We mean by ambition that one lives for his nation rather than for himself following the footsteps of the prophet (peace be upon him) . When Abdullah Ibn Shaqeeq (may Allah be pleased with him) asked A'isha (may Allah be pleased with her): Did the prophet (peace be upon him) pray sitting? She said: Yes, after people had exhausted his power. He (peace be upon him) was at the disposal of people, receiving them, saying farewell to them, educating them, preventing them from wrong doing, mixing with them, shouldering their errors, and taking the burden of their concerns until they exhausted him and even left marks on his body by pulling him to get his attention. At the end, he (peace be upon him) grew old fast to the extent that he prayed sitting.
The religion has three levels, Islam, Iman, and the highest level is Ihsan. Another three fold division is found in Quran in Surat Fatir “ Then we allowed our servants that we have chosen to inherit the book but there are among themselves some who wrong their own souls; some who follow a middle course and some who are, by Allah leave, foremost in good deeds; that is the highest grace” (Meaning of Quran 35:32). The prophet (peace be upon him) had also mentioned a similar threefold division. He first specified Islam as the condition to enter Paradise; This is the big circle. This circle of Islam contains a narrower circle, the circle of the salvaged party (AlFirqah AlNajiah), the party of those who adhere to the right creed and straight behavior but stopping at this limit. There is still the third narrowest circle, which is the greatest, most noble and most honored, the circle of the party aided by Allah (AlTaifah AlMansoorah). It is the party of those who defend the religion, fight for it and endure the harm and hardship for its sake and thus Allah will make it triumphant.
The Muslim is required to be ambitious and strive to ascend these grades. In Islam, the Muslim is urged to look to those who are above him in religious performance and to try to be like them, while in worldly life he is urged to look to those who are less than him so that he gets satisfied with what he has. My brother, look at the people with noble manners, reformers, and scholars who revive the religion. Try to be like these models to get some good out of this life. Be with an ambitious spirit that does not know limits and does not get satisfied with its good achievements until its destiny becomes Paradise.
