This Ramadhan our theme is “Easy Good Deeds – Little Effort, Huge Rewards.”

Each day during the week we will discuss various aspects with regards to good deeds and thereafter we will mention an easy good deed which we can all practice upon, in sha Allah. Another discussion with a second easy good deed will be explained during Sabahul Muslim with Ml. Junaid Kharsany and a third will feature in the Iftaar program with Ml. Suhaib Lasanya.

Allah has created this world so that we – His servants living here – may, through good actions, provide for our Hereafter and do deeds that may earn for ourselves the Divine pleasure of Allah.

However, we become so engrossed in the affairs of worldly life that we become oblivious of the true purpose of this life. So every living moment from morning till night is spent in making earthly life better and more and more pleasant. In this struggle there are few of Allah’s bondsmen who think of bettering their lot in the Hereafter, although it is an established fact and part of our Imaan, which even the most hardened atheist cannot deny, that everyone has to leave this world one day and none knows exactly when the summons will come.

The methods prescribed by Islam to better the human lot in the Hereafter are not really difficult; in fact, if one adopts them, his earthly life too becomes most pleasant and comfortable. But unfortunately, it is generally believed today that observance of Islamic teachings, is difficult and demands the sacrifice of many worldly advantages, pleasures and comforts.

Consequently, most people, being scared of this assumed difficulty, veer away from the Divine path, The fact is that Islamic commandments and injunctions are not per se difficult to follow and whosoever of Allah’s bondsmen desires to follow them is aided by Allah and his life in this world as well as in the Hereafter, are changed for the better and to his greater advantage.

Good Intention

Intention is an alchemic prescription that can turn base dirt into noble gold. The hadith says

إنَّمَا الْأَعْمَالُ بِالنِّيَّاتِ، وَإِنَّمَا لِكُلِّ امْرِئٍ مَا نَوَى،

“All actions depends upon intentions, so each man will have what he intended.” [Bukhari and Muslim]

It is sometimes interpreted to mean that good intentions justify bad deeds too and turn sins meritorious. This is entirely wrong. Sin is always a sin no matter how noble the intention may be. For instance, if someone breaks into a house to steal with the intention of giving away as alms whatever he would steal would be a thief deserving the prescribed punishment. His good intentions would not earn hire any merit nor would his sin be pardoned.

What this hadith means is as follows:

1. A good deed earns merit only if done with right intention. For instance, prayer would earn merit only when one prays only for Divine pleasure: if one prays to impress others, then, instead of earning merit, it would earn punishment.

2. The second interpretation which is germane to the present discussion is that all lawful deeds actually earn neither merit nor punishment, but if these are done with good intent, they become acts of worship and earn merit. For instance, eating is lawful: but if one eats with the intention that food shall give hire energy and that energy lie shall spend in the service of Allah, the act of eating would earn merit. Similarly, if one eats with the intent that his physical beady too has its rights and dues which include nourishment through eating or if one eats with the intent of getting pleasure and taste and of thanking Allah for these, the eating become an act of merit.

There is no lawful deed of life, which if done with good intent, does not become an act of merit. Example:

Honest earning, whether by trade or service or industry or agriculture, if done with the intent of rightly fulfilling the duties enjoined by Allah towards oneself and one’s family, will become an act of merit.

Then if one further intends to spend whatever he may save after fulfilling the needs of himself and his family in helping the poor and in other similar good deeds, he would earn further merit.

Imam Ghazali R has observed in his Ihya’-al-‘ulum that there is no lawful action in human life which, if done with the right intention, cannot be changed into an act of merit.

So, the Easy Good Deed we learn is whatever good deeds you do, make sure to make the right intention.