Praise be to Allah.
Significance of doing good deeds in Islam
If Allah helps him to do righteous deeds , the Muslim can earn a great deal of reward.
There are many different kinds of good deeds that can be done by the rich and poor, old and young, male and female, depending on each person’s circumstances, ambition and energy, after the help of Allah.
Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Whoever works righteousness — whether male or female — while he (or she) is a true believer (of Islamic Monotheism) verily, to him We will give a good life (in this world with respect, contentment and lawful provision), and We shall pay them certainly a reward in proportion to the best of what they used to do (i.e. Paradise in the Hereafter)”. [al-Nahl 16:97]
Abu Hurayrah narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Hasten to do good deeds before there come tribulations like pieces of a dark night, when a man will be a believer in the morning and a kafir by evening, or he will be a believer in the evening and a kafir by morning, selling his religious commitment for worldly gain.” (Narrated by Muslim, 118)
Examples of good deeds in Islam
The kinds of good deeds that a person can do every day include the following:
1.Praying in congregation in the mosque
Abu Hurayrah narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever goes to the mosque in the morning and evening , Allah will prepare for him an honourable place in Paradise every time he goes and comes.” (Narrated by al-Bukhari, 631; Muslim, 669)
2.Attending funerals and offering the funeral prayer
Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever attends a funeral until he offers the (funeral) prayer will have one qirat (of reward) and whoever attends until the burial is done will have two qirats.” It was said: “What are the two qirats?” He said: “Like two great mountains.” (Narrated by al-Bukhari, 1261; Muslim, 945)
3.Saying “La ilaha ill-Allah wahdahu la sharika lah, lahu’l-mulk wa lahu’l-hamd wa huwa ‘ala kulli shay’in qadir (There is no god but Allah Alone, with no partner or associate; His is the Dominion, to Him be all praise, and He is able to do all things)” one hundred times each day.
Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever says La ilaha ill-Allah wahdahu laa sharika lah, lahu’l-mulk wa lahu’l-hamd wa huwa ‘ala kulli shay’in qadir one hundred times in a day, it will be as if he freed ten slaves, and one hundred hasanat (good deeds) will be recorded for him, and one hundred sayiat (bad deeds) will be erased from him, and it will be a protection for him against the Shaytan all that day until evening comes. No one can do anything better than that except one who does more.” (Narrated by al-Bukhari, 3119; Muslim, 2691)
4.Upholding the ties of kinship
Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) say: “Whoever would like his provision to be increased and his lifespan extended, let him uphold his ties of kinship.” (Narrated by al-Bukhari, 5639; Muslim, 2557)
5.Observing voluntary fasts, visiting the sick and giving charity.
Abu Hurayrah said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Who among you is fasting today?” Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “I am.” He said: “Who among you has attended a funeral today?” Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “I have.” He said: “Who among you has fed a poor person today?’ Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “I have.” He said: “Who among you has visited a sick person today?” Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “I have.” The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “These (traits) are not combined in a person but he will enter Paradise.” (Narrated by Muslim, 1028)
6.Saying Subhan Allah wa bi hamdih (Praise and glory be to Allah) one hundred times.
Abu Hurayrah said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever says Subhan Allah wa bi hamdih (Praise and glory be to Allah) one hundred times, morning and evening, his sins will be erased even if they are like the foam of the sea.” (Narrated by al-Bukhari, 6042; Muslim, 2691)
7.Tasbeeih, tahmid and takbir, and enjoining what is good and forbidding what is evil, and praying Duha.
Abu Dharr narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “For every bone of the son of Adam a charity must be given each day. Every tasbihah [saying Subhan Allah (Glory be to Allah)] is a charity, every tahmidah [saying al-hamdu Lillah (praise be to Allah)] is a charity, every tahlilah [saying La ilaha ill-Allah (There is no god but Allah)] is a charity, every takbirah [saying Allahu akbar [Allah is Most Great]) is a charity, enjoining what is good is a charity, forbidding what is evil is a charity, and two rak’ahs offered in the mid-morning (Duha) is sufficient.” (Narrated by Muslim, 720)
8.Reading Quran.
‘Abd-Allah ibn Mas’ud said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever reads a letter of the Book of Allah will be credited with a good deed, and a good deed gets a tenfold reward. I do not say that Alif-Lam-Mim is a letter, rather alif is a letter, lam is a letter and mim is a letter.” (Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 2910; he said it is hasan sahih. Also classed as sahih by al-Albani in Sahih al-Tirmidhi)
And there are many other good deeds . The Muslim should seek the help of his Lord to do good deeds , and do his best to do them. He should persist in doing these good deeds even if they are little, for that is better than doing a lot of good deeds then stopping.
‘Aishah said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “O people, you should do whatever good deeds you can, for Allah does not get tired (of giving reward) until you get tired. And the most beloved of good deeds to Allah is that in which a person persists, even if it is little. If the family of Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) started to do something, they would persist in it.” (Narrated by al-Bukhari, 43; Muslim, 782)
And Allah knows best.
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