In the past few weeks, I’ve found myself in conversation with brothers who are reflecting on this question:
“What kind of legacy am I leaving behind?”
It’s not just something you think about at the end of your life.
It’s something we need to reflect on while we’re still writing the pages of our life.
Every decision, every conversation, every intention — it all adds up.
But here’s what I’ve noticed in those conversations:
Sometimes we overcomplicate the idea of legacy.
We think it must be something grand or perfect — and that pressure can leave us overwhelmed, unsure where to begin.
And so… we don’t take any step.
We get stuck in the thinking, and not enough in the building.
But the truth is: legacy isn’t about perfection. It’s about consistency.
It’s about the small, intentional steps that align with who you want to be and what you want to leave behind — starting now.
And in moments like this, I personally return to one hadith from our Prophet ﷺ:
“When a person dies, all their deeds come to an end except for three: a continuing charity, beneficial knowledge, or a righteous child who prays for them.”
— Sahih Muslim
This hadith is more than just comforting — it’s deeply practical. It gives us a framework for a legacy that lasts. Let’s break it down and see how we can live it,
1. Sadaqah Jāriyah — The Charity That Keeps Giving
When we think of sadaqah jāriyah, we often picture wells, masjids, or schools. And yes, those are powerful examples of ongoing charity — but they’re not the only ones.
Sadaqah can also be:
Giving your time to help someone
Making sincere du‘a for others
Smiling at someone with warmth
Helping carry someone’s emotional or physical burden
Let’s pause on one of the simplest example:
“Your smile to your brother is charity.”
— Tirmidhi
Do you truly know the weight of a smile?
To someone going through a rough day — or even a rough life — a genuine smile can shift everything. Imagine someone experiencing homelessness. You approach them with dignity, offer food, make eye contact, and smile. That moment? It may be one of the few times they felt seen. That they mattered.
That’s charity. That’s legacy.
What does this really mean in practice?
It highlights one of the most overlooked forms of charity — the building of your character (akhlaq) and your presence in the lives of those around you.
It’s about how you show up, how you engage, how you interact.
Because how can you help someone with their burden if you're not even paying attention to who around you is struggling? How can you offer a smile if you're not present enough to meet people where they are?
This type of charity isn’t loud — it’s grounded. And it’s rooted in servant leadership.
Servant leadership doesn’t mean neglecting yourself to the point of burning out to serve others. It means having healthy boundaries, emotional maturity, and the capacity to serve in ways that are sustainable, sincere, and impactful.
2. Beneficial Knowledge — From Information to Transformation
The second form of lasting legacy the Prophet ﷺ spoke of is ‘ilm yuntafa‘u bih — beneficial knowledge.
For clarity: this isn’t just about your ability to quote Islamic facts or Arabic terms in your conversations.
It’s about how much of that knowledge actually lives inside you — how it transforms your heart, your decisions, your presence. How it transforms your relationship with Allah, with yourself and with the people around you.
Think about it like this:
You can’t become a confident driver just by watching YouTube tutorials. You might know all the road rules, but until you get behind the wheel, make some mistakes, and learn to respond to the road in real time — you haven’t really learned to drive.
Islamic knowledge is the same.
You can know the tafsir of a verse. You can memorise ahadith. But if that knowledge never moves from your head into your heart — and then into your actions — it hasn’t fulfilled its purpose.
Take Surah Al-Fatihah as an example. Most of us recite it multiple times a day. But how often do we actually reflect on what we’re saying — especially when we say:
"Alhamdulillahi Rabbil ‘Aalameen."
All praise and thanks belong to Allah, the Lord of the worlds.
We say it frequently — but do we mean it?
Do we pause and reflect its deeper meaning:
This is me saying I’m pleased with Allah as my Rabb.
That in every blessing and every hardship — I trust Him as my Nurturer, my Protector, my Sustainer.
That there is wisdom in everything that unfolds in my life, even if I don’t yet understand it.
That His Mercy is greater than my understanding, and His Plan is deeper than what I can see.
That’s what makes knowledge beneficial. When it awakens the heart. When it softens the ego. When it brings us closer to Allah and makes us more beautiful to be around — for our families, our friends, and our community.
Transformational knowledge isn’t just something you study — it’s something you live.
It shapes the way you:
Connect with Allah ﷻ
Develop self-awareness — knowing your strengths, blind spots, and inner patterns
Learn how to manage and navigate your own patterns, so that you minimise responding to life from ego-centric place to a heart-centred space that yearns to please Allah.
Real knowledge shows up in how you live.
And when it’s lived, you become a walking legacy.
3. A Righteous Child Who Prays for You — And What That Actually Involves
For those who are parents — please pay close attention to the next few paragraphs:
If we reduce parenting to just a biological contribution, we’ve missed the essence of what it truly means.
Parenting isn’t about a title.
It isn’t just about biology.
It’s about intentionality.
It’s about connection.
It’s about the kind of relationship you consciously nurture — over time, with presence, patience, and heart.
Think about this:
Every meaningful relationship takes effort and investment to become strong.
Your marriage requires effort.
Friendships need tending.
Working relationships and nurturing your clients trusts — none of it thrives without intentionality.
So why would the parent-child relationship be left to chance?
A child who remembers you in their du‘a isn’t a ‘lucky’ outcome.
It’s the fruit of years of love, trust, empathy, and heartfelt presence.
Here are some reflection questions to sit with:
Am I emotionally present for my child — or just physically there?
Am I modelling a life of connection with Allah — or expecting them to figure it out?
Am I nurturing their heart — or just managing their behaviour?
Am I teaching them to pray for me — by how I pray with them?
Not a parent yet? This still applies.
Every single one of us has parents.
If they’re alive — connect with them, serve them, make du‘a for them.
If they’ve returned to Allah — honour them through your character, your du‘a, your sadaqah in their name.
And beyond that — look sideways, to those around you.
You don’t need to be a parent to nurture the next generation.
You can be a mentor, a youth leader, be a safe space for someone younger.
Children are future leaders in training.
And if we want a stronger ummah, it starts with us to be positive role models — how to care for others, respect our elders, and live a life that positively influence others.
So… What Legacy Are You Leaving Behind?
Legacy doesn’t begin when your name goes on a plaque or when people speak of you after you’re gone. Legacy starts now: In your intentions, in your presence, in your dua, in how you show up when no one else is watching
Don’t say to yourself: ONE DAY, I will start building my legacy.
Rather, say: today is my DAY ONE building my legacy.
Because what happens if you never get to live to see that one day?
And living your legacy begins with one thing:
Nurturing your heart and deepening your connection with your Rabb.
Start by turning to Allah sincerely in your du‘a:
“Ya Allah, allow me to live a life that is pleasing to You. Allow me to fulfil my purpose — to grow closer to You through whatever means You have given me.”
Take that one step towards Allah — and He takes ten towards you.
Walk towards Him — and He will come to you at speed.
(Hadith Qudsi, Sahih Muslim)
Return to your Rabb with sincerity of wanting to serve Him.
Because when you do — Allah will open doors you didn’t even know existed.
And so, I leave you with this reflection:
What can you build today that your future self — the one longing to be closer to Allah — will be grateful for?
Now… go build it.
Wassalaam
Sidqie Djunaedi