Sheikh Ahmad Kutty, a senior lecturer and Islamic scholar at the Islamic Institute of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, states:
This indeed is the first and most important step. Our aspirations and dreams are extremely important; if we follow them up with enough concentration and necessary action, they will become realities for us. “Man can only claim as his own what he strives for.”“Actions are by intentions; everyone gets what he intends.” so cherish sincere intention and develop them into a new reality for you.
1) Knowledge is the first prerequisite of proper Islamic life. Imam al-Bukhari rightly stated in his wonderful work, “Knowledge precedes words and deeds.” In other words, before anything, one should acquire the right kind of knowledge.
2) Nurture the habit of making dhikr (remembrance of Allah). Through dhikr you can always enjoy the divine grace and become protected against temptations.
3) Perform the religious obligations diligently. While doing so, be alive to their spirit as well as form.
4) Take care of your time. Time is the essence of life. If we take care to use the present—which is all that we have for certain—for beneficial goals and projects, we can ensure that our life is focused on good.
5) Think of life as really short and transient, so don’t complicate it by amassing things that are worthless. Store up treasures of good works as a legacy for you when you die.
6) Think of every day as an opportunity to develop your body, mind and spirit, and divide your activities accordingly.
7) Join hands and cooperate with others in doing good works as much as you can, and thus turn yourself into an instrument of goodness leaving behind you a legacy of goodness when you die.