Life Mottos — Begin with Allah’s name

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ
I plan to write a thick book one day. A book that will outlive me, and encapsulate my journey through the Quran, sunnah, and life. The book will be about life mottos, or general principles, that we can live our life by.

Praise be to Allah, the lord of the worlds, and may blessings and peace be upon Allah’s messenger ﷺ who taught and was taught the best of conduct.

I plan to write a thick book one day. A book that will outlive me, and encapsulate my journey through the Quran, sunnah, and life. The book will be about life mottos, or general principles, that we can live our life by.

Before that, let me start by talking about the One who has been the kindest to Me, the Most gracious to Me, who has always taken care of me, even though He has no need of me and I’m most needy of Him.

وَإِذَا مَرِضْتُ فَهُوَ يَشْفِينِ

And when I am ill, it is He who cures me
(Quran, 26:80)

وَهُوَ رَبُّنَا وَرَبُّكُمْ وَلَنَا أَعْمَالُنَا وَلَكُمْ أَعْمَالُكُمْ وَنَحْنُ لَهُ مُخْلِصُونَ

And He is our Lord and your Lord. And For us are our deeds, and for you are your deeds. And we are sincere [in deed and intention] to Him. (Quran, 2:139)

أَتَدْعُونَ بَعْلًا وَتَذَرُونَ أَحْسَنَ الْخَالِقِينَ
اللَّهَ رَبَّكُمْ وَرَبَّ آبَائِكُمُ الْأَوَّلِينَ

Do you call upon Ba’l and leave the best of creators -
Allah, your Lord and the Lord of your first forefathers?
(Quran, 37:125–126)

Yes, that is the Most Compassionate and Most Merciful Allah with whose name we begin.

إِنَّهُ مِن سُلَيْمَانَ وَإِنَّهُ بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

Surely it is from Sulayman, and surely it is in the name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful.
(Quran, 27:30)

And whose name is blessed and holy, and with whose name nothing is harmed in the heavens and earth.

تَبَارَكَ اسْمُ رَبِّكَ ذِي الْجَلَالِ وَالْإِكْرَامِ

Blessed is the name of your Lord, Owner of Majesty and Honor.
(Quran, ArRahman, 55:78)

رَبَّنَا اللَّهُ الَّذِي فِي السَّمَاءِ تَقَدَّسَ اسْمُكَ

Our Lord is Allah, who is in the heaven. Holy is Your name. (Abu Dawud, 3892)

وَتَبَارَكَ اسْمُكَ وَتَعَالَى جَدُّكَ وَلاَ إِلَهَ غَيْرُكَ ‏

Blessed is Your Name, and exalted is Your majesty, and there is no god but You. (Tirmidhi 243)

لاَ يَضُرُّ مَعَ اسْمِهِ شَيْءٌ فِي الأَرْضِ وَلاَ فِي السَّمَاءِ

With His Name (is protection so) nothing in the earth or the heavens can cause harm. (Tirmizi, 3388)

So our first motto is to mention the name of Allah subhanahu wataAla.

Mention Allah’s name beginning of anything important.

And mention Allah’s name before eating.

And mention Allah’s name before sleeping.

And mention Allah’s name before doing wudu.

And mention Allah’s name before reciting the Quran.

My dear brothers and sisters, mention Allah’s name, for that is how He began the Quran.

And mention Allah’s name for that is the example of your Prophet ﷺ

And mention Allah’s name, for that will bring in blessings in your deed.

And mention Allah’s name, to remind yourself to be sincere.

And mention Allah’s name to remind yourself of Him.

And all praise is for Allah, and

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ أَوَّلَهُ وَآخِرَهُ

In the name of Allah at the beginning and at the end of it. (Abu Dawud, 3767)