Benefit of Performing Good Deeds - Shaykh Shairkhan Jameel Ahmed

By Shaykh Shairkhan Jameel Ahmed | 2026-07-06T18:49:43.178105+00:00 | Topic: Fear of Allah

The Story of the Three Men in the Cave

"I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah."

"So, I invested it and from it great wealth developed. After some time that man came and demanded his money. I said to him, go to those camels, cows and shepherd and take them for they are all for you. He asked me not to mock him. I told him that I was not mocking him. So, he took it all and left nothing behind. If you regard that I did it sincerely for your sake, then please remove the rock." So, the rock was removed completely from the mouth of the cave and they came out walking.

My dear brothers and sisters, think over this great story which is reported in Bukhari and Muslim. These three persons remembered Allah and followed His commands when they were free from any troubles. And Allah saved them when they were in distress.

Hence, whenever a man fulfills his duties towards Allah during times of ease, Allah will support him in times of worry, trouble and distress. He will be most gracious to him and facilitate matters for him.

Allah's Promise to Those Who Fear Him

Allah says:

فَإِذَا بَلَغْنَ أَجَلَهُنَّ فَأَمْسِكُوهُنَّ بِمَعْرُوفٍ أَوْ فَارِقُوهُنَّ بِمَعْرُوفٍۢ وَأَشْهِدُوا۟ ذَوَىْ عَدْلٍۢ مِّنكُمْ وَأَقِيمُوا۟ ٱلشَّهَٰدَةَ لِلَّهِ ۚ ذَٰلِكُمْ يُوعَظُ بِهِۦ مَن كَانَ يُؤْمِنُ بِٱللَّهِ وَٱلْيَوْمِ ٱلْءَاخِرِ ۚ وَمَن يَتَّقِ ٱللَّهَ يَجْعَل لَّهُۥ مَخْرَجًۭا وَيَرْزُقْهُ مِنْ حَيْثُ لَا يَحْتَسِبُ ۚ وَمَن يَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ فَهُوَ حَسْبُهُۥٓ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ بَٰلِغُ أَمْرِهِۦ ۚ قَدْ جَعَلَ ٱللَّهُ لِكُلِّ شَىْءٍۢ قَدْرًۭا
(Quran 65:2–3)
(Quran 65:2-3)

"And whosoever fears Allah, He will make for him a way out from hardship and will provide him from a source he could never imagine."

He also says:

وَٱلَّٰٓـِٔى يَئِسْنَ مِنَ ٱلْمَحِيضِ مِن نِّسَآئِكُمْ إِنِ ٱرْتَبْتُمْ فَعِدَّتُهُنَّ ثَلَٰثَةُ أَشْهُرٍۢ وَٱلَّٰٓـِٔى لَمْ يَحِضْنَ ۚ وَأُو۟لَٰتُ ٱلْأَحْمَالِ أَجَلُهُنَّ أَن يَضَعْنَ حَمْلَهُنَّ ۚ وَمَن يَتَّقِ ٱللَّهَ يَجْعَل لَّهُۥ مِنْ أَمْرِهِۦ يُسْرًۭا
(Quran 65:4)

"And whosoever fears Allah, He will make his matter easy for him."

The First Man: Dutifulness to Parents

The first man in the cave gave a great example of dutifulness towards his parents. Throughout the whole night, he was holding a jug of milk, not allowing his children nor himself to drink until his parents had drunk their share. He did not even disturb his parents by waking them up until dawn.

This indicates the excellence of having and showing dutifulness to parents, and that it is a means for facilitating one's affairs and avoiding distress. Dutifulness to one's parents is the best act of keeping relations with one's family and relatives.

The Prophet ﷺ said:

مَنْ أَحَبَّ أَنْ يُبْسَطَ لَهُ فِي رِزْقِهِ وَيُنْسَأَ لَهُ فِي أَثَرِهِ فَلْيَصِلْ رَحِمَهُ

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 5985; Sahih Muslim, Hadith 2557)

"And whosoever would like to have wider provisions and prolong his life, should keep good relations with his kith and kin."

This is an advanced reward in this worldly life — his provisions are lavish and his life is prolonged — let aside the reward in the Hereafter.

Allah highly honors parents to an extent that He prohibited the son from uttering even the smallest word that indicates irritation. As He says:

۞ وَقَضَىٰ رَبُّكَ أَلَّا تَعْبُدُوٓا۟ إِلَّآ إِيَّاهُ وَبِٱلْوَٰلِدَيْنِ إِحْسَٰنًا ۚ إِمَّا يَبْلُغَنَّ عِندَكَ ٱلْكِبَرَ أَحَدُهُمَآ أَوْ كِلَاهُمَا فَلَا تَقُل لَّهُمَآ أُفٍّۢ وَلَا تَنْهَرْهُمَا وَقُل لَّهُمَا قَوْلًۭا كَرِيمًۭا
(Quran 17:23)

"Your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him and that you be kind to parents, whether one or both of them attain old age in your life. Say not to them a word of contempt."

The Second Man: Safeguarding One's Chastity

My brothers and sisters, the second person of the three in the story gave a great example of absolute goodness. He almost managed to fulfill his desire with this woman who was the most beloved person to him. Yet when she reminded him to fear Allah, he left her in spite of his love. And also he did not even take back his money.

Bukhari and Muslim reported a hadith that there are seven people whom Allah will give shade on the Day when there will be no shade but His. One of these is:

رَجُلٌ دَعَتْهُ امْرَأَةٌ ذَاتُ مَنْصِبٍ وَجَمَالٍ فَقَالَ إِنِّي أَخَافُ اللَّهَ

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 660; Sahih Muslim, Hadith 1031)

"A man who refuses the call of a charming woman of noble birth for illicit intercourse with her and says, 'I fear Allah.'"

The Third Man: Honesty and the Rights of Employees

My brothers and sisters, the third person mentioned in this story was a man who gave the best example of honesty and sincerity. He invested the employee's wages and increased it greatly. He gave it — the stored wealth — to him and refused to take anything in return.

What a great difference between this man and those who treat their employees unjustly and devour their wages. Allah says:

بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ وَيْلٌۭ لِّلْمُطَفِّفِينَ ٱلَّذِينَ إِذَا ٱكْتَالُوا۟ عَلَى ٱلنَّاسِ يَسْتَوْفُونَ وَإِذَا كَالُوهُمْ أَو وَّزَنُوهُمْ يُخْسِرُونَ أَلَا يَظُنُّ أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ أَنَّهُم مَّبْعُوثُونَ
(Quran 83:1–4)
(Quran 83:1-4)

"Woe to those that deal in fraud — those who, when they have to receive by measure from men, exact full measure; but when they have to give by measure or weight to men, give less than due. Do they not think that they will be called to account?"

They want the employees to perform their work as best as they can, but they do not give them their due wages or delay in giving them. Some employees may return home without getting all their wages.

Let those employers who hire an employee and deny him his wages be aware that this helpless employee will not be their opponent — it will be Allah, the Lord of the worlds. The Prophet ﷺ said that Allah has said:

ثَلَاثَةٌ أَنَا خَصْمُهُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ وَمَنْ كُنْتُ خَصْمَهُ خَصَمْتُهُ ... وَرَجُلٌ اسْتَأْجَرَ أَجِيرًا فَاسْتَوْفَى مِنْهُ وَلَمْ يُعْطِهِ أَجْرَهُ

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 2227)

"There are three people whom I will litigate against on the Day of Judgment, and whosoever I sue against will lose — among them: a man who hires a worker who fulfilled his duties but he did not give him his wages."

Lessons from the Story

So my dear brothers and sisters, the main and direct lessons we learn from the story are:

May Allah guide us all.

Du'a and Closing Supplications

اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَى آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ كَمَا صَلَّيْتَ عَلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَعَلَى آلِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَإِنَّكَ حَمِيدٌ مَجِيدٌ ۝ اللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَى آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ كَمَا بَارَكْتَ عَلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَعَلَى آلِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ إِنَّكَ حَمِيدٌ مَجِيدٌ ۝ اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى جَمِيعِ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ وَالْمُرْسَلِينَ وَعَلَى الْمَلَائِكَةِ الْمُقَرَّبِينَ وَعَلَى الْخُلَفَاءِ الرَّاشِدِينَ وَعَلَى الصَّحَابَةِ كُلِّهِمْ أَجْمَعِينَ وَعَلَى مَنْ تَبِعَهُمْ بِإِحْسَانٍ إِلَى يَوْمِ الدِّينِ ۝ رِضْوَانُ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى عَلَيْهِمْ أَجْمَعِينَ ۝ اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لَنَا وَلِوَالِدِينَا وَلِوَالِدِ وَالِدِينَا وَلِأَسَاتِذَتِنَا وَجَمِيعِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتِ وَالْمُسْلِمِينَ وَالْمُسْلِمَاتِ الْأَحْيَاءِ مِنْهُمْ وَالْأَمْوَاتِ إِنَّكَ سَمِيعٌ كَرِيمٌ وَمُجِيبُ الدَّعَوَاتِ ۝ اللَّهُمَّ أَعِزَّ الْإِسْلَامَ وَالْمُسْلِمِينَ ۝ اللَّهُمَّ انْصُرِ الْإِسْلَامَ وَالْمُسْلِمِينَ ۝ اللَّهُمَّ انْصُرْ إِخْوَانَنَا الْمُسْتَضْعَفِينَ فِي كُلِّ مَكَانٍ ۝ اللَّهُمَّ انْصُرْهُمْ عَلَى أَعْدَائِكَ وَأَعْدَائِهِمْ ۝ بِرَحْمَتِكَ يَا أَرْحَمَ الرَّاحِمِينَ

Closing Reminder

۞ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَأْمُرُ بِٱلْعَدْلِ وَٱلْإِحْسَٰنِ وَإِيتَآئِ ذِى ٱلْقُرْبَىٰ وَيَنْهَىٰ عَنِ ٱلْفَحْشَآءِ وَٱلْمُنكَرِ وَٱلْبَغْىِ ۚ يَعِظُكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَكَّرُونَ
(Quran 16:90)

"Indeed, Allah commands justice and good conduct and giving to relatives, and forbids immorality and bad conduct and oppression. He admonishes you that perhaps you will be reminded."

اذْكُرُوا اللَّهَ يَذْكُرْكُمْ ۝ وَادْعُوهُ يَسْتَجِبْ لَكُمْ ۝ وَلَذِكْرُ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى أَعْلَى وَأَوْلَى وَأَجَلُّ وَأَتَمُّ وَأَهَمُّ وَأَكْبَرُ ۝ وَاللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ مَا تَصْنَعُونَ

"Remember Allah, He will remember you. Call upon Him and He will respond to you. And the remembrance of Allah Most High is the highest, the most worthy, the most majestic, the most complete, the most important, and the greatest. And Allah knows what you do."

Announcement: Janazah Prayer

There will be a janazah straight after the Jumu'ah prayer. So before you pray your sunnahs, please stand up and we will be praying a janazah salah for a young baby. Jazakum Allah khair.

Brothers and sisters, as you know, the way we perform the funeral prayer — because of the child — the sunnah is we have to make du'a for the child's parents, as mentioned in the hadith:

اللَّهُمَّ اجْعَلْهُ سَلَفًا وَفَرَطًا وَذُخْرًا

"May Allah make him an intercessor and a forerunner and a treasure for his parents." This is a boy. Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullah.

Announcement: Annual Da'wah Conference

Another important announcement is that the 42nd Annual Da'wah Conference will be held in this mosque from 12pm to 7pm on 15th September. The first session will be in English and the second in Urdu. I request everyone to attend this conference and receive the blessings of Allah.