“Many Muslims nowadays equal piousness and religion to reciting Quran, dressing Islamic, visiting the Mosque often, and being occupied with Islamic studies. They worry so much about gaining knowledge that they fail to implement it and actually live by it. They have lost what Islam is truly about and have forgotten that preparing a wonderful meal for your neighbours is part of Islam, that taking your parents out shopping or for a walk in the park is part of Islam, that going out and doing charity work is part of Islam, that doing your best and work and school is part of Islam. We do so many things daily that are part of our Islam but fail to realize the Islamic side of things and thus get no reward for them. Being an excellent and pious Muslim is not restricting yourself to studying about Islam and praying all day, the truly excellent Muslim follows the way of the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) and of his Companions. The Prophet and the Companions would work all day, they would spend time with their family, they would occupy themselves with politics, sports, and various other non-religious activities. They had time for everything and everybody and never let Islam get in the way of being a socially active person. The time they spend with Allah they did so in private and during these private moments they let their tears flow and spoke privately with their Lord, but during the rest of the day they dedicated their time to serving their neighbours, family members, friends and strangers. But whatever they were busy with, they never forgot that Allah was always watching them and they always truly practiced the teachings of the Prophet and the Quran, and its teachings and words weighed very heavily on their shoulders, this is what made them such great people.”