Central Khutbah: “Allah Sees Your Effort and Dedication”

When we hear the word “success,” an image of an achieved result almost immediately appears before our eyes: a completed project, a goal reached, the visible fruits of our work. We usually call these major steps we take “success.” We clearly know that without effort there is no success, but real life teaches us that the effort we invest does not always give us what we hoped for, nor is every hardship “rewarded” in proportion to what was invested.

This raises a question: does the effort that did not bring a visible result fall into the category of success or failure? Does what we call “wasted effort” truly belong to defeat?

Failure in the execution of an idea sometimes opens our eyes to a better path, a better method, or a more beneficial solution. This is often mentioned by management and human-resources experts, as well as many people who, after numerous setbacks, succeeded in accomplishing great things in their lives.

The believer, however, does not rely only on human experiences and theories. He returns to his main source of strength and motivation: faith and its teachings. There, we find messages that teach us that the value of effort, intention, and perseverance goes beyond the visible results we see.

“And say, ‘Act! Allah will see your deeds, and so will His Messenger and the believers. Then you will be returned to the Knower of the unseen and the seen, and He will inform you of what you used to do.’”
(At-Tawba, 105)

This verse directs us toward effort, not toward results. It does not say, “Achieve!”, but “Strive!” The emphasis is on what we invest, not only on what is visible in the end. This effort will not be lost: Allah the Exalted sees it, His Messenger sees it, and the believers see it.

The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

“The previous nations were presented to me. I saw a prophet with a group of followers, a prophet with one or two followers, and a prophet with no followers at all…”
(Mutaffaq ‘alayh)

Imagine a prophet who had no followers, or only one or two. According to our superficial, numbers-based criteria, this might look like total failure. But would we dare say that these prophets were unsuccessful? Would we dare think — God forbid — that they were losers, while the Almighty entrusted them with the mission of prophethood?

Of course not. They are successful because they fulfilled their mission faithfully. They conveyed the message, gave their utmost, remained persistent and sincere. That is their true success. This hadith clearly confirms that results, numbers of followers, visible impact, or what the eye perceives, are not the ultimate measure of success in the eyes of Allah.

The outcome is in the hands of our Lord. Why some hearts open and others remain closed, why some ideas come to fruition and others do not — only He knows.

“You do not guide whom you love, but Allah guides whom He wills, and He knows best those who are rightly guided.”
(Al-Qasas, 56)

One of the fundamental principles of Islamic belief is that nothing happens without Allah’s will. We must take the means, work, plan, and strive — but causes are never absolute. Allah’s decree is decisive. Our duty is to do what is within our capacity, with sincere intention and perseverance.

The hadiths about intention and deeds strongly remind us of this.

Ibn ‘Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, reports that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said — from his Lord:

“Allah has recorded the good and bad deeds and made them clear. Whoever intends to do a good deed but does not do it, Allah records a complete good deed for him. If he does it, Allah records it as ten to seven hundred good deeds, or even more. Whoever intends to commit a bad deed but does not do it, Allah records it as a complete good deed. If he does it, He records it as only one bad deed.”
(Bukhari)

Abu Hurayra, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said:

“Allah says: When My servant intends to do a bad deed, do not record it until he does it. If he does it, record it as one bad deed. If he leaves it for My sake, record it as a good deed. And when he intends to do a good deed but does not do it, record it as a good deed; and if he does it, record it multiplied from ten to seven hundred times.”
(Muslim)

We see, then, that not only the one who performs a good deed is rewarded, but also the one who sincerely intended to do good but could not accomplish it. The one who intended evil but refrained for the sake of Allah is also rewarded. If a person is rewarded already at the level of intention, then clearly, the one who strives, invests time, strength, and resources to accomplish good but does not succeed deserves an even greater reward.

What then of those who work for years in a field of good, who do not give up, who teach, organize, plan, and keep their hands raised — even when the goal they set is not yet visible? Such effort cannot be considered total failure.

In the texts about prayer, the value of preparation, waiting, and remaining in a state connected to worship is emphasized:

“You are considered in prayer as long as you are waiting for the prayer.”
(Mutaffaq ‘alayh)

“The angels invoke blessings upon each of you as long as he remains at the place where he prayed, saying: ‘O Lord, forgive him! O Lord, have mercy on him!’”
(Mutaffaq ‘alayh)

Waiting for the prayer is rewarded as if the person is in prayer itself. Remaining at one’s place after the prayer is a cause for angels to supplicate for that person. The reward is not tied only to the “main moment” of worship, but also to what surrounds it: preparation, dedication, remaining in a state of humility.

Scholars have derived from such texts the rule that what certainly leads to the forbidden is itself forbidden, and that everything necessary to perform an obligation becomes obligatory. This confirms that the means leading to sin or to good are not worthless; they carry their own ruling and weight.

The actions that surround a good deed, that prepare and support it, are not wasted. They have their own value and are not lost with Allah.

This is why it is important not to become slaves to results. The believer does not measure his life only by asking, “Did it succeed?”, but rather by asking: “Was my intention sincere for Allah? Did I do what was within my responsibility? Did I stay on the right path, even when the fruits I expected did not appear?”

If the intention is right, the path correct, and the effort sincere, then that effort — no matter how it appears to us — counts as success. Results come when Allah wills, how He wills, and for whom He wills. And the effort made for His sake is never lost.

True success is for a person to persist in doing good, leaving the outcomes to his Lord, certain that every sincere attempt — even one “unsuccessful” in our eyes — will have its place on Allah’s scale.

(Central khutbah by the religious leader Hafiz Hilmija Redžić on December 5, 2025, at the “Association Islamique de Luxembourg” in Bonnevoie)