Work Hard, but Worship Harder!

Look at the words Allah (swt) uses when He refers to working for worldly affairs

هُوَ الَّذِي جَعَلَ لَكُمُ الْأَرْضَ ذَلُولًا فَامْشُوا فِي مَنَاكِبِهَا وَكُلُوا مِن رِّزْقِهِ وَإِلَيْهِ النُّشُورُ

It is He who made the earth tame for you – so walk among its slopes and eat of His provision – and to Him is the resurrection. (67:15)

 وَقَالُوا مَالِ هَـٰذَا الرَّسُولِ يَأْكُلُ الطَّعَامَ وَيَمْشِي فِي الْأَسْوَاقِ

And they say, “What is this messenger that eats food and walks in the markets? (25:7)

وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا قَبْلَكَ مِنَ الْمُرْسَلِينَ إِلَّا إِنَّهُمْ لَيَأْكُلُونَ الطَّعَامَ وَيَمْشُونَ فِي الْأَسْوَاقِ

And We did not send before you, [O Muhammad], any of the messengers except that they ate food and walked in the markets… (25:20)

Notice that the word masha (walk) is used for worldly pursuits, implying that we should work towards worldly matters in a steady, consistent, and measured pace.

 However, look at the words Allah (swt) uses when  He refers to working for towards the Akhirah

وَسَارِعُوا إِلَىٰ مَغْفِرَةٍ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ وَجَنَّةٍ عَرْضُهَا السَّمَاوَاتُ وَالْأَرْضُ أُعِدَّتْ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ

And hasten to forgiveness from your Lord and a garden as wide as the heavens and earth, prepared for the righteous. (3:133)

سَابِقُوا إِلَىٰ مَغْفِرَةٍ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ وَجَنَّةٍ عَرْضُهَا كَعَرْضِ السَّمَاءِ وَالْأَرْضِ

Race toward forgiveness from your Lord and a Garden whose width is like the width of the heavens and earth… (57:21)

وَفِي ذَ‌ٰلِكَ فَلْيَتَنَافَسِ الْمُتَنَافِسُونَ

…So for this let the competitors compete. (83:26)