My Lord, expand for me my chest [with assurance] And ease for me my task And untie the knot from my tongue That they may understand my speech. Ameen
I used to hear stories of one of our relatives he used to say that 'I like a particular act of hindus that when they greet their elders they bow down and touch their feet to show their respect', my father used to say to us that who declares what is a good deed? who sets the standard of a good deed? A common Muslim would say that of course it's not a good deed. I ask why? a common answer would be because hindu's do that, is that the standard? I read a comment on facebook of a Muslim brother saying that I love how in Ertugrul series whenever the name Prophet SAW comes they, to show respect, put their hands on their chest
and one of the brother said we respect our Prophet SAW by kissing the fingers (I don't mean to target a sect but the deed itself). Now what would a common Muslim say about these deeds? He would probably say that it's okay they are showing their respect for the Prophet SAW, again on what standards did they measure it was a good deed or not. Do Islam tells us to do anything we like, what our hearts desire, what we think is right?, what our ancestors used to do or what our sect's imam or maulvi has said? Do that constitutes Islam or is it something else because if it did then what was the need of sending Prophets in different communities.
Let's keep it short, the standard of a good deed, how to know if this deed is good or not? The first question that arises is, what is the purpose behind the deed? or for what purpose is that deed done? Is it to please Allah or someone else? If it is to please Allah then the second question that arises is, The deed, good in the eyes of who? because something might be good according to one person and bad according to other. If the deed is to please Allah then it should be considered good by Him, right?! He should tell us what pleases Him and what angers Him but He won't talk to us, now how are we to find which deeds pleases Allah, for that he chooses bests of men from amongst us and tells them what He likes and dislikes. Who are these men? Sufis?!, Darwaish?!, Walis?! He chooses the Prophet and convey his likings and disliking through them and Prophet Muhammad SAW was the last Prophet. He was the last person to convey us the message of Allah, of his liking and disliking and that was final. No person after him can tell us that this deed is good, that deed might be good in the eyes of this person, but if our Prophet didn't tell us then it's not good no matter how pious the person whose telling the deed is and it won't please Allah. Some people give an argument that Prophet didn't told us every teeny tiny thing, I am like who the hell are you to say that about the Prophet just imagine, the Prophet who even told us how to cleanse ourselves what else would he hide?! and Allah says in Quran
Messenger, preach what is revealed to you from your Lord. If you will not preach, it would be as though you have not conveyed My message...
Now comes the other part how to verify in these times that the deed is good or bad or one could use the term 'Amal Salih'. There are two conditions for an Amal to be Salih or for a deed to be good and acceptable in the eyes of Allah and both these conditions should be fulfilled.
1) Intention, purely for Allah:
Narrated 'Umar bin Al-Khattab:
I heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) saying, "The reward of deeds depends upon the intentions and every person will get the reward according to what he has intended. So whoever emigrated for worldly benefits or for a woman to marry, his emigration was for what he emigrated for."
Sahih Bukhari Hadith no 1
The deed, one is doing should be purely to please Allah. It should not be because all the neighbors are doing it so we thought we should do it, or our teachers said so to please them we have to do that. Recently, we had a graduation ceremony and in it they were telling us that when the registrar announces your school you should stand up and when they declare your degrees everyone should bow down and say I do... I was like why bow down they were saying it's a tradition of the ceremony I was like the hell with the tradition a Muslim only bow down in front of Allah not to anyone else ( I didn't said that but that's what I thought). One may think this is a bit extreme, but you are welcome to think otherwise.
2) The procedure of that deed should be according to the procedure of Prophet SAW:
Why did I use the word procedure? because in procedure you have to follow every single step for that procedure to be valid. In the same way, you have to do the deed exactly the way our Prophet SAW did, not to add your flavour/mirch masala. In Surah Al Hadid Allah mentions followers of Hazrat Isa AS
... and We sent Isa son of Marium afterwards, and We gave him the Injeel, and We put in the hearts of those who followed him kindness and mercy; and (as for) monkery, they innovated it-- only to seek Allah's pleasure. We did not prescribe it to them, but they did not observe it with its due observance; so We gave to those of them who believed their reward, and most of them are transgressors.
Allah says that their intention was purely to please Me but the deed they invented was not prescribed to them by their Prophet. So, the dialogue some people use that "Our intentions are pure" should read this ayah👆...
People might say nothing happens in reality. I agree nothing happens in reality that's what's scary? you are doing a deed your whole life and in the end Allah asks you who told you to do this deed? you came to know that this deed is not according to the teachings of Prophet. If it happens in this life then what comes after it is important, either you stop doing the deed or continue doing it but one should remember that Allah don't punish on things done in ignorance BUT it is our duty to learn what pleases him and what doesn't. We will be questioned about it.
Allah says in Quran
Say: Shall We inform you of the greatest losers in (their) deeds? It will be those who labor a great deal in this life but without guidance, yet think that they are doing a great many good deeds.
May Allah does not make us one of those people Ameen. That is the reason I ask and tell everyone to check the deeds you are doing no matter how small whether they are good deed or not, are they according to the teachings of Prophet or according to teachings of some Maulvi or Alim or is it just your customs.
In these times it's hard to tell a Muslim brother or sister something or ask them that why are you doing such an act, they get defensive, although maybe the one asking might be rude or asking in a way which is not good, but we should remove this barrier and try to correct ourselves and others. One should listen to what others have to say and explain in a nice way. This doesn't mean that one should point things out in public rather it should be done in private.
Abu Hurayra said, "A believer is the mirror of his brother. When he sees a fault in it, he should correct it."
One more thing should be kept in mind. In case of acts, Allah has told us exactly what should be done, He told us to do this and this, but in case of worldly matter like food or other things He only told us that these things are Haram rest are by default Halal. So, some of the people use the second rule to justify their deeds, that the Prophet didn't told us not to do this deed. This doesn't apply to acts (maybe I am not using the right word maybe it should be the things which are in unseen) Prophet SAW told us every act which are right the rest are forbidden.
Narrated Hadrami, the freed slave of the family of Al-Jarud:
from Nafi: "A man sneezed beside Ibn 'Umar and said: 'Al-Hamdulillah Was-Salamu 'Ala Rasulillah. (All praise is due to Allah, and peace upon the Messenger of Allah)'. So Ibn 'Umar said: 'I too say Al-Hamdulillah Was-Salamu 'Ala Rasulillah, but this is not what the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) taught us. He taught us to say: "Al-Hamdulillah 'Ala Kulli Hal (All praise is due to Allah in every circumstance)."
If it was a Muslim of this era, he might have said to Ibn Umar R.A that where did Prophet forbade it. Some people these days give Adhaan on the grave, when you ask them they say giving Adhaan is a good deed so why not here. It confuses you and some might say they are right. The same rule mentioned in the above hadith applies here. One should ask them why don't you give Adhaan for Funeral Prayer or Eid Prayer, they would say Prophet didn't do it. Ask them was it a sin that he didn't do it, they might say he didn't teach it. Then ask them where did he teach the Adhaan on the grave......
This Hadith tells us the rule, do only what and how Prophet taught us. One may say that then Prophet didn't pray in A.C or he didn't travel in airplanes or cars for Hajj or to Masjid. why do you do it?
All these are a means to the good deeds they are supportive of it not part of deen. It would become a sin if someone says that if one doesn't go in airplane for Hajj his Hajj won't be accepted then that is an Innovation (Biddah).
....The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: He who sets a good precedent ( سُنَّةً حَسَنَةً) in Islam, there is a reward for him for this (act of goodness) and reward of that also who acted according to it subsequently, without any deduction from their rewards; and he who sets in Islam an evil precedent (سُنَّةً سَيِّئَةً), there is upon him the burden of that, and the burden of him also who acted upon it subsequently, without any deduction from their burden.....
Muslim 1017/2351
....The truest of word is the Book of Allah and best of guidance is the guidance of Muhammad. The worst of things are those that are newly invented; every newly-invented thing is an innovation and every innovation is going astray, and every going astray is in the Fire.....
Nasai 1578 Sahih
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "If somebody innovates something which is not in harmony with the principles of our religion, that thing is rejected."
Bukhari 2697
O Allah! Enable us to see the Truth as Truth and give us the ability to follow it. And show us the falsehood as false and give us the ability to refrain from it. Ameen
Totally agree....And you have explained well
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