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12702: Is there reward for good deeds in this world apart from reward in the Hereafter?

Do we get rewarded by allah in this world not only the next..

Meaning allah will reward us in life for doing good deeds and also get more reward in the hereafter..

Published Date: 2009-06-03

Praise be to Allaah.  

Yes, Allaah has promised the believer who does righteous deeds reward in this world, as well as the greater reward

which awaits him in the Hereafter. 

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): 

“Whoever works righteousness — whether male or female — while he (or she) is a true believer (of Islamic

Monotheism) verily, to him We will give a good life (in this world with respect, contentment and lawful provision),

and We shall pay them certainly a reward in proportion to the best of what they used to do (i.e. Paradise in the

Hereafter”

[al-Nahl 16:97] 

Ibn al-Qayyim said: Allaah guarantees to those who believe and do righteous deeds reward in this world with a

good life, and Paradise on the Day of Resurrection. 

The rewards in this life for some good deeds have been mentioned in the Qur’aan and Sunnah. These include the

following: 

1 – Spending for the sake of Allaah 

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): 

“and whatsoever you spend of anything (in Allaah’s Cause), He will replace it. And He is the Best of providers”

[Saba’ 34:39] 

It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:

“Allaah says: ‘O son of Adam, spend and I will spend on you.’” 

(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 4407; Muslim, 993). 

Spending for the sake of Allaah is one of the means of increasing one’s provision. 

2 – Being easy-going with a debtor who is facing hardship, concealing a Muslim’s faults and helping him. 
It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:

“Whoever relieves a Muslim of some distress in this world, Allaah will relieve him of some distress on the Day of

Resurrection. Whoever is easy-going with a debtor who is facing hardship, Allaah will make it easy for him in this

world and in the Hereafter. And whoever conceals a Muslim’s faults, Allaah will conceal his faults in this world and

the Hereafter. And Allaah will help His slave so long as His slave helps his brother.” 

Narrated by Muslim, 2699. 

3 – Being humble for the sake of Allaah.  

It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:

“Wealth never decreases because of charity. No person shows forbearance but Allaah will honour him and no one is

humble for the sake of Allaah but Allaah will raise him in status.” 

Narrated by Muslim, 2588. 

Al-Mubaarakfoori said: 

“raise him in status” means in this world and in the Hereafter. 

Tuhfat al-Ahwadhi, 6/150. 

4 – Upholding the ties of kinship 

It was narrated that Anas ibn Maalik (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: I heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace

and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say: “Whoever would like to have his provision increased or his lifespan

extended, let him uphold the ties of kinship.” 

Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1961; Muslim, 2557. 

With regard to the extension of one’s lifespan there is a well-known scholarly discussion, which is that lifespans and

provisions are decreed and cannot increase or decrease. “when their term comes, neither can they delay it nor can

they advance it an hour (or a moment)” [Yoonus 10:49 – interpretation of the meaning] . The scholars came up with

several answers to this issue, the most correct of which: 

That this refers to an increase of blessing during one's lifetime, being guided to do good deeds and to make use of

one's times in ways that will be of benefit in the Hereafter and to make the most of his time for the sake of Allaah. 

The second suggestion is that it refers to what the angels see and what is in al-Lawh al-Mahfooz, etc. For the angels

see in al-Lawh al-Mahfooz that a person’s lifespan will be sixty years, unless he upholds the ties of kinship, in which

case another forty years will be added to his life. Allaah knows what will happen to him in that regard. This is the

meaning of the words (interpretation of the meaning): “Allaah blots out what He wills and confirms (what He

wills)” [al-Ra’d 13:39]. 

 With regard to what Allaah knows and what He has already decreed, nothing can be added to that; such a thing is

impossible. With regard to what people see, they see that it is increased. This is what is meant by the hadeeth. 

And Allaah knows best. 

Sharh Muslim, 16/114 

An Excellent Dua for this Life and the

Hereafter
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This is one of the Duas that most Muslims recite daily in their prayers and outside
their prayers. This Dua is not only mentioned in the Quran but Prophet
Muhammad (S.A.W.S.) advised us of the many merits of this Dua.

What happen after death - Questioning in the Grave

Shaikh Abbas al-Qummi has stated in his book Manazelul Akhera that one of the principal
factors of Shia Islam, belief in which is obligatory, is the questioning in the grave by the angels
Munkar and Nakeer. The questions will pertain to one’s beliefs (Aqaid) and deeds (Amaal), and
will be put to every believer as well as non-believer; only infants, the mentally disabled, and
those of lesser intellect are exempt from it. The two angels with voices like thunder and eyes like
lightening will ask the following questions:

1. Who is your Lord?

2. Who is your Prophet?

3. What is your Religion?

Things that benefit the dead

Janazah Prayer
When the Muslims pray janazah for their deceased brother, they are granted intercession for him.
The more the number of Muslims who join in the prayer, the more beneficial it is for the deceased.

This means that Allah takes their testimony and supplication regarding the deceased's apparent
actions as a sufficient reason for forgiveness. Since those Muslims who associated with him did not
find any major problem to prevent them from supplicating for him Allah, the Most Generous, accepts
that and agrees to forgive many of his hidden sins that they did not know. Anas and A'ishah,
rahimahullah, reported that Allah's Messenger, sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam, said:

"Whenever a (Muslim) person dies, and a group of Muslims numbering one

hundred pray janazah for him, all interceding on his behalf, their intercession is
granted (by Allah) and he is forgiven."Muslim and others
Ibn 'Abbas, rahimahullah, reported that Allah's Messenger, sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam, said:

"Whenever a Muslim man dies, and forty men stand for his janazah prayer, all of
them not joining anything with Allah in worship, Allah grants them intercession for
him."Muslim and others
Maymunah, rahimahullah, reported that Allah's Messenger, sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam, said:

"Whenever a (Muslim) person dies, and a group of (Muslim) people pray janazah
for him, they are granted intercession for him."An-Nisa'i, verified hasan by Al-
Albani, Sahih al-Jami'. no. 5787
Malik ibn Hubayrah, rahimahullah, reported that Allah's Messenger, sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam, said:

"Whenever a Muslim dies, and three lines of Muslims pray janazah for him, he is
granted forgiveness."Ahmad, Abu Dawud, and others, verified hasan by Al-Hafidh
and others; Al-Albani disagrees with this because Muhammad ibn Ishaq one of
the narrators is known to be a mudallis (one who is ambiguous in stating his
sources) and did not declare direct hearing of this report (Ahkam ul-Jana'iz, 128).
Yet the Prophet's, sallalaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, practice of forming three lines for
janazah prayer provides a further supporting evidence for this hadith).

Deeds of Renewed Benefit

Any good deed that a Muslim starts during his lifetime, and that is of renewed benefit and ongoing
use for the Muslims, will continue to benefit him and augment his record of good deeds, even after
his departure - as long as its benefits continue to reach others. Allah, the Most High, says:
"We record that (deeds) which they have put forward and their traces (that
which they have left behind)."Al-Qur'an 36:12
Abu Hurayrah, rahimahullah, reported that Allah's Messenger, sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam, said:

"When a human being dies, all of his deeds are terminated except for three types:
an ongoing sadaqah, a knowledge (of Islam) from which others benefit, and a
righteous child who makes du'a for him."Muslim and others
Abu Qatadah, rahimahullah, reported that Allah's Messenger, sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam, said:

"The best that a man can leave behind after his death are three things: a righteous
child who makes du'a for him, an ongoing sadaqah whose rewards continue to
reach him, and a knowledge that continues to be implemented after him."Ibn
Majah, and others. Verified to be sahih by Al-Mundhiri and Al-Albani
Abu Qatadah, rahimahullah, reported that Allah's Messenger, sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam, said:

"Among the good deeds that continue to benefit a believer after death are: a
knowledge that he taught and disseminated, a righteous child who lived after him,
a Qur'an book that he left as inheritance a masjid that he built, a house that he built
for the two wayfarers, a stream that he ran, or a charity that he gave from his
wealth during his healthy lifetime so that it would reach him (in rewards) after
death."Ibn Majah and others. Verified hasan by Al-Mundhiri and Al-Albani
Commenting on this, Al-Mundhiri, rahimahullah, said:

"Some scholars say that the deeds of a human being end with his death.
However, since he had caused these things (which are mentioned in the above
ahadith), such as the earning of a child, disseminating the knowledge among
those who take it from him, compiling a book that remains after him, or
establishing a sadaqah, the rewards of these things continue to reach him as
long as they continue to exist."'Awn al-Ma'bud, 8:86
The reason that one continues to receive rewards for these deeds even though they are done by
other people, is that he had initiated them during his life or contributed to them to a certain degree,
whether little or large. Since Allah does not neglect an atom's weight of deeds, He records these
contribution for a person even after his death. Abu al-Wafa' ibn 'Aqil said:

"The best explanation for this in my view is that a human being, by his efforts and
good conduct, had earned friends, produced children, married spouses, done
good, and was amiable to the people. Because of this, they invoke mercy for him
and do good on his behalf. All of this is then a result of his own earning."Ar-Ruh,
Ibn Al-Qayyim, p.171
And Rashid Rida, rahimahullah, said:
"Among the deeds that benefit a person, even though they are done by others, are
those that count like his own because he caused them, such as his children's
supplication for him, or their performing hajj, giving sadaqah, or fasting on his
behalf - all of which having been established with authentic ahadith."Tafsir al-
Manar 8:247

Charitable Deeds from a Child

One's Child is from His Earning
The above ahadith indicate that a righteous child benefits his deceased parents with du'a. It is further
demonstrated here that he can benefit them by spending sadaqah, as well as doing other charitable
deeds, on their behalf. A'ishah, rahimahullah, reported that Allah's Messenger, sallallahu 'alayhi wa
sallam, said:

"Indeed the best that one eats is that which he earns. And his child is from his
earning."Ahmad, Abu Dawud, and others. Verified as sahih by Al-Albani in Akham
ul-Jana'iz, 217
The reason for this is that a parent benefits himself by rearing his child according to the teachings of
Islam, and exerting a consistent effort to raise him as a righteous person. As the child grows into
adulthood and does righteous deeds, his parents deserve a merit in that they helped him accomplish
that and his good actions are therefore, at least in part, from his parents' earning.

Sadaqah from a Child

A'ishah, rahimahullah, reported that a man asked Allah's Messenger, sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam, "My
mother had a sudden death, and did not have chance to bequeath anything. Had she been able to do,
I think that she would have given sadaqah. Would she or I get any rewards if I give sadaqah on her
behalf?" He replied, "Yes! So give sadaqah on her behalf." [Al-Bukhari, Muslim and others]

Ibn 'Abbas, rahimahullah, reported that Sa'd bin 'Ubadah's mother died during his absence on a trip.
He came to the Prophet, sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam, and asked him, "O Allah's Messenger! My
mother has passed away during my absence. Would it be of benefit to her if I give sadaqah on her
behalf?" He replied, "Yes!" He said, "Be my witness then that I give my fruitful garden as sadaqah on
her behalf."

Abu Hurayrah, rahimahullah, reported that a man asked the Prophet, sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam, "My
father has died, leaving behind a wealth; but he did not bequeath anything. Would it help him if I give
sadaqah on his behalf?" He, sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam, replied, "Yes!" [Muslim, Ahmad and others]

Abdullah ibn 'Amr, rahimahullah, reported that al-'As bin Wa'il as-Sahmi (his grandfather) bequeathed
that one hundred slaves be freed on his behalf. His son, Hisham, freed fifty; and 'Amr wanted to free
the other fifty, but decided to ask Allah's Messenger, sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam, first. He came to the
Prophet, sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam, and said, "O Allah's Messenger, sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam! My
father has bequeathed that one hundred slaves be freed on his behalf. Hisham has freed fifty and
fifty are left. Should I free them for him?" He replied, "Had he been a Muslim, your freeing slaves,
giving sadaqah, or performing Hajj on his behalf would all have reached (in rewards) and benefited
him." [Ahmad, Abu Dawud, al-Bayhaqi, verified as hasan by al-Albani, in Akham ul-Jana'iz, 218).
Commenting on these ahadith, ash-Shawani said, "This indicates that the rewards for a sadaqah
from a child reach the parents after their death - even if they had not bequeathed it. These ahadith
restrict the general meaning of Allah's saying:

"And that the human being can have nothing but what he has earned."Al-Qur'an
53:39
But there is no indication in these ahadith that the sadaqah except from one's own child, helps. Since
it is established that a person's child is his own earning, it is not possible to claim that the meaning
(of these hadiths) needs to be restricted. As for the sadaqah from other than one's child, it is
apparent from general Qur'anic texts that it does not help the deceased. This should then be
maintained unless an additional evidence can be brought to restrict it." [Nayl al-Awtar 4:97]

Charitable Deeds from a Non-Child

Some scholars, such as an-Nawawi, hold the opinion that all charitable deeds on behalf of a
deceased person can benefit him, whether done by his children or other people. This is refuted by
ash-Shawkani's strong argument above. Similarly, al-Albani says in this regard, "Some scholars have
treated a non-child as a child (in this matter). This analogy is invalid for various reasons:

1. It conflicts with the general Qur'anic texts that make a person's good deeds a condition for
entering Jannah. There is no doubt that a parent benefits himself by raising his child and
nurturing him. Thus unlike other people, he deserves a reward for this;
2. The difference between the two cases inhibits such an analogy. As in 'Aishah's hadith, Allah has
made a child part of his parent's earnings - but not of other people's earnings. Al-'Izz ibn 'Abdus-
Salam said, "If one does an act of obedience and dedicates its reward to a living or dead person,
the reward will not reach that person. And if he starts an act of worship intending it on behalf of
a dead person, it would not be as intended - except for things excluded in Islam such as
sadaqah, fasting and hajj." [Al-Fatawa 24:2]; and
3. Had this analogy been possible it would have implied that it is recommended to dedicate
rewards to the dead. In such a case, the Salaf would have done this, because they surely used to
have more concern than us about doing good. But they did not do it. Ibn Taymiyyah said, "It was
not the practice of the Salaf, when they performed a voluntary prayer, fasting, Hajj or Qur'anic
recitation, to dedicate the rewards of that to the dead Muslims. Thus, one should not abandon
the way of the Salaf, because it is better and more complete". [Al-Ikhtiyarat ul-'Ilmiyah 54] Note
that Ibn Taymiyyah has another opinion contradicting this one, which was advocated by his
student, Ibn al-Qayyim in ar-Ruh. That opinion conflicts with Ibn Taymiyyah's known position of
rejected qiyas in matters of worship; and it was refuted in a strong and sound manner by Rashid
Rida' in Tafsir ul-Manar 8:254-270.

Claims for Ijma'

It should be noted that there are claims for Ijma' (consensus) that a dead person benefits from the
good deeds, including Qur'anic recitation, done on his behalf by other people. Whereas these claims
have been demonstrated to be invalid in the above discussion, they further fall under the following
two considerations:

1. It has been demonstrated by staunch scholars, such as Ibn Hazm (in Usul ul-Ahkam), ash-
Shawkwani (in Irsad ul-Fuhul), and 'Abd ul-Wahhab Khallaf (in Usul ul-Fiqh), that it is not possible
 to justify ijma' for other than the most obvious matters in Islam. Imam Ahmad has indicated this
in his famous refutation against those who claim ijma'; and
2. I have investigated many of the cases for which there have been claims of ijma' and found that
there is an obvious difference of opinion concerning them. I (Shaykh al-Albani) even found (in
some cases) that the opinion of the majority of scholars is contrary to the claimed ijma'! (Ahkam
ul-Jana'iz, 219).

A Dangerous Belief
The danger of holding a wrong belief in regard to this issue has been clarified and emphasized by Al-
Albani:

"We do not doubt this wrong belief's evil effects upon one who adopts it. He
would rely upon others for acquiring rewards and high ranks (in the hereafter),
because he knows that the Muslims dedicate hundreds of good deeds everyday
to all of the living and the dead Muslims, and he is one of them; that would then
relieve him from having to work hard when others are striving on his behalf! ... A
more dangerous saying is that it is permissible to perform Hajj on behalf of
others, even if there is no valid excuse preventing them from performing it by
themselves. This causes many of the wealthy people to drop hajj or other
obligations, giving themselves the excuse, 'They will perform Hajj on my behalf
after my death! .. There are many other similar opinions that clearly have evil
effects on the (Muslim) societies. It is imperative for the scholars who wish to
reform (the societies) to reject such opinions, because they conflict with the
texts, as well as the spirit of the shari'ah. As for the person who rejects the
opinions described above, it is inconceivable that he would ever rely on other
people in doing deeds and acquiring rewards. He realizes that only his own deeds
can save him, and he is rewarded in accordance with what he himself earns. It is
then incumbent that he strives t the utmost to leave behind him good traces
which will result in good rewards for him even in the loneliness of his grave -
instead of those imaginary good deeds."Ahkam ul-Jana'iz, 222-223

Fulfilling the Deceased's Vows

Fasting the Vowed Days
'A'ishah, rahimahullah, reported that Allah's Messenger, sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam, said:

"Whoever dies while he has a fasting to fulfill (as a vow), his wali' (kin/guardian)
should fast for him."Agreed upon
Ibn Abbas, rahimahullah, reported that a woman was travelling in the sea, and she vowed that if Allah
saved her she would fast for one month. Allah saved her, but she died before fulfilling her vow. Her
daughter came to the Prophet, sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam, and mentioned this to him. He asked,
"Had she owed money as debt, wouldn't you have paid it on her behalf?" She replied, "Yes". He said,
"Allah's debt is more worthy of being fulfilled. So fulfill (the vow) for your mother." [Agreed upon]

Sa'd bin 'Ubadah reported that he told Allah's Messenger, sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam, "My mother
has died and she had an unfulfilled vow." He instructed him, "Fulfill it for her." [Agreed upon]

These ahadith clearly indicate that it is recommended for a deceased's wali to fulfill his vows of
fasting.

Fasting the Missed Days of Ramadhan

Some scholars recommended, in addition to this, fasting the days of Ramadhan that the deceased
had missed. However, the correct position in this regard is expressed by Imam Ahmad, rahimahullah,
"One may not fast for a dead person except in the case of a vow." [Al-Masa'il, 96 by Abu Dawud]

This position is confirmed by the understanding of two of the Companions, 'Aishah and Ibn 'Abbas.
'Amrah reported that her mother died without making up her missed days of Ramadhan. She asked
'Aishah rahimahullah, "Should I make that up on her behalf?" She replied, "No! Rather give sadaqah to
the needy in the amount of a half sa' (of grains or food) for every missed day." [At-Tahawi, Ibn Hazm,
verified to be sahih by al-Albani, Ahkam ul-Jana'iz, 215] Sa'id ibn Jubayr, rahimahullah, reported that
Ibn 'Abbas, rahimahullah, said, "If a man gets sick in Ramadhan and then dies without fasting, food
should be given on his behalf - without a need to make up for the fasting. But if he had made a vow
(to fast), his wali' should fast for him." [Abu Dawud, Ibn Hazm, verified sahih by al-Albani, Ahkam ul-
Jana'iz, 215]

Commenting on this, Al-Albani says:

"This understanding is adopted by the Mother of the Believers, as well as Ibn

'Abbas, the great scholar of the Ummah, and is further held by the Imam of
Sunnah, Ahmad ibn Hanbal. It is the most moderate and appropriate opinion in
this regard; and it fulfills all of the relevant hadiths, without rejected any of them,
especially the first, which the Mother of the Believers, rahimahullah, did not find
applicable to the fasting of Ramadhan. She is the reporter of the hadith, and it is
established that a narrator of a hadith is more knowledgeable about the meaning
of what he reports, especially when his understanding agrees with the rules and
foundations of the shari'ah, as is the case here."Ahkam ul-Jana'iz, 215-216
And Ibn Al-Qayyim, rahimahullah, comments on 'Aishah's above hadith by saying:

"One group (of scholars) generalizes this and enable other people to follow it
clean and pure, as it was revealed, and says that both the vowed and missed
obligatory fasting should be made up for the deceased. Another group rejects
this and says that no fasting may be made up for him. A third group is more
specific in saying that only the vowed fasting, but not the obligatory fasting,
should be for his brother, the appointed angel says, 'Amin; and the same be given
to you.' "

Guarding in Allah's Way

As has been previously demonstrated standing guard in the way of Allah benefits a person after his
death. Fudalah ibn 'Ubayd and 'Uqbah ibn 'Amir, rahimahumullah, reported that Allah's Messenger,
sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam, said:

"The deeds of a dead person are sealed (at the time of death) except the one who
stands guard in the way of Allah; his good deeds continue to increase until the Day
of Resurrection, and he is protected from the trial of the grave."Ahmad, Abu
Dawud, At-Tirmidhi, and others, verified sahih by Al-Albani in Sahih ul-Jami' no.
4562

Reviving the Sunnah

Calling to a forgotten sunnah or fighting an established bid'ah are amongs the most important
charitable deeds that a person can do during his lifetime. They help revive Allah's din to Muhammad,
sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam. Jarir bin 'Abdullah, rahimahullah, reported that they (the companions)
were with Allah's Messenger, sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam, in the middle of the day when a group of
people arrived (from outside al-Madinah) to see him. They were barefoot, (almost) naked, wearing
only woolen lined cloth pieces or cloaks, armed with swords, wearing no izars or anything else
beside that. Most or all of them were from (the tribe of) Mudar. The face of Allah's Messenger,
sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam, changed (reflecting sadness) when he noticed their extreme poverty. He
went in (to his house), then he came out. He commanded Bilal to give adhan, prayed dhuhr, then
mounted a small minbar. He gave a khutbah in which he praised and thanked Allah, and then said,
"After this, (I say that) Allah has revealed in His book:

'O people! Revere your lord who has created you from one soul, and created
from it its mate, and from these two spread forth multitudes of men and women;
and fear Allah through whom you demand your mutual rights, and revere the
ties of the wombs. Indeed Allah is ever watchful over you.'Al-Qur'an 4:1
"And He says:

'O you who believe! Revere Allah, and let every person look to what he has sent
forth for the morrow; and revere Allah. Allah is well Aware of what you do! And
be not like those who forget (disobey) Allah, and He caused them to forget
themselves. Those are the disobedient. Not equal are the dwellers of the Fire
and the dwellers of Jannah. It is the dwellers of Jannah that will be
successful.'Al-Qur'an 59:18-20
"Spend (in Allah's way) before you are prevented from spending. Let a man spend of his dinars,
dirhams, clothes, measure of wheat, barley or dates." Until he said, "Do not belittle any amount of
sadaqah (charity). Safeguard yourselves from the Fire, even with half a date." Observing the people's
slow response, the Prophet's face showed signs of anger. But then, one man from the Ansar came
with a parcel full (of money) of silver and gold, which he could hardly hold in his palm. He handed it
to Allah's Messenger, sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam, while he was still on the minbar, and said, "O
Allah's Messenger! Take this in Allah's way." He, sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam, took it. Abu Bakr,
rahimahullah, then stood and gave something. Then 'Umar, rahimahullah, gave something. Then the
rest of the Muhajirun and Ansar gave. Thus people followed each other in giving charity. This one
would give a dinar, this a dirham, this such and this such - until there were two piles of food and
clothes; and the face of Allah's Messenger, sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam, lighted up with a reddish-
golden colour. So he said, "He who initiates in Islam a good way gets his reward for it, as well as
rewards similar to those who follow him into it, without reducing any of their rewards. And he who
initiates in Islam an evil way gets his burden for it, as well as burdens similar to those who follow him
into it, without reducing any of their burdens." He, sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam, then recited:

"We record that which they have done, as well as their traces - and We have
enumerated everything in a clear book."Al-Qur'an 36:12
And he, sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam, divided what was collected among them (the poor people from
Mudar). [Muslim, Ahmad and others, Ahkam ul-Jana'iz, 224-226]

Conclusion
From the above discussion, we can conclude that:

1. A person's deeds are sealed by his death. Nothing that takes place after that can affect his
records; and
2. The exception to the above rule is that anything, good or bad, that takes place after a person's
death, which he contributed to its occurrence in any manner during his lifetime, will appear in his
records in proportion with his contribution to it.

Being Successful in Life

How to can one obtain success and prosperity in this world and the

hereafterHereafter.What kind of success or prosperity that does iIslam want the ummah

iIslamto gain in this world.

Published Date: 2010-04-29

Praise be to Allah.

Peace of mind, contentment, happiness and freedom from worries and anxiety… these

are what everyone wants, and these are the ways in which people can have a good life

and find complete happiness and joy. There are religious means of achieving this, and

natural and practical means, but no one can combine all of them except the believers;

although other people may achieve some of them, they will miss out on others. 
Here follows a summary of the means of achieving this aim for which everyone is

striving. In some cases, those who achieve many of them will live a joyful life and a

good life; in other cases, those who fail to achieve all of them will live a life of misery

and hardship. And there are others which are in between, according to the means they

are able to attain. These means include the following: 

1 – Faith and righteous deeds: 

This is the greatest and most fundamental of means. Allah says (interpretation of the

meaning): 

“Whoever works righteousness — whether male or female — while he (or she) is a true

believer (of Islamic Monotheism) verily, to him We will give a good life (in this world

with respect, contentment and lawful provision), and We shall pay them certainly a

reward in proportion to the best of what they used to do (i.e. Paradise in the

Hereafter).”

[al-Nahl 16:97] 

Allah tells us and promises us that whoever combines faith with righteous deeds will

have a good life and a good reward in this world and in the Hereafter. 

The reason for this is clear: those who believe in Allah – with sincere faith that

motivates them to do righteous deeds that change hearts and attitudes and guides them

to the straight path in this world and the Hereafter – follow principles and guidelines by

means of which they deal with everything that happens to them, be it the causes of

happiness and excitement or the causes of anxiety, worry and grief. 

They deal with the things that they like by accepting them and giving thanks for them,

and using them in good ways. When they deal with them in this manner, it creates in

them a sense of excitement and the hope that it will continue and that they will be

rewarded for their gratitude, which is more important than the good things that happen
to them. And they deal with bad things, worries and distress by resisting those that they

can resist, alleviating those that they can alleviate, and bearing with goodly patience

those that they cannot avoid. Thus as a result of the bad things they gain a lot of

benefits, experience, strength, patience and hope of reward, which are more important

and which diminish the hardships they have undergone and replace them with

happiness and hope for the bounty and reward of Allah. The Prophet (peace and

blessings of Allah be upon him) expressed this in a saheeh hadeeth (authentic report) in

which he said: “How wonderful is the situation of the believer, for all his affairs are

good. If something good happens to him, he gives thanks for it and that is good for him;

if something bad happens to him, he bears it with patience, and that is good for him.

This does not apply to anyone but the believer.” (Narrated by Muslim, no. 2999). 

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) told us that the believer is

always gaining and the reward for his deeds is always multiplying, no matter what

happens to him, good or bad. 

2 – Being kind to people in word and deed, and all kinds of doing good. This is one of the

means of removing worry, distress and anxiety. By this means Allah wards off worries

and distress from the righteous and immoral alike, but the believer has the greater

share of this, and is distinguished by the fact that his kindness to others stems from

sincerity and the hope of reward, so Allah makes it easy for him to be kind to others

because of the hope that this will bring good things and ward off bad things, by means

of his sincerity and hope of reward. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): 

“There is no good in most of their secret talks save (in) him who orders Sadaqah

(charity in Allah’s Cause), or Ma‘roof (Islamic Monotheism and all the good and

righteous deeds which Allah has ordained), or conciliation between mankind; and he

who does this, seeking the good Pleasure of Allah, We shall give him a great reward.”

[al-Nisa 4:114] 
Part of this great reward is relief from worry, distress, troubles, etc. 

3 – Another of the means of warding off anxiety that stems from nervous tension and

being preoccupied with disturbing thoughts is to occupy oneself with good deeds or

seeking beneficial knowledge. This will distract one from dwelling on the matters that

are causing anxiety. In this way a person may forget about the things that are making

him worried and distressed, and he may become happy and more energetic. This is

another means that believers and others have in common, but the believer is

distinguished by his faith, sincerity and hope of reward when he occupies himself with

the knowledge that he is learning or teaching, or with the good deeds that he is doing. 

The work with which he occupies himself should be something that he likes and enjoys,

for that is more likely to produce the desired results. And Allah knows best. 

4 – Another thing that may ward off worry and anxiety is focusing all one’s thoughts on

the present day, and not worrying about the future or grieving about the past. Hence

the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) sought refuge with Allah from

worry and regret, from regret for things in the past which cannot be put right or

changed, and worry which may come because of fear for the future. So one should focus

only on the present day, and focus one's efforts on getting things right today. If a

person is focused on the present, he will do things properly and forget about worry and

regret.

When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said a du’a (supplication)

or taught a du’a to his ummah (followers), as well as urging them to seek the help of

Allah and hope for His bounty, he was also urging them to strive to attain the thing they

were praying for through their own efforts and to forget about the thing which they

were praying would be warded off from them because du’a (supplication) must be

accompanied by action. So a person must strive to attain that which will benefit him in

worldly and spiritual terms, and ask his Lord to make his efforts successful, and he
should seek His help in this, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)

said: “Strive for that which will benefit you and seek the help of Allah, and do not be

helpless. If anything (bad) happens to you, do not say, ‘If only I had done such-and-

such, then such-and-such would have happened.’ Rather you should say, ‘ Qaddara Allah

wa ma sha a fa’ala (Allah decrees, and what He wills He does),’ for (the words) ‘If only’

open the door to the Shaytan.” (Narrated by Muslim). The Prophet (peace and blessings

of Allah be upon him) connected the matter of striving to achieve good things with the

matter of seeking the help of Allah and not giving in to feelings of helplessness which

are a harmful kind of laziness, and with the matter of accepting things in the past which

are over and done with, and acknowledging that the will and decree of Allah will

inevitably come to pass. He described matters as being of two types: 

1 – Matters which a person may strive to achieve or to achieve whatever he can of them,

or to ward them off or alleviate them. In such cases a person must strive and make the

effort, and also seek the help of Allah. 

2 – Matters where such is not possible, so he must have peace of mind, accept them and

submit to Allah’s will. 

Undoubtedly paying attention to this principle will bring happiness and relieve worry

and distress. 

5 – One of the greatest means of feeling content and relaxed and of acquiring peace of

mind is to remember Allah a great deal (dhikr). That has a great effect in bringing

contentment and peace of mind, and relieving worry and distress. Allah says: 

“Verily, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest.”

[al-Ra’d 13:28] 

Remembering Allah (dhikr) has a great effect in achieving this aim because it has a

special influence and because of the hope that it brings of reward. 

6 – Another of the means of bringing happiness and relieving worry and distress is

striving to eliminate the things that cause worry and to achieve the things that bring

happiness. That may be done by forgetting about bad things in the past which cannot be

changed, and realizing that dwelling on them is a waste of time. So a person must strive

to stop himself from thinking of them, and also strive to stop himself from feeling

anxious about the future and the things that he may imagine of poverty, fear and other

bad things that he thinks may happen to him in the future. He should realize that the

future is something that is unknown, he cannot know what good or bad things are going

to happen to him. That is in the hand of the Almighty, the Most Wise, and all that His

slaves can do is to strive to attain the good things and to ward off the bad things. A

person should realize that if he diverts his thoughts from worrying about his future and

puts his trust in his Lord to take care of his situation, and puts his mind at rest

concerning this, if he does this, then his heart will be at peace and his situation will

improve and he will be relieved of worry and anxiety. 

One of the most effective ways of dealing with worries about the future is to recite this

du’a which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to recite: 

“Allahumma aslih li deeni alladhi huwa ‘ismatu amri, wa aslih li dunyaya allati fiha

ma’ashi, wa aslih li akhirati allati ilayha ma’adi, waj’al al-hayata ziyadatan li fi kulli

khayr, wa’l-mawta rahatan li min kulli sharr (O Allah, correct my religious commitment

which is the foundation of my life, and correct my worldly affairs in which is my

livelihood, and grant me good in the Hereafter to which is my return. Make my life a

means of accumulating good, and make death a respite for me from all evil).” (Narrated

by Muslim, 2720). 

And he said, “Allahumma rahmataka arju fa la takilni ila nafsi tarfata ‘aynin wa aslih li

shani kullahu, la ilaha illa anta (O Allah, for Your mercy I hope, so do not abandon me to

myself even for a moment. And correct all my affairs. There is no god but You).”
(Narrated by Abu Dawood with a saheeh isnad [chain of transmitters], no. 5090; classed

as hasan/good by al-Albani in Saheeh al-Kalim al-Tayyib, p.49).  

If a person utters these du’as, which ask that his spiritual and worldly affairs may be set

right or corrected, with proper presence of mind and sincerity of intention, whilst

striving to achieve this, Allah will grant him what he has prayed for, hoped for and

striven for, and He will turn his worry into joy and happiness. 

7 – If a person experiences anxiety and distress because of a disaster, then one of the

most effective means of relieving himself of that is to think of the worst scenario to

which that may lead, and try to accept that. When he has done this, then he should try

to alleviate it as much as possible. By means of this acceptance and these efforts, he will

relieve himself of his worries and distress, and instead of worrying he will strive to bring

about good things and to deal with whatever he can of the bad things. If he is faced

with things that cause fear or the possibility of sickness or poverty, then he should deal

with this by striving to make himself accept it, or something even worse, with

contentment, because by making himself accept the worst-case scenario, he lessens the

impact of the thing and makes it seem less terrible, especially if he occupies himself

with efforts to ward it off as much as he can. Thus as well as striving to achieve

something good which will distract him from his worries about calamity, he will also

renew his strength to resist bad things, and put his trust and reliance in Allah.

Undoubtedly these matters are of great benefit in attaining happiness and peace of

mind, as well as bringing the hope of reward in this world and in the Hereafter. This is

something which is well known from the experience of many who have tried it. 

8 – Steadfastness of heart and not being disturbed about the imaginary things that bad

thoughts may bring to mind. For when a person gives in to his imagination and lets his

mind be disturbed by these thoughts, such as fear of disease and the like, or anger and

confusion stirred up by some grievous matter, or the expectation of bad things and the
loss of good things, it will fill him with worries, distress, mental and physical illness and

nervous breakdowns, which will have a bad effect on him and which causes a great deal

of harm, as many people have seen. But when a person depends on Allah and puts his

trust in Him, and does not give in to his imagination or let bad thoughts overwhelm him,

and he relies on Allah and has hope of His bounty, this wards off his worries and

distress, and relieves him of a great deal of mental and physical sickness. It gives

indescribable strength, comfort and happiness to the heart. How many hospitals are

filled with the mentally sick victims of illusions and harmful imagination; how often

have these things had an effect upon the hearts of many strong people, let alone the

weak ones; how often have they led to foolishness and insanity. 

It should be noted that your life will follow your train of thought. If your thoughts are of

things that will bring you benefit in your spiritual or worldly affairs, then your life will be

good and happy. Otherwise it will be the opposite. 

The person who is safe from all of this is the one who is protected by Allah and helped

by Him to strive to achieve that which will benefit and strengthen the heart and ward

off anxiety. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): 

“And whosoever puts his trust in Allah, then He will suffice him.”

[al-Talaq 65:3] 

i.e., He will be sufficient for all that is worrying him in his spiritual and worldly affairs.

The one who puts his trust in Allah will have strength in his heart and will not be

affected by anything he imagines or be disturbed by events, because he knows that

these are the result of vulnerable human nature and of weakness and fear that have no

basis. He also knows that Allah has guaranteed complete sufficiency to those who put

their trust in Him. So he trusts in Allah and finds peace of mind in His promise, and thus

his worry and anxiety are dispelled; hardship is turned to ease, sadness is turned to joy,

fear is turned to peace. We ask Allah to keep us safe and sound, and to bless us with
strength and steadfastness of heart, and complete trust, for Allah has guaranteed all

good things to those who put their trust in Him, and has guaranteed to ward off all bad

and harmful things from them. 

If bad things happen or there is the fear of such, then you should count the many

blessings that you are still enjoying, both spiritual and worldly, and compare them with

the bad things that have happened, for when you compare them you will see the many

blessings that you are enjoying, and this will make the bad things appear less serious. 

See al-Wasail al-Mufeedah li’l-Hayat al-Sa’eedah by Shaykh ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Sa’di 

Ibn al-Qayyim summed fifteen ways through which Allah may dispel worries and regret.

These are as follows: 

1-     Tawheed al-Ruboobiyyah (belief in the Oneness of Divine Lordship)

2-     Tawheed al-Uloohiyyah (belief in the Oneness of the Divine nature)

3-     Tawheed of knowledge and belief (i.e., Tawheed al-Asma’ wa’l_Sifaat, belief in the

Oneness of the Divine names and attributes)

4-     Thinking of Allah as being above doing any injustice to His slaves, and above

punishing anyone for no cause on the part of the slave that would require such

punishment.

5-     The person’s acknowledging that he is the one who has done wrong.

6-     Beseeching Allah by means of the things that are most beloved to Him, which are

His names and attributes. Two of His names that encompass the meanings of all other

names and attributes are al-Hayy (the Ever-Living) and al-Qayyoom (the Eternal).

7-     Seeking the help of Allah Alone.

8-     Affirming one's hope in Him.

9-     Truly putting one’s trust in Him and leaving matters to Him, acknowledging that

one's forelock is in His hand and that He does as He wills, that His will is forever

executed and that He is just in all that He decrees.

10- Letting one's heart wander in the garden of the Quran, seeking consolation in it

from every calamity, seeking healing in it from all diseases of the heart, so that it will

bring comfort to his grief and healing for his worries and distress.

11- Seeking forgiveness.

12- Repentance.

13- Jihad.

14-Salah (prayer).