A letter to A level graduates

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْم

My dear juniors, your fate (takdir) have long been written down before you were born. Be it whether you had done well or your result is not up to your expectation, know that life doesn't just stop there. You were made for something bigger than who you are right now. Much, much bigger. The way to success lies in Zuhud, hands in control of this world, while your true purpose in life lies in the eternal Hereafter. Success can never be defined by whatever result you may get nor the material worldly wealth you may accumulate with the result.

Hence, my sincere advice to you (although I am in no position to do so), is that after you have received your A level slip, prostrate in gratitude. Prostrate to your Lord, the Most Gracious, and thank Him for this day. Prostrate because it wasn't just you, for the reason of your success. Prostrate because it’s the only thing that Iblis (Satan) would never do. You have no idea how blessed you truly are to be given the opportunity to take the paper to begin with. All knowledge comes from Him, and He was the One who helped you seek it from Him. If only you knew the plans He had for you from the very day you were born. So prostrate and thank your Lord, for giving you a purpose in this life.

And if indeed today, you find hardship, remember that every test you get, there is a blessing behind it. From one of my favourite chapters in the Quran, “And the future is better than the present. Indeed, the future is better than the present” ~ Light of Dawn (7-8:93). Never ask Him to guide you if you are unwilling to move your feet in the first place. Strive ahead. Strive and work hard. One of the lines in the Call for prayer you hear 5 times a day, “Hayya alal Falah”,  is a call for you to strive for success in everything you do. This is the true call for jihad. Not some gun touting madmen killing in the name of justice like Isis. The greatest jihad has always been the struggle to win from the inside. To conquer oneself from the evils in himself. To strive for success from within. To repent. To know your mistakes.

As narrated by Anas Ibn Malik (ra) one of the close companions of the Prophet in Tafsir Ibn Kathir, when this verse was revealed, “If they fall in sin or wronged their souls, (then) they remember their Lord and they asked for His forgiveness” ~ Family of Imran (3:135), Iblis cried. So always humble yourself and seek forgiveness.

Finally my dear juniors, if you happen to be in a  position to console others or to help them today, be grateful and happy. Because honestly, know that God is answering their prayers through you. Be the warm comforting hands that they need. For truly one day, you may be the one needing the warmth. On that day, you will indeed be grateful for saving someones life because now it is your turn. All the best, to everyone of you. Peace be upon you.