How to ratio passion for profession and passion for Islam?

Question

Sometimes I get passionate about religion and sometimes about my profession. It's hard to maintain a balance, sometimes I am totally religious and I am left with little interest in my work and money. Sometimes I get busy in work and get passionate about it. I don't get passionate because I am greedy or I need more & more money. I do it with an intention to help others with that money (and I have been trying to help others as well).

To what extent can a man go about his profession? What if the profession is his passion and he can't get away with it?

Answer 1

Salam,

I couldn't find any verse or quote from Prophet Muhammad(PBUH) to answer your question, but I've found this saying of Imam Ali(AS) very useful to myself in my whole life. It may help you as well:

للمؤمن ثلاث ساعات: فساعة يناجي فيها ربه، وساعة يرم معاشه، وساعة يخلى بين نفسه وبين لذتها فيما يحل ويجمل

"A believer divides his day into three parts. He spends one for worshipping Allah, another for making a living, and another for resting and for ligitimate pleasurable activities."

reference (It worths reading)

EDIT:

Eventually I found these verses related to the topic, I hope they help you come to a conclusion:

فَإِذَا قُضِيَتِ الصَّلَاةُ فَانتَشِرُ‌وا فِي الْأَرْ‌ضِ وَابْتَغُوا مِن فَضْلِ اللَّـهِ وَاذْكُرُ‌وا اللَّـهَ كَثِيرً‌ا لَّعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ

And when the prayer has been concluded, disperse within the land and seek from the bounty of Allah , and remember Allah often that you may succeed.

وَإِذَا رَ‌أَوْا تِجَارَ‌ةً أَوْ لَهْوًا انفَضُّوا إِلَيْهَا وَتَرَ‌كُوكَ قَائِمًا ۚ قُلْ مَا عِندَ اللَّـهِ خَيْرٌ‌ مِّنَ اللَّـهْوِ وَمِنَ التِّجَارَ‌ةِ ۚ وَاللَّـهُ خَيْرُ‌ الرَّ‌ازِقِينَ

But when they saw a transaction or a diversion, [O Muhammad], they rushed to it and left you standing. Say, "What is with Allah is better than diversion and than a transaction, and Allah is the best of providers."

Al-Jumu`ah: 10-11

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تُلْهِكُمْ أَمْوَالُكُمْ وَلَا أَوْلَادُكُمْ عَن ذِكْرِ‌ اللَّـهِ ۚ وَمَن يَفْعَلْ ذَٰلِكَ فَأُولَـٰئِكَ هُمُ الْخَاسِرُ‌ونَ

O you who have believed, let not your wealth and your children divert you from remembrance of Allah . And whoever does that - then those are the losers.

Al-Munafiqun: 9

Answer 2

There should not be a separation between the two.

It is well known that the prophet Muhammad and his first wife were merchants. Abu Bakr as-Siddik was not only a prominent businessman, he was also one of the wealthiest in his tribe at one point, and a well-known philantropist. In fact, he earned a lot of respect from his opponents at the time because he had earlier donated a lot of wealth to help many of them. Many other early Muslims were incredibly wealthy, but spent much of that wealth furthering the cause of Islam.

In general, people will respect the world more than the afterlife. I recall a hadith where one of the Prophet's Companions said that people only work so hard for the world because it is what they can see. If they could see what was in the afterlife, they would rush for that first.

Being successful in life gains you some respect. Turning down some of the luxuries of life in order to serve Allah will give you and your religion far more respect. The earliest Caliphs chose to live as the poorer citizens of their countries, despite being some of the most powerful people in the world at the time. This earned them a lot of respect.

I was taught that work is a fard kifayah - someone in the community has to do it. Without engineers, who will have buildings? Much of the disrespect for Islam today comes from how Muslim nations are technologically and socially backwards. The golden ages of Islam was when they were technologically and socially at the peak of the world.

Being successful in life is a form of da'wah. Converts to Islam do not look at the hermits or listen to the clerics. They watch the regular people who are practicing Islam. If a person can maintain a good career-religion balance, it becomes an impressive feat.

Look to the times of the Rightly Guided Caliphs - a potential governor and military leader is expected to be able to lead people in Friday prayers. They were also strongly career people, considering the degree of success they had in modernizing Arab cities at the time, but they were also religiously passionate.

Answer 3

I see that your problem is not a schedule confusion or work vs deen problem rather a battle within yourself as to where to concentrate yourself.

Check 1

Firstly, you need to see if your love for your profession gets in the way of practicing Islam when it is within you. This can be evaluated by asking yourself if you are able to practice the 5 pillars and basic dos and donts of Islam especially salaat which would include fajr. If your profession does get into the way of practicing these basic principles then your next steps should be to correct them at the earliest. I would say that it is just a battle from within you between good and evil. Evil will loose once good is corrected and increased.

Check 2

With or without doing the check above, you should increase reading of the Quran in the language you understand the best. The format of the Quran is such that it keeps on reminding a person that death is close by and kiyaamah is inevitable. Above all, it will keep on telling you Allah is THE reality. You will slowly see both your profession and deen in a better perspectives.

Insha Allah