Read the Qu'ran. Read it every day in reverence and reflect on its beautiful words. Try to understand the meaning of every ayat (verse) because it will help you achieve success in both this world and the afterlife. The Qur'an provides solutions to all life's problems and is a great gift from Allah (subhannahu wa ta'ala). Try to set aside at least 60 minutes for studying Qur'an each day. Between Fajr and sunrise is a good time for this if you are able. Learn some of your favorite verses off by heart and use them in your daily prayers (salah). Learn to recite the Qur'an with beautiful pronunciation (Tajweed). Read books explaining the meaning of the Qur'an (Tafsir).
Pray five times a day as prescribed by Allah (subhannahu wa ta'ala). Always pray your compulsory prayers at the prescribed time. When you hear the adhan (call to pray), go pray as soon as possible. Try to relax in your prayer and forget everything that could bother you in life. And remember, you're with Allah now and He deserves your full attention. Remember that Allah (subhannahu wa ta'ala) is waiting for each and every prayer and the Angels will record whether it has been completed correctly and on time. Try to develop a deep focus on what you are doing when you pray. Contemplate the meaning and significance of every word. To get closer to Allah (subhannahu wa ta'ala) incorporate into your daily schedule some of the many additional optional prayers offered by Prophet Muhammad (SAWS).
Make dhikr. Try to be mindful of Allah (subhannahu wa ta'ala) throughout each day, by reciting Qur'an, making dua and repeating beautiful phrases as Prophet Muhammad (SAWS) used to do. Allah (subhannahu wa ta'ala) has created us and given us the faculty of speech, so we should keep our tongue moist glorifying Him as He alone deserves to be glorified and worshiped. The easiest to say are Takbeer, Tahleel, Tahmeed and Tasbeeh, which may be recited as much as you can manage. Set yourself a daily allowance, for example thirty minutes of each phrase or one thousand repetitions (counting using tasbih beads or fingers), and build up from there. Dhikr is a great way of strengthening your connection with Allah (subhannahu wa ta'ala) without overburdening yourself. Takbeer is to proclaim the greatness of Allah by saying Allahu Akbar (Allah is Greater) Tahleel is to declare the oneness of Allah by saying La ilaaha il-lal-laah (There is none worthy of worship except Allah) Tahmeed is to praise Allah by saying Alhamdulillah (All Praise belongs to Allah) Tasbeeh is to glorify Allah by saying Subhanallah (Glory be to Allah) This can be done while you go about daily activities as long as it allows you to focus on their meaning.
Maintain good manners. Never lie or steal, be nice to the people around you, be gracious towards your parents, keep your promises, always forgive and be nice. Even be kind to your enemies; the Qur'an tells us to "repel evil with good". Close friendships should be reserved for other Muslims of the same gender. Friendships with non-Muslims carry the risk of drawing you away from Islam. Interactions with unrelated members of the opposite gender must be formal and business-like. Unnecessary socializing, including chit-chatting and touching, is strictly forbidden.
Avoid sins generally. Don't insult others, don't delay or ignore your religious duties. Study Islam and learn which actions are fard (obligatory), mustahabb (encouraged, not obligatory), mubaah (permissible, optional), makrooh (not encouraged, disliked), haraam (prohibited). Remember that not completing all your obligatory religious duties is sinful in Islam. These include saying the five daily prayers, fasting in Ramadhan and giving zakat (charity). All sexual activity outside marriage is forbidden under the Shariah. When you do sin, acknowledge your sin to Allah (subhannahu wa ta'ala), sincerely promise not to repeat it (and take practical steps not to repeat it, such as fasting to reduce desires), and ask Allah (subhannahu wa ta'ala) for forgiveness. EXPERT TIP Mekaeel Mohsin Mekaeel Mohsin Imam Shaykh Mekaeel is an Imam at the Islamic Community of Salinas in Salinas, California. He is the founder of the Voyagers of Knowledge YouTube channel, which creates Islamic educational content. He attended the Islamic University of Madinah and earned a degree from the school of Da'wah and Usuluddeen. Mekaeel Mohsin Mekaeel Mohsin Imam The divine commandments will make you better. Allah's rules aren't just random or meant to control you. They're guidelines to help you live your best life! When He asks you to do something, it's because He knows it's good for you. Look at religious duties as pathways toward better living.
Stay modest. Women should not expose their body or wear tight, revealing clothing. Men and women should respect the Islamic dress code by covering their awrah. For men, this is from the navel to the knees. A woman's awrah includes the entire body except for the face and hands; although some scholars are of the opinion that the face is also part of awrah. Either way, a face-covering (niqaab) is encouraged but remains a personal choice. Modesty also applies to behaviour. Muslim men and women should never be physically close to one another and certainly should never be alone together. An important part of modesty is to "lower their gaze", which means to avoid looking anyone from the opposite gender directly in the eye in any prolonged or lustful way.
Give "Zakat" (obligatory) or "Sadaqah" (voluntary charity) and donate as much as you can to the needy. The Qur'an says that those who give charity will have a "noble reward". Note that Zakat, being one of Islam's five pillars, is a must for all Muslims. Sadaqah is not compulsory, but highly recommended. There are, however, restrictions on whom to help and whom not to. The Quran allows Muslims to donate Zakat to other Muslims who try to earn their own livelihood but are struggling, but not those who beg for it, for begging from humans is wrong. The majority view of scholars is that Zakat can only be given to Muslims, but there sadaqah can be given to deserving non-Muslims.
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