Good Deeds

From the meanings of the Holly Quran:

-"So hasten towards all that is good". (2:148)

-"And march forth in the way (which leads to) forgiveness from your Rubb, and for Jannah as wide as are the heavens and the earth, prepared for Al-Muttaqun (the pious)". (3:133)

From Hadith:

- 87. Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "Be prompt in doing good deeds (before you are overtaken) by turbulence which would be like a part of the dark night. A man would be a believer in the morning and turn to disbelief in the evening, or he would be a believer in the evening and turn
disbeliever in the morning, and would sell his Faith for worldly goods.'' [Muslim].

Commentary: This Hadith tells that the Day of Resurrection will be preceded by a long chain of calamities. Because of the rush of these calamities, religion and Faith will loose their value in people. There will be a race for wealth, so much so that people would not hesitate to compromise their religion and Faith to acquire wealth. People will rapidly change their faces. This is what actually happening. In this situation true believers are exhorted to adhere strictly to Faith and perform noble deeds without delay.

- 88. `Uqbah bin Al-Harith (May Allah be pleased with him) said: Once I performed the 'Asr prayer in Al-Madinah behind the Prophet (PBUH). He (PBUH) got up quickly after finishing the prayer with Taslim, and stepping over the people, went to one of the rooms of his wives. The people were startled at his haste, and when he came out and saw their astonishment at his urgency he said, "I recalled that there was left with me some gold which was meant for charity; I did not like to keep it any longer, so I gave orders that it should be distributed".[Al-Bukhari].

In another narration, Messenger of Allah said, "I had left some gold for Sadaqah in the house, and did not wish to keep it overnight".

Commentary:

1. A person should not keep such a thing because of which his attention is diverted from Allah (SWT) towards that thing.

2. Although it is undesirable to jump over the neck of people in ordinary circumstances but it is permissible when special conditions warrant it.

- 90. Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) said: There came a man to the Prophet (PBUH) and said, "O Messenger of Allah, which charity is the most rewardable?'' He (PBUH) said, "That you should give charity (in a state when you are) healthy and stingy and fear poverty, hoping to become rich (charity in such a state of health and mind is the best). And you must not defer (charity to such a length) that you are about to die and would be saying: 'This is for so-and-so, and this for so-and-so.' Lo! It has already come into (the possession of) so-and-so".[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Commentary: Charity in the real sense is that which a person gives when he is healthy. If a person gives charity when he is facing death, it does not have much value before Allah. Moreover, in that condition he cannot give more than one-third of his property in charity because then it becomes the property of his successors, which cannot be spent even in the way of Allah. For this reason Allah has prescribed a limit in this respect, according to which if a person going through a mortal disease wants to give his property in charity or donate it for some charitable purpose, he cannot spend more than one-third of it on this account. This injunction is an inducement for people to hurry in doing good deeds, especially in the matter of alms and charity. In fact, he should do it without delay.

- 93. Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "Hasten to do good deeds before you are overtaken by one of the seven afflictions.'' Then (giving a warning) he said, "Are you waiting for such poverty which will make you unmindful of devotion; or prosperity which will make you corrupt, or disease as will disable you, or such senility as will make you mentally unstable, or sudden death, or Ad-Dajjal who is the worst expected absent, or the Hour, and the Hour will be most grievous and most bitter".[At-Tirmidhi].

Commentary: The purpose of this Hadith is that before overcoming of the obstructions, one should do one's best to improve his Hereafter by means of good deeds lest one is deprived of good deeds by some obstruction.

Sources:

- Riyad-us-Saliheen, The book of miscellany: CH.10 Hastening to do good deeds.

- Riyad-us-Saliheen, The book of miscellany: CH.10 Pondering over the Great Creation of Allah, The passing away of Life of the World, the Horrors of the Day of Requital and Laxity of One's Nafs.