt about the fact that laziness leads you nowhere. As Abraham Lincoln once said, “Things may come to those who wait, but only the things left by those who hustle.”

But what does The Holy Qur’an say about hard work? Let’s have a look:

1. “Man can have nothing but what he strives for” – Qur’an 53:39

This verse directly states that a human being will only get what he works for. So if a person wants to achieve something, e.g. a job, a promotion, etc. then he or she can never expect to have it until and unless they work for it.

2. “Allah will not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves.” – Qur’an 13:11

This verse has often been used for people who are engaged in sins, but it can also be interpreted in terms of laziness.

If a person is lazy, doesn’t like to change their habits, and refuses to work in order to achieve the desired goals, then God will not change the condition in which they are right now until they decide to change their habits and take themselves seriously.

3. “Allah does not burden any soul with more than it can bear.” – Qur’an 2:286

Usually used to console people who have been facing a huge loss or a burden, this verse can also be related to our professional lives.

At times, we as students feel a subject, or a semester is really difficult and may even be beyond our capacities. Even though it may be true in certain cases, we must remember that Allah will never burden us beyond our capacities. Same can be said for our jobs as well.

4. “If you are grateful, I will surely increase you (in favor).” – Qur’an 14:7

Last but never the least, it is important to remain content and happy with whatever our results are despite our best efforts. Sometimes a student studying day and night may fail a test, or an employee might not get their promotion despite their best efforts.

That doesn’t mean that our efforts have been in vain. We don’t know what lies for us in the future, and what may be our condition in the future. But the most important aspect of this verse is, that God doesn’t signify what will he increase if we’re grateful. Will Allah increase my grade, or my salary, or my performance? Which one will be granted a favor? 

The answer is: everything. Allah will increase everything and anything for us, even our experience and knowledge, if we’re grateful for what He has blessed us with. This also means that everything we have is actually a favor of Allah upon us.

In conclusion, we learn that hard work has definitely been emphasized and encouraged in Islam, and we all must be dedicated towards our education, our jobs, our businesses, etc. Along with hard work, we must also pray to Allah to do what’s best for us in the future, and must always remain thankful for what we’ve been blessed with.