This world is like an exam hall. This life is like an exam. The duration of an exam is always short; so is the life of this world. However, the list of important tasks of a believer is not short. Along with worship like salah, sawm, zakah, hajj, a believer’s list of duties includes many other things. For example, fulfilling the rights of others, keeping transactions clean, acquiring good qualities while ditancing from bad ones, enjoining good deeds, forbidding evil etc. If he wants to earn a living and at the same time perform these important tasks properly in this short period, he has to avoid all meaningless words and deeds. He should spend his precious time only on important tasks. Allah says the same thing in verse 3 of Surah Mu'minun in the Holy Qur'an-

وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ عَنِ اللَّغْوِ مُعْرِضُونَ

Those who turn away from useless things (they are successful believers).

In this verse, Allah has told how successful believers spend their lives in this world. One of the qualities of successful believers is that they turn away from useless things. Far from engaging in futility themselves, they turn away when others want to engage them in futility.

All such words and deeds, which are of no use in this world or in the hereafter, are called useless things. Needless to say, it is unimaginable for those, who stay away from vain things, to engage in sinful activities intentionally. When they stay away from futile actions, they stay away from sinful actions even more.

Allah Ta'ala has said this more clearly in another verse of the Holy Quran. Allah says:

وَ الَّذِيْنَ لَا يَشْهَدُوْنَ الزُّوْرَ وَ اِذَا مَرُّوْا بِاللَّغْوِ مَرُّوْا كِرَامًا

And (servants of the Most Merciful are those) who do not engage in wrongdoing and when they pass by a futile (vain) activity, pass away saving their self-respect. — Surah Furqan (25): 72

When a gentle man passes by a pile of dirt, he walks very carefully. He held the handkerchief over his nose. While crossing, he steps very cautiously, so that no splash of dirt can touch his clothes. This way, the successful believers stay away from sins in this worldly life and avoid useless things. A sincere believer remains consistently cautious throughout his worldly life, safeguarding himself from the contamination of worldly impurities. Whenever he happened to commit a sin, he does not delay to refresh his life again with the soap of repentance (tawbah) and the perfume of good deeds.

Currently, one of the common means of engaging in useless deeds is smartphone, internet, newspaper and social media. The principle of a successful life should always be kept in mind, especially while using these technologies. No matter how appealing the title is, how eye-catching the picture is, a conscious believer will think again and again before responding to it— what will it do for me in this world and hereafter? A believer will guard his gaze at all times.

Verily, vain things are like a torment for a true believer. Believers, who have sound hearts, often get impatient because of the useless words and actions. No matter how melodious the sound is, music is like torture for them,

Jannah will be free from these futile actions. Allah says:

لَّا تَسْمَعُ فِيْهَا لَاغِيَةً

There they will not listen to any nonsense. — Surah Ghashi (88): 11

لَا يَسْمَعُوْنَ فِيْهَا لَغْوًا وَّ لَا تَاْثِيْمًا, اِلَّا قِيْلًا سَلٰمًا سَلٰمًا

They will not hear any unnecessary talk or any sin in Paradise. — Surah Waqiya (56): 25-26

Since the world is a place of trial, there will always be some useless things. The task of a successful believer is to avoid useless things. May Allah grant us tawfiq. - Amin.