Why Strive to Be a Righteous Person? Is It Really Worth It?

There is a large and prestigious company that everyone admires and dreams of working for. Let's say this company is Tesla, Google, or Facebook. When we work there, we often wonder about those who receive various incentives and great benefits from the company. Big companies surely offer hefty bonuses. We often notice that those who receive these great incentives are not ordinary people. They are CEOs, branch managers, or those who have been loyal to the company for a long time, through thick and thin, and are highly dedicated, always meeting the KPIs set by the company. The company provides guidelines and KPIs to follow. Unfortunately, we often overlook or don't fully understand these guidelines. We just work haphazardly, as long as the job gets done and submitted. Unknowingly, after years of hard work, we still don't receive the promised incentives. We start to feel bored and question the fairness of our employer, complaining behind their back, wondering why others get rewards while we, who work hard day and night, don't see any raises or promotions. Our employer responds, "You work hard, but you don't follow the SOP criteria we've set. Did you read the guidelines?" We reply, "Yes, but I didn't fully understand them." The employer asks, "If you didn't understand, why didn't you ask and learn?" We answer, "The guidelines are in English, I didn't understand. It takes time to learn, and it's technical. If I spend time learning, my work will pile up and won't get done." The employer then says, "If you didn't understand, it's not our fault; it's yours. Look at the bosses, do you know those who receive great incentives and bonuses? Have you seen how they work? If you follow their way, you'll get the same rewards. Do you know them?" We reply softly, "No," bowing our heads in shame.

In Surah Al-Fatihah, don't we ask Allah to guide us to the straight path? Do we even realize that we're asking for the straight path, or do we not understand what we're asking for every time we pray? This path has been walked by those who succeeded in their lives. Allah tells us that this is the path where He has bestowed abundant blessings upon them. These blessings aren't given by people but by Allah Himself, the Owner of the universe, the Most Rich. Our question is, who are these special people who receive such 'great incentives' from Allah? How do we know if we are among those whom Allah mentions? Of course, we all want the same blessings, right? Anyone who doesn't want it is either not smart or simply doesn't care. Why? Because if we're not among those blessed by Allah, we might fall into one of the other two groups: those who incur Allah's wrath or those who are astray. These two groups are at a loss and will not be safe.

In Surah Al-Fatihah, we ask, "Guide us to the straight path" (ٱهْدِنَا ٱلصِّرَٰطَ ٱلْمُسْتَقِيمَ). In Surah An-Nisa (4:68), Allah also says, "And We would have guided them to the straight path" (وَلَهَدَيْنَـٰهُمْ صِرَٰطًۭا مُّسْتَقِيمًۭا). Then, in Surah An-Nisa (4:69), Allah tells us who these people are who are on the straight path and blessed with His favors. Here, we can assess whether we are among them. This is how the Quran educates us—it purifies our hearts, encourages us to reflect and improve ourselves. Unless we choose to ignore this message and continue living as usual.

"And whoever obeys Allah and the Messenger, they will be in the company of those whom Allah has blessed: the prophets, the truthful, the martyrs, and the righteous. And what excellent companions they are!"

Those who obey Allah by obeying the Messenger are the ones who will receive Allah's 'blessings.' This opportunity is open to anyone until the Day of Judgment. These are the people referred to in Surah Al-Fatihah as "the path of those whom You have blessed" (صِراطَ الَّذينَ أَنعَمتَ عَلَيهِم). So, if we want to attain the blessings promised by Allah in Surah Al-Fatihah, we must follow the Prophet's Sunnah.
Allah mentions four special groups who receive His blessings: