Ambition means that a person does not live for himself and
his life, but he lives for his ummah, as the Prophet sallallahu
`alayhi wa sallam was, as 'Aisha said about him. When
`Abdullah bin Shaqeeq, may Allah be pleased with him,
asked her if the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam used
to pray sitting? She said, "Yes, after the people wrecked
him." [Ahmad, Muslim, Abu Dawud.] So he used to
confront people, welcome them, and warmly leave them,
command them, and prohibit them, mix up with them and
tolerate their errors; that is why the people wrecked him
sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam and left an effect upon his body
to the point that he started to pray sitting and his hair turned
gray.
Deen is three levels; Islam, then Imaan, then Ihsaan. In
accordance with this division there is a trilateral division,
"And we gave the book as an inheritance to those whom We chose from among our servants; but of them is he who makes his soul to suffer a loss, and of them is he who takes a middle course, and of them is he who is foremost in deeds of goodness by Allah's permission; this is the great excellence. [For them are] gardens of perpetual residence which they will enter. They shall be made to wear therein bracelets of gold and pearls, and their dress shall be silk." [Surat al-Faatir:32]
Accordingly, there is another trilateral division that the
Prophet sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam mentioned, in the
hadeeth of the saved group in which he mentioned Islam
first which is the only guaranty for entering Paradise. That
is; nobody enters Jannah but a Muslim, and inside this
large circle which is the circle of Islam, there is a smaller
circle which is the circle of the Saved group and it contains
those who stick to the right conduct and correct aqeedah,
and no more than that. There is a third cirle which is
smaller than the second, and which is better, more noble
and greater, and that is the circle of the Victorious group,
those who defend and protect the deen and tolerate harm,
therefore Allah Azza wa Jalla gives them victory.So the
Muslim should be ambitious and reach for these levels,
and look in the deen at the one who is above him and look
in the duniya at that one who is beneath him. Try to
resemble the noble ones, the righteous ones, the
renewers, so that you may achieve some good in this life.
Have an ambitious nafs that does not get satisfied with
stopping at a certain limit, and does not get enough of
doing good until it ends up in the Jannah.
