A Day in the Life of a Muslim

When a Muslim wakens early in the morning, he thanks God for putting him to sleep and awakening him. After his ablutions, he leaves for the mosque in order to join his brethren in attesting to God’s divinity and his own willingness to serve Him. He then ascertains what his Lord expects of him by reading an excerpt from the Qur’an. Then he starts the day’s work. There are three prayer times during the day: afternoon, late afternoon and evening. By leaving his work and standing before his Lord at these times, he shows that he gives precedence to God above all else in life.

While satisfying his hunger and thirst, every fibre of his being gives thanks to God. “Lord,” he exclaims, “I am wonder-struck at the water you have created for me to quench my thirst with, and the food you have provided for the satisfaction of my hunger!” When success comes his way, he considers it to be a gift from God and offers thanks for it. He considers failure to be the result of his own errors, so he seeks to make amends. When dealing with others, he is conscious of God’s presence, which makes him aware of the fact that one day he will be held to account for his actions. When night falls, and he is free of all commitments, he once again washes and, after offering the night prayer, goes to bed. As he drops off to sleep, this prayer is on his lips: “Lord, my life and death are in Your hands. Forgive me and have mercy on me.” It is evident then that a Muslim does not organize his life-pattern independently. When he arranges his life, it is with God clearly before him.