AD-DA‘I - The Caller

O you who believe! Respond to Allah and to the Messenger when He calls you to what will bring you to life! Know that Allah intervenes between a man and his heart, and that you will be gathered to Him. ( Surat al-Anfal, 8:24)

People assume that they can take the best care of themselves and thus make the best decisions, set principles for themselves, and believe that their lives will be good if they adhere to these principles. But this is a great delusion, for Allah created humanity and is nearer to each person than his or her own jugular vein. A person may not know many things about himself; however, Allah encompasses everything about him, for He holds complete control over his seen and unseen features, his most inner thoughts, and his subconscious. Furthermore, a person can never know what she will face the next moment or may well forget some of her past experiences. But Allah, Who never forgets or errs, knows all that has happened — and ever will happen — in every person's life. For these very reasons, only Allah knows what is best for each person.

... It may be that you hate something when it is good for you, and it may be that you love something when it is bad for you. Allah knows, and you do not know. ( Surat al-Baqara, 2:216)

For this reason, a person needs to respond to Allah and comply with the “path that will bring him to life.” Allah made this path clear through the Qur'an, which He revealed to our Prophet (saas). In every verse, Allah gives a detailed account of how a person must conduct himself or herself in order to attain salvation.