SURAH AL-BAQARAH
Ayah 5.
أُوْلَـئِكَ عَلَى هُدًى مِّن رَّبِّهِمْ وَأُوْلَـئِكَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ
Those are upon guidance from their Lord. Those are the successful.
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The word “those” was used (not “these”). It was pointing to people that were further away. You have a long way to climb up to the level of those people. Traveling long distant will require endurance, stamina and will power.
Those are the people that are guided by Allah in their lives. Those are the qualities of people who are committed to guidance. However do not become like those who think that they are guided but their actions did not show commitment (eg. not committed to perform the Solah wherever they are, etc.).
Allah is telling us only the “committed” ones are successful. We are to check ourselves whether we meet the criteria that Allah mentioned regarding successful people. Only people of “Taqwa” are committed to the Deen. This is the only way to achieve success in the hereafter. Sometimes a person self-praised himself as having Taqwa, but Allah said only those whom Allah recognized as having Taqwa are the successful ones.
The Arabic word الْمُفْلِحُونَ is being translated as “successful” actually means something that a person have strive all his life before he achieves success. It is not meant as a given success with little effort. Therefore two words that are associated with Taqwa = “commitment” and “success”. A long line of commitment and labor before success.
Another definition of a God = He is the one who gives guidance. Therefore if people believe that there is a smaller god and this god is dependant on the guidance of a bigger god, then this is not god as a God does not need any guidance from anyone.