Conditions for the acceptance of good deeds in Islam (1)

إنّ الحمد لله نحمده ونستعينه ونسستغفره ونعوذ بالله من شرور أنفسنا ومن سيّئات أعمالنا, من يهده الله فلا مضلّ له ومن يضلل فلا هادي له وأشهد ألاّ إله إلاّ الله وحده لا شريك له وأشهد أنّ محمّدا عبده ورسوله.

يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اتَّقُوا رَبَّكُمُ الَّذِي خَلَقَكُمْ مِنْ نَفْسٍ وَاحِدَةٍ وَخَلَقَ مِنْهَا زَوْجَهَا وَبَثَّ مِنْهُمَا رِجَالاً كَثِيراً وَنِسَاءً وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ الَّذِي تَسَاءَلُونَ بِهِ وَالْأَرْحَامَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ عَلَيْكُمْ رَقِيباً

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَقُولُوا قَوْلاً سَدِيداً، يُصْلِحْ لَكُمْ أَعْمَالَكُمْ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْ وَمَنْ يُطِعِ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ فَقَدْ فَازَ فَوْزاً عَظِيماً.

  أما بعد: السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته

Distinguished brothers and sisters in Islam, the topic of our khutbah today is: The conditions for the acceptance of good deeds in Islam. This topic is one of the fundamental issues in Islām that every Muslim know and understand. This is because the ultimate hope of every Muslim is to attain the pleasure of Allāh in both this life and the hereafter. This goal would never be achieved unless one’s deeds are accepted by Allāh. Consequently, no single deed shall be accepted by Allāh except it satisfies the conditions of acceptance of good deeds as stipulated in the Sharīah. Hence, it becomes imperative for every Muslim to strive to know these conditions prior before embarking on any meritorious act in order not to be among the losers in the hereafter. Allāh says:

﴿ قُلْ هَلْ نُنَبِّئُكُمْ بِالْأَخْسَرِينَ أَعْمَالاً * الَّذِينَ ضَلَّ سَعْيُهُمْ فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا وَهُمْ يَحْسَبُونَ أَنَّهُمْ يُحْسِنُونَ صُنْعاً ﴾

“Say: Shall We inform you of the greatest losers in (their) deeds? (These are) they whose labour is lost in this world’s life while they think that they have done good deeds.”

READ ALSO:

• Second Niger Bridge eases traffic, motorists excited
• Marketers behind petrol scarcity, high pump price – PENGASSAN
• Police arrest suspected IPOB commander, neutralise two in Ebonyi
• One Killed,17 Injured In Anambra Road Accident

Al-hāfiz ibn Kathīr (rahīmahullāh), while commenting on the above verse quoted a ḥadīth from Al-Bukhārī on the authority of Abū Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ said:

عن أبي هريرة – رضي الله عنه – أن رسول الله – صلى الله عليه وسلم – قال: إنه ليأتي الرجل العظيم السمين يوم القيامة لا يزن عند الله جناح بعوضة.  وقال: اقرؤوا فَلَا نُقِيمُ لَهُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ وَزْنًا

“A man so hefty and chubby will appear on the Day of Resurrection and he would not weigh the wings of a mosquito (when put on the scale of deeds).”

In another narration, he said:

عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وسلم: يؤتى بالرجل الأكول الشروب العظيم، فيوزن بحبة فلا يزنها. قَالَ: وقرأ: فَلا نُقِيمُ لَهُمْ يَوْم الْقِيَامَة وَزْنًا.

“A gluttonous and huge man shall be brought (on the Day of Resurrection) and weighed side by side with a grain and the latter shall outweigh him.”

‘Ibādallāh! What does it profit a man to live for 5,6 or 10 decades, striving tirelessly in the path of Allāh, only to be told on the Day of Judgment that his deeds amount to nothing and then he is thrown in hellfire?

This is why it is extremely important for us to hold on to the kitāb and Sunnah and adhere strictly to only what they legislate and shun all forms of bid’ah no matter how commonplace they are.

‘Ibādallāh! There are primarily two basic conditions for the acceptance of good deeds by Allāh. These are:

Al-Ikhlāṣ (Sincerity of purpose): This implies that we keep our intention for embarking on such meritorious deeds solely for Allāh alone. We must not intend with our good deeds the attainment of some worldly benefits or showing off to gain fame and praise from the people.

Allāh says:

إِنَّا أَنزَلْنَا إِلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ بِالْحَقِّ فَاعْبُدِ اللَّهَ مُخْلِصًا لَّهُ الدِّينَ

“Indeed, We have revealed to you the Book with the truth, therefore serve Allāh being sincere to Him in obedience.”  (Q39:2)

READ ALSO:

• Yahaya Bello’s nephew remanded for ‘fraudulently withdrawing N10bn from state treasury’
• Rising food prices push November inflation rate to 21.47%
• EFCC recovers N30bn from suspended accountant general, N50bn still missing

Allāh also says:

 أَلا لِلَّهِ الدِّينُ الْخَالِصُ وَالَّذِينَ اتَّخَذُوا مِنْ دُونِهِ أَوْلِيَاءَ مَا نَعْبُدُهُمْ إِلَّا لِيُقَرِّبُونَا إِلَى اللَّهِ زُلْفَى

“Now, surely, sincere obedience is due to Allāh (alone) and those who take guardians besides Him, (say), we do not serve them save that they may make us nearer to Allah…” (Q. 39:3)

Allāh also says:

قُلْ إِنِّي أُمِرْتُ أَنْ أَعْبُدَ اللَّهَ مُخْلِصًا لَهُ الدِّينَ

“Say: I am commanded that I should serve Allah, being sincere to Him in obedience.”   (Q.39:11)

Allāh also says:

قُلِ اللَّهَ أَعْبُدُ مُخْلِصًا لَّهُ دِينِي

“Say: It is Allāh I serve, with my sincere (and exclusive) devotion.” (Q.39:14)

‘Ibādallāh, the second condition for the acceptance of good deeds by Allāh is:

Al-Mutāba’ah (Conformity to the teachings of the Rasūl ﷺ): Before any good deed becomes eligible for acceptance by Allāh, it must be performed in strict accordance with the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ. This is because he, Muḥammad, is the channel via which Allāh communicated to His creatures. Allāh revealed the Qur’ān unto him and commanded all sincere believers obey and follow him unconditionally. Consider the following verses: Q.3:32, 4:59, 4:64, 4:80, 4:115, 4:170, 5:92, 8:20, 24:54, 24:56, 47:33, among several others.

READ ALSO:

• I don’t want favour from you, Kano cleric tells judge as he gets death sentence
• Benzema back in training, may make Sunday France vs Argentina final
• EFCC behind my continued detention in UK – Ekweremadu

From the ḥadīth, ‘Āisha (may Allāh be pleased with her) narrated that the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ said:

عن أم المؤمنين عائشة رضي الله عنها قالت : قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم :من أحدث في أمرنا هذا ما ليس منه فهو رد

“Whoever innovates into this affair of ours (Islām) that which is not part of it, shall have it rejected.”

The ‘Ulamā’, while explaining the ḥadīth wrote:

فإن هذا الحديث يحتوي قاعدة من قواعد الإسلام وأصلا عظيما من أصوله، وهو يفيد أن ما خالف أمرنا مردود وأن ما وافقه مقبول، فقد قال الحافظ ابن رجب في جامع العلوم والحكم:وهذا الحديث أصلٌ عظيم من أُصول الإسلام، وهو كالميزان للأعمال في ظاهرها كما أنّ حديث: الأعمال بالنيَّات ميزان للأعمال في باطِنها، فكما أنَّ كل عمل لا يُراد به وجه الله تعالى فليس لعامله فيه ثواب، فكذلك كلُّ عمل لا يكون عليه أمر الله ورسوله، فهو مردودٌ على عامله، وكلُّ مَنْ أحدثَ في الدِّين ما لم يأذن به الله ورسوله، فليس مِنَ الدين في شيء. اهـ

This ḥadīth contains one of the fundamentals of Islam and teaches one of its basic lessons. The ḥadīth implies that any deed that contradicts the teachings of Allāh and His Apostle shall be utterly rejected while the one that conforms to them are well accepted.

Al-Ḥāfiz Ibn Rajab in Jāmi’u-‘Ulūm wa’l-ḥikam wrote: “This ḥadīth is a fundamental aspect of the religion. It is like a scale of measure of deeds outwardly, just like the ḥadīth “Actions are judged according to intentions” is used to measure the deeds inwardly. Similarly, just as any deed that is not done solely for the sake of Allāh shall not be rewarded, is any act not done in accordance with the teachings of Allāh and His Apostle ﷺ.”

وقال الحافظ ابن حجر في الفتح: وَهَذَا الْحَدِيثُ مَعْدُودٌ مِنْ أُصُولِ الْإِسْلَامِ، وَقَاعِدَةٌ مِنْ قَوَاعِدِهِ، فَإِنَّ مَعْنَاهُ: مَنْ اخْتَرَعَ مِنْ الدِّينِ مَا لَا يَشْهَدُ لَهُ أَصْلٌ مِنْ أُصُولِهِ فَلَا يُلْتَفَتُ إلَيْهِ

Ibn Ḥajar in Al-Fatḥ wrote:

“This ḥadīth is regarded as one of the foundations upon which Islām was built. It implies that whosoever innovates in the religion without recouse or proof in its foundation should be disregarded.”

قَالَ النَّوَوِيُّ: هَذَا الْحَدِيثُ مِمَّا يَنْبَغِي حِفْظُهُ وَاسْتِعْمَالُهُ فِي إبْطَالِ الْمُنْكَرَاتِ وَإِشَاعَةِ الِاسْتِدْلَالِ بِهِ

كَذَلِكَ. اهـ

An-Nawawi also wrote:

“This ḥadīth ought to be memorized and applied in disproving all forms of shenanigans (bid’ah practices).”

والله أعلم.