DEEDS – CHECKLIST

IN THE NAME OF ALLAH THE MOST GRACIOUS, THE MOST MERCIFUL

INTRODUCTION

Allah warned us about doing good deeds:

فَمَن كانَ يَرجو لِقاءَ رَبِّهِ فَليَعمَل عَمَلًا صالِحًا وَلا يُشرِك بِعِبادَةِ رَبِّهِ أَحَدًا

“…So whoever hopes for the Meeting with his Lord, let him work righteousness and associate none as a partner in the worship of his Lord.” 18: 110

وَالَّذينَ آمَنوا وَعَمِلُوا الصّالِحاتِ في رَوضاتِ الجَنّاتِ ۖ لَهُم ما يَشاءونَ عِندَ رَبِّهِم ۚ ذٰلِكَ هُوَ الفَضلُ الكَبيرُ

“…while those who believe (in the Oneness of Allah Islamic Monotheism) and do righteous deeds (will be) in the flowering meadows of the Gardens (Paradise), having what they wish from their Lord. That is the supreme Grace, (Paradise).” 42: 22

Surah Al Asr

المالُ وَالبَنونَ زينَةُ الحَياةِ الدُّنيا ۖ وَالباقِياتُ الصّالِحاتُ خَيرٌ عِندَ رَبِّكَ ثَوابًا وَخَيرٌ أَمَلًا

“Wealth and children are the adornment of the life of this world. But the good righteous deeds (five compulsory prayers, deeds of Allah’s obedience, good and nice talk, remembrance of Allah with glorification, praises and thanks, etc.), that last, are better with your Lord for rewards and better in respect of hope.” 18: 46

CHECKLIST FOR DOING GOOD DEEDS

1. Seek knowledge  – what deeds are obligatory and voluntary, rewards of these deeds, thungs that nullify these deeds, etc

2. Guidance from Allah – seek plenty of Guidance sincerely from Allah.

وَالَّذينَ اهتَدَوا زادَهُم هُدًى وَآتاهُم تَقواهُم

“While as for those who accept guidance, He increases their guidance, and bestows on them their piety.” 47: 17

3. Make sure these deeds are accepted by Allah, BY
4. Ensuring you do not commit shirk

وَلَقَد أوحِيَ إِلَيكَ وَإِلَى الَّذينَ مِن قَبلِكَ لَئِن أَشرَكتَ لَيَحبَطَنَّ عَمَلُكَ وَلَتَكونَنَّ مِنَ الخاسِرينَ

And indeed it has been revealed to you (O Muhammad SallAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam), as it was to those (Allah’s Messengers) before you: “If you join others in worship with Allah, (then) surely (all) your deeds will be in vain, and you will certainly be among the losers.” 39:65

2. Intention only for the sake of Allah
3. Evidence from the Qur’an and authentic hadiths:

• The Deen has been completed (5: 3)
• Allah Warned us that Guidance must ONLY come from Him (2: 38)
• Last sermon of prophet Muhammad SallAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam – “I am leaving you 2 things and you will not led astray if you hold on to them – The Quran and my sunnah

4. Do NOT follow the majority if the majority is in the wrong path

وَإِن تُطِع أَكثَرَ مَن فِي الأَرضِ يُضِلّوكَ عَن سَبيلِ اللَّهِ ۚ إِن يَتَّبِعونَ إِلَّا الظَّنَّ وَإِن هُم إِلّا يَخرُصونَ

“And if you obey most of those on earth, they will mislead you far away from Allah’s Path. They follow nothing but conjectures, and they do nothing but lie.” 6: 116

Examples:

• Reciting surah Yaseen on Thursday nights, after someone’s death, etc
• Reciting surah “Al Fatihah” when you hear someone just passed away
• Wasting money on walima and mahr

5. Understand what to achieve by doing such deeds
6. Salah 

• Guidance
• Closeness to Allah
• Reduce sins and shortcomings

إِنَّ الصَّلاةَ تَنهىٰ عَنِ الفَحشاءِ وَالمُنكَرِ

“Verily, As-Salat (the prayer) prevents from Al-Fahsha’ (i.e. great sins of every kind, unlawful sexual intercourse, etc.) and Al-Munkar (i.e. disbelief, polytheism, and every kind of evil wicked deed, etc.)” 29: 45

2. Reciting the Qur’an

• Guidance
• Understand who Allah is
• Understand the horror of the Day of Judgment
• Ponder

كِتَابٌ أَنزَلْنَاهُ إِلَيْكَ مُبَارَكٌ لِّيَدَّبَّرُوا آيَاتِهِ وَلِيَتَذَكَّرَ أُولُو الْأَلْبَابِ

“This is a blessed Book which We revealed to you, that they may reflect upon its verses, and those with understanding may take heed.” (38:29)

• Act upon it – complete submission to Allah

أَلَم يَأنِ لِلَّذينَ آمَنوا أَن تَخشَعَ قُلوبُهُم لِذِكرِ اللَّهِ وَما نَزَلَ مِنَ الحَقِّ وَلا يَكونوا كَالَّذينَ أوتُوا الكِتابَ مِن قَبلُ فَطالَ عَلَيهِمُ الأَمَدُ فَقَسَت قُلوبُهُم ۖ وَكَثيرٌ مِنهُم فاسِقونَ

“Has not the time come for the hearts of those who believe (in the Oneness of Allah – Islamic Monotheism) to be affected by Allah’s Reminder (this Qur’an), and that which has been revealed of the truth, lest they become as those who received the Scripture [the Taurat (Torah) and the Injeel (Gospel)] before (i.e. Jews and Christians), and the term was prolonged for them and so their hearts were hardened? And many of them were Fasiqun (rebellious, disobedient to Allah).” 57: 26

3. Fasting

• Achieve Taqwa (2: 183)
• Forgiveness
• Guidance – through constant and increased salah

4. Hajj

• Achieve complete forgiveness – like a baby
• Guidance
• Change in purpose of life

So it is not just a simple ritual of doing good deeds but these deeds must have a significant impact on our lives

6. Compete with each other with good deeds (Fastabiqul khayrat) – 2: 148 and 5: 48

7. Make du’a the deeds are accepted

 رَبَّنا تَقَبَّل مِنّا ۖ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ السَّميعُ العَليمُ

“Our Lord! Accept (this service) from us. Verily! You are the All-Hearer, the All-Knower.”2: 127 

اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ عِلْمًا نَافِعًا وَرِزْقًا طَيِّبًا وَعَمَلًا مُتَقَبَّلًا

Allahuma ini asaluka ‘ilman nafi’a, wa rizqan tayyiba, wa ‘amalam mutaqabbala.

          Sunan Ibn Majah, Hadith: 925, Musnad Abi Dawud At-Tayalisi, Hadith: 1605, Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah, Hadith: 29875, Musnadul Humaydi, Hadith: 299 & ‘Amalul Yawmi wal laylah of ibnus Sunni, Hadith: 54.

8. Ensure that the deeds will be seen on the Day of Judgment and not disappear or reduced by 

• Shirk

Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said: 

Nothing cancels out good deeds except kufr, because the one who dies as a believer will inevitably enter Paradise, and he will be brought out of Hell if he does enter it, but if all his good deeds are cancelled out, he will never enter Paradise. Good deeds can only be cancelled out by that which is their opposite, and nothing can be the opposite of all good deeds except kufr. This is well known from the principles of Sunnah. End quote. Al-Saarim al-Maslool (p. 55) 

• Backbiting /slander – the bankrupt person
• Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Do you know who are bankrupt?” They said, “The one without money or goods is bankrupt.” The Prophet said, “Verily, the bankrupt of my nation are those who come on the Day of Resurrection with prayers, fasting, and charity, but also with insults, slander, consuming wealth, shedding blood, and beating others. The oppressed will each be given from his good deeds. If his good deeds run out before justice is fulfilled, then their sins will be cast upon him and he will be thrown into the Hellfire.”

Source: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 2581

• Owning a pet dog in the house

Al-Bukhaari (2145) narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever keeps a dog, a qiraat from his good deeds will be deducted every day, except a dog for farming or herding livestock.” 

• The hadeeth which is mentioned in the question is the hadeeth narrated by Thawbaan (may Allah be pleased with him) from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) who said: “I certainly know people of my ummah who will come on the Day of Resurrection with good deeds like the mountains of Tihaamah, but Allah will make them like scattered dust.” Thawbaan said: O Messenger of Allah, describe them to us and tell us more, so that we will not become of them unknowingly. He said: “They are your brothers and from your race, worshipping at night as you do, but they will be people who, when they are alone, transgress the sacred limits of Allah.”