The Value Of Good Deeds

The Value of Good Deeds

All praise is due to Allah. We praise Him and seek His assistance. We seek refuge with Allah from the evil within ourselves and from the evil of our deeds. Whomsoever Allah guides, none can misguide him. And whomever He allows to go astray, none can guide him. And I bear witness that there is no God worthy of worship except Allah alone. He has no partner. And I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and His messenger.

O you who believe, fear Allah as He should be feared. And do not die except in the state of Islam.

O you who believe, fear Allah and speak the truth. He will direct you to do righteous good deeds and will forgive your sins. And whomsoever obeys Allah and His messenger, he has indeed achieved a great achievement.

Amma ba'd — indeed the best of speech is the Book of Allah, and the best of guidance is the guidance of Muhammad ﷺ, and the worst of affairs are the newly invented matters, and every newly invented matter is an innovation, and every innovation is misguidance, and every misguidance is in the fire.

Do We Truly Value Our Good Deeds?

Brothers and sisters in Islam, today our khutbah is about the value of your good deeds. Many times we behave like we don't value our good deeds. Or like we're not in need of them.

You see, when we're lining up for salah, a gap will open up in the front row. And you'll find two men in the second row fighting each other — "No, you take it." As if they're not in need of the extra reward. The companions of the Prophet ﷺ used to prefer themselves over each other — but only in worldly matters. If someone had a problem and his brother had the same problem, he would rather fix his brother's problem. They used to prefer others over themselves when it comes to worldly issues. But when it comes to issues of reward, they used to compete with one another to get the greater reward.

If there's an opening in the front row, you immediately take it. Some people even give up the front row position for someone they know in the back. You never do that. And that is makrooh. And the scholars say it can even get to the level of haram — preferring someone over you when it comes to issues of good deeds.

Or you'll find people neglecting extra sunnah, extra reward. Or in taraweeh, they'll be out talking, knowing the rak'ah is still long, thinking they have time to catch it at the time of ruku'. Just frugal with good deeds.

But on the Day of Judgment, we will understand the value of hasanat — the value of ajr and good deeds. Allah will bring our good deeds in physical form. The scholars say they will be physical, and they'll be physically put on a balance. And everyone knows the equation: if your good deeds are heavier, you go to paradise. And if we know this equation, then our goal in this life should be to gather as many good deeds as possible. But you find people behaving as if that's not one of the most important things in life.

The People of Al-A'raf

There will be people on the Day of Judgment — and these are the people who will truly value and understand the value of one good deed. They will be placed on al-A'raf. Al-A'raf is the plural of urf.

So al-A'raf is the plural of urf — anything that is raised from the ground in Arabic would be an urf. Even the rooster's crest is called urf al-deek, because it is higher than the rest of its head. So al-A'raf, as some of the mufassireen said, is a high elevated place. And it is for people whose good and bad deeds were exactly equal. Allah will put them on al-A'raf — they didn't have more bad deeds so they won't go to the hellfire, and they don't have more good deeds so they won't go to paradise. They are equal.

So Allah places them on this place known as al-A'raf until He decides what to do with them. They will wait for a long time. They will understand the value of a good deed. They will wish they had made one extra salah, one extra tasbih, said one extra assalamu alaykum, or drank water while sitting down. All these sunnah that people belittle today — they will understand the value of a good deed.

Imagine, brothers and sisters, we treated our good deeds like we treat dollars. If you do this, you will get 30 dollars. If you do that, you'll get 150. If you do that, you'll get a thousand. And you can repeat these throughout your day and just keep collecting, keep picking them up. Allah has made gathering good deeds easier than gathering money. The opportunity is there — but the question is, do we value good deeds?

Thirty Good Deeds in an Instant: The Salam

An easy way to get 30 good deeds. This is narrated by At-Tabarani. The Prophet ﷺ said:

(Al-Tabarani, Al-Mu'jam Al-Awsat)

Whoever says assalamu alaykum will have 10 good deeds written for them. Whoever says assalamu alaykum wa rahmatullah will have 20 good deeds written for him. And whoever says assalamu alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh will have 30 good deeds written for him. Thirty — just like that.

Imagine every time you said it, you got 30 dollars. You'll be giving each other salam like it's Eid! But now people see each other and they say "hi." Zero reward for "hi." Or any other greeting in any other language.

Ninety Good Deeds: The Four Chosen Words

The Prophet ﷺ said:

(Sahih al-Jami', referenced in collections of the Prophetic traditions)

Allah has chosen from all speech, four: SubhanAllah, Alhamdulillah, La ilaha illallah, and Allahu Akbar. Whoever says SubhanAllah, 20 good deeds will be written for him and 20 bad deeds will be erased. And then whoever says Allahu Akbar will get the same. And La ilaha illallah will get the same. And Alhamdulillah Rabbil Alameen will get 30. So 20 and 20 and 20 equals 60, and then 30 — that's 90 good deeds. And 90 bad deeds will be removed. Just like that. How simple is that?

1,500 Rewards Per Day: The Tasbih After Salah

In another hadith, the Prophet ﷺ said there are two things that if any Muslim man — and of course it means woman also — does them, they will enter al-Jannah.

(Sunan Abi Dawud, Hadith 5065; Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 3410)

The Prophet ﷺ said they are really easy and simple, but the ones who do them are few. The five prayers — you pray them, and at the end of each salah you say SubhanAllah 10 times, Alhamdulillah 10 times, and Allahu Akbar 10 times. I know we're used to the 33 and the 25, but this is an authentic hadith where after the salah you say SubhanAllah 10 times, Alhamdulillah 10 times, and Allahu Akbar 10 times. So if you do that 5 times a day — each salah 30 times — that's 150 on the tongue, and 1,500 in the scale, because Allah multiplies by 10. So 1,500 rewards every single day.

And then the narrator says he saw the Prophet ﷺ making the tasbih with his hands. And then the Prophet ﷺ said that if you go to your bed and say SubhanAllah 33, Alhamdulillah 33, and Allahu Akbar 34, then that will bring the total to:

(Sunan Abi Dawud, Hadith 5065; Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 3410)

One hundred upon the tongue and one thousand on the scale. Then the Prophet ﷺ asked a question:

He says: then which one of you commits every single day 2,500 sins? 1,500 from the tasbih after salah, and another 1,000 when you make tasbih before you go to bed. He said: which one of you commits 2,500 sins per day? That would wash away so much, and you would get so much ajr just from doing that.

So then the companions asked: how could we not do that, O Messenger of Allah? What would stop us from doing something so simple? And then the Prophet ﷺ said:

(Sunan Abi Dawud, Hadith 5065; Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 3410)

The Shaytan will come to one of you in salah and he will say: remember this, you forgot that. So your car is not parked properly, or the food is burning on the stove — and so after the salah you immediately rush to the supposed emergency and you miss out on making the simple tasbih. If you time it — if you say سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ, وَالْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ, وَاللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ 10 times each — it literally takes 20 to 25 seconds at moderate speed. Most people's tasbih is at lightning speed. And then at night, the Shaytan will come to him at the time of sleep and will lull him to sleep — فَيُنَيِّمُهُ. Like a mother lulling her baby to sleep. Just don't do it. Just don't do it. And he puts the person to sleep.

Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?

If we said "who wants to be a millionaire?" — for real — every hand in this masjid would go up. Mine included. Let's be honest. But here is how to be a millionaire with Allah, and it's so easy. And how many opportunities have we lost?

The Prophet ﷺ said, in Sahih al-Jami':

(Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 3428; al-Hakim, Al-Mustadrak)

Whoever enters the marketplace — the mall, the shopping center — and says this du'a, Allah will write a thousand thousand good deeds for him. What is a thousand thousand? One million. One million good deeds. And Allah will erase a thousand thousand minor sins. And Allah will raise him a thousand thousand ranks — one million ranks. And on top of all that, Allah will build him a house — a palace — in al-Jannah. Just from saying this short du'a.

We should feel hurt right now. How many times have we walked into marketplaces? How many times have we walked into malls? And we never said this du'a and we missed out on becoming a millionaire.

A Palace in Jannah for Reciting Surah Al-Ikhlas

You always find in Islam that the actions with immense and great reward are very simple. You always see that. The Prophet ﷺ said:

(Sahih al-Jami', Hadith 6469; authenticated by al-Albani)

Whoever recites قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ ten times, Allah will build him a palace in al-Jannah. And this is authentic, brothers and sisters. How many palaces can you build today before this day is over? And how do we value this information right now?

Imam Ash-Shawkani says: we had a scholar — meaning in our times there was a scholar — who would just be reciting قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ all the time. At night, anytime you see him, he's reciting قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ. By day, قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ. If he's lying down, you come near him, he's reciting قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ. Standing, قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ. Sitting down, قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ. This is how the righteous took these hadith to heart.

The Story of Mu'awiyah ibn Mu'awiyah al-Laythi

And the Prophet ﷺ, when he was on the journey of Tabuk, Jibreel came to him and informed him that a man in Medina had died. This man's name was Mu'awiyah ibn Mu'awiyah al-Laythi, may Allah be pleased with him. So Jibreel came to the Prophet ﷺ in Tabuk and told him a man by the name of Mu'awiyah ibn Mu'awiyah al-Laythi died, and 70,000 angels prayed over him. So the Prophet ﷺ asked: and what did he used to do? What was the special deed he did to earn that — 70,000 angels praying over him? And Jibreel responded:

(Al-Tabarani, Al-Mu'jam Al-Kabir; Al-Haythami mentions it in Majma' al-Zawa'id)

He used to recite قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ — standing, sitting, and even when lying on his side.

Reward Without Wealth: The Power of Intention

But it even gets easier than that, brothers and sisters. The Prophet ﷺ said — and this is narrated in Sahih al-Jami':

(Sahih al-Jami', Hadith 6026; authenticated by al-Albani)

Whoever seeks forgiveness for the believing men and women, Allah will write him a good deed for every believing man and woman. How simple is that?

And it just keeps getting easier and easier and easier. The Prophet ﷺ mentioned in one hadith four types of people. We want to focus on the second one — the servant that Allah gave knowledge to, but not wealth:

(Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 2325; authenticated by al-Albani)

Allah gave him knowledge, but did not give him wealth. But he is truthful in his intention. He says: if I had money, I would have done the same as so-and-so. He sees someone giving for the sake of Allah, and he says — sincerely — if I had the same amount, I would have done the same thing. So he is upon that intention, and their reward is equal.

Who can't dream? We can just dream. You hear of someone building a masjid, or giving to charity, or digging wells. Just dream — sincerely, with Allah. Just say: I would have done the same thing if I had the money. I wish I had a lot of wealth; I would do the same thing for Allah. And then you will get the same reward. The only exception, as the scholars said — biduni mudha'afah — without the multiplication. The one who actually does the deed, Allah will take that reward and multiply it by 7, then by 10, then by 100. But here, you just get the initial reward. And how easy is that?

Asking for Martyrdom with Sincerity

Further proof of getting reward just with intention — the Prophet ﷺ said:

(Sahih Muslim, Hadith 1909)

Whoever asks Allah for martyrdom sincerely, Allah will give him the level of the martyrs even if he dies in his bed. He doesn't have to do the same effort — he gets the level of martyrdom just in his bed, if he dies there. Why? Because he had sincere intention.

Also in Sahih Muslim: whoever asks for martyrdom sincerely from his heart will be given it, even if it doesn't literally come to him. And Imam An-Nawawi, may Allah have mercy on him, comments on this and says it shows the recommendation — istihbab — of asking for shahada, and the recommendation of having good intentions and wishing for good. It shows the benefit of that.

So with that, we ask Allah for His forgiveness. Wa astaghfirullaha al-'Azeem li wa lakum min jami' al-dhunub, fa astaghfiru, fa yafuz al-mustaghfirun. Ask Allah for His forgiveness. Indeed, those who ask for His forgiveness shall prosper.

Second Khutbah: Beware of Giving Away Your Good Deeds

Alhamdulillahi Rabbil 'Alamin, was-salatu was-salamu 'ala Rasulihil Amin, wa 'ala alihi wa sahbihi ajma'in.

Now that we have reminded ourselves and we realize the value and the importance of good deeds — beware of giving away your most valuable good deeds. We understand their value on the Day of Judgment. And those who have been blessed by Allah understand their value now. So then don't give those valuable good deeds to people that you don't like.

Imagine there's someone you don't like in this world and you don't want to give them anything — even a useless item, you refuse to give them. Imagine someone tells you: give that person you dislike your whole house and your cars. But imagine giving them something more beloved to you than any of these items — giving them your good deeds on the Day of Judgment.

If you dislike someone — especially if you dislike someone — don't talk bad about them. Don't backbite them. Because then you're giving someone you don't like, someone who wronged you, your most beloved and most valuable thing — your good deeds on the Day of Judgment. They will come and take from your deeds until the balance is set and you are equal.

The Wisdom of Sufyan Al-Thawri

That is why the great scholar Sufyan Al-Thawri, may Allah have mercy on him, was once informed that a group of people were sitting and saying bad things about him. Rather than retaliating, he sent them a bowl of dates with a message saying: "It has come to my attention that you have assigned to me — given to me — some of your good deeds. You're backbiting me, talking bad about me — I take your good deeds on the Day of Judgment. I couldn't find anything with which to thank you besides these dates, so please accept it from me."

Do that the next time someone says anything bad about you. Send them some chocolates, some flowers. Thank you for the ajr.

Imam Sufyan Al-Thawri himself, may Allah have mercy on him, was sitting when a man came to him commenting on the great Imam Abu Hanifa, may Allah have mercy on him. He says: I have never seen Abu Hanifa talking bad about anyone. Ever. So Imam Sufyan Al-Thawri responds:

He says: Abu Hanifa a'qalu min an yusallita 'ala hasanatih man yadhab biha. Abu Hanifa is more wise than to allow someone to take away all his good deeds. Because that is what happens.

The Hadith of the Bankrupt Person (Al-Muflis)

People pay on the Day of Judgment with hard currency — the real hard currency. People pay with their good deeds. And there will be people mentioned in the famous hadith that became known as hadith al-muflis — the hadith of the bankrupt person. The Prophet ﷺ described that this man has a mountain of good deeds next to him. But he has insulted this person, hit that person, taken the rights of this individual. And so they line up — and everyone comes and takes from his mountain of good deeds. Until the mountain becomes a hill. And until that hill is nothing. And there is still a line of people he offended. So he begins to take from their bad deeds — he has no more good deeds to give them. And at the end of the hadith, the Prophet ﷺ said he will be thrown into the hellfire.

(Sahih Muslim, Hadith 2581)

This is the value of our good deeds. And we should spend our time, whenever possible, trying to earn reward with Allah. We should make time for Allah. Make time for earning good deeds. And if we can't — we can dream. We can just dream, with intent, sincerely between you and Allah: "I wish I could have done this. I would do the same if I had the same amount of money." And Allah will give you the reward.

As they say about al-Jannah:

Al-Jannah, ya jannata al-Rahmani, lasti rakhisatan. Bal ghaliyatun lil-kaslani. O Jannah of the Most Merciful, you are not cheap. But you are expensive and difficult for the one who is lazy.

Allah has made it so easy. But it just needs someone who wants to get up and do it. Easier than picking up money from the ground — walking and just saying SubhanAllah, walhamdulillah, wallahu akbar, wa la ilaha illallah — and a tree is planted in paradise. That is a khutbah on its own — what you can be saying and the amount of immense reward you get with Allah.