The Value of Success Part 1- Is Success A Human Value?

Recently i was exploring “values” with a friend. Things that an upright person should seek to embody such as honesty, integrity, courage, respect, humility and generosity — among other traits.

We were going through a list of words and “success” came up. It made me wonder if success, and being successful, is a “value”? Is it something we seek to embody?

Almost by definition every person wants to be successful, each person will have different definitions of success and will have a different pace with which they pursue success. It’s important to make sure that our goals for success are aligned with our beliefs — but is success a value?

Out of our hands

We hope for wealth and success that do not corrupt us — success that will help us to do good and to live well. Success however is not in our control, for any undertaking we simply do what is within our means and try our best, but it is out of our hands whether or not we are successful in it.

Trying hard, aiming high, working hard, being dedicated and diligent are all things we can strive to embody. Success however is outside of our control.

Sometimes we may put all of our effort into a task, but for whatever reason, that goal is not destined for us. Other times we have a pure intention, we work hard, and the results are far greater than we could have imagined!

If we’re unsuccessful in our goal does that negate our trying? Does it mean it was all for naught?

Prophet Noah

وَلَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا نُوحًا إِلَىٰ قَوْمِهِۦ فَلَبِثَ فِيهِمْ أَلْفَ سَنَةٍ إِلَّا خَمْسِينَ عَامًۭا فَأَخَذَهُمُ ٱلطُّوفَانُ وَهُمْ ظَـٰلِمُونَ

فَأَنجَيْنَـٰهُ وَأَصْحَـٰبَ ٱلسَّفِينَةِ وَجَعَلْنَـٰهَآ ءَايَةًۭ لِّلْعَـٰلَمِينَ

“Indeed, We sent Noah to his people, and he remained among them for a thousand years, less fifty. Then the Flood overtook them, while they persisted in wrongdoing but We delivered him and those in the Ark, making it a sign for all people.”

— Qur'an 29:14-15

Prophet Noah would never be considered a failure. From a worldly point of view he preached for 950 years but garnered only a handful of followers. He tried his best, more than any of us could imagine, and for all that time he continued to strive. The outcome was simply outside of Noah’s control. The outcome and any success were from Allah alone.

For Noah it was not granted in a way that we would recognise as worldly success, but true success is with Allah. True success is with Allah accepting Noah’s actions and intention. Noah’s sincerity shines through and even through continued hardship he persevered with his preaching even though he wasn’t seeing clear and immediate success.

True Success

We see in this that true success lies in the journey, in the striving, not in the destination.

إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَنْظُرُ إِلَى صُوَرِكُمْ وَأَمْوَالِكُمْ وَلَكِنْ يَنْظُرُ إِلَى قُلُوبِكُمْ وَأَعْمَالِكُمْ

“Indeed, Allah does not look at your appearance or wealth, but rather He looks at your hearts and actions.” - Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) in a Sahih hadith

We all start at different places in life, and where we end up is largely a factor of where we started. That doesn’t negate the agency from us, but it’s important to remember that we will be judged according to how hard we tried, not just based on how much we outwardly achieved.

If we look at the example of charity: a rich person may donate £10 without even thinking about it, but for a person struggling financially, giving even £5 may mean they have to skip meals. Who has been more generous in that situation?

أَنَّ نَاسًا، مِنْ أَصْحَابِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالُوا لِلنَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ذَهَبَ أَهْلُ الدُّثُورِ بِالأُجُورِ يُصَلُّونَ كَمَا نُصَلِّي وَيَصُومُونَ كَمَا نَصُومُ وَيَتَصَدَّقُونَ بِفُضُولِ أَمْوَالِهِمْ . قَالَ " أَوَلَيْسَ قَدْ جَعَلَ اللَّهُ لَكُمْ مَا تَصَّدَّقُونَ إِنَّ بِكُلِّ تَسْبِيحَةٍ صَدَقَةً وَكُلِّ تَكْبِيرَةٍ صَدَقَةٌ وَكُلِّ تَحْمِيدَةٍ صَدَقَةٌ وَكُلِّ تَهْلِيلَةٍ صَدَقَةٌ وَأَمْرٌ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ صَدَقَةٌ وَنَهْىٌ عَنْ مُنْكَرٍ صَدَقَةٌ وَفِي بُضْعِ أَحَدِكُمْ صَدَقَةٌ "

Some of the people from among the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (Muhammad ﷺ) said to him: Messenger of Allah, the rich have taken away (all the) reward. They observe prayer as we do; they keep the fasts as we keep, and they give Sadaqa (charity) out of their surplus riches. Upon this he (the Holy Prophet) said: Has Allah not prescribed for you (a course) by following which you can (also) do sadaqa? In every declaration of the glorification of Allah (i. e. saying Subhan Allah) there is a sadaqa, and every Takbir (i. e. saying Allah-O-Akbar) is a sadaqa, and every praise of His (saying al-Hamdu Lillah) is a sadaqa and every declaration that He is one (La illha ill-Allah) is a sadaqa, and enjoining of good is a sadaqa, and forbidding of that which is evil is a sadaqa, and in one’s sexual Intercourse (in a halal way with their spouse) there is a sadaqa. [Sahih]

If a poor person were to strive to provide even half of what a rich person may be able to provide instantly, it would still be accepted as a good deed from them.

This precedent of striving is something we see echoed in the lives of many of the Prophets; after enduring many hardships and long periods of patience Allah granted them success. We see this in the story of Moses and how he eventually reached the Red Sea and Allah parted the sea for him. We see this in the life of the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) when he left his home city of Mecca to escape persecution for more than a decade of struggle, before returning and being accepted as their ruler.

وَٱلَّذِينَ جَـٰهَدُوا۟ فِينَا لَنَهْدِيَنَّهُمْ سُبُلَنَا ۚ وَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَمَعَ ٱلْمُحْسِنِينَ ٦٩

As for those who strive hard for Our cause, We will surely guide them along Our Way. And Allah is certainly with those who do good. — Quran 29:69

Even if Allah doesn’t grant us success in this world immediately. True success is with Allah and in his accepting our good deeds and and our efforts.

فَأَمَّا مَن تَابَ وَءَامَنَ وَعَمِلَ صَـٰلِحًۭا فَعَسَىٰٓ أَن يَكُونَ مِنَ ٱلْمُفْلِحِينَ ٦٧

As for those who repent, believe, and do good ˹in this world˺, it is right to hope that they will be among the successful. — Qur’an 28:67