By: Umm Abd AlRahman

 

The third most common element in the universe is carbon which has an atomic weight of 12.01 grams so one atom of carbon equals 0.0000000000000000000019942 grams.  What does this have to do with good deeds?  Allah Most High tells us in "The Earthquake" chapter (Qur’an7:8):   "So whoever does an atom's weight of good will see it and whoever does an atom's weight of evil will see it." What kind of good deed has an atom's weight?  What is that small, littlest thing we may do and it will still be counted in our account?

The Power of the Good Deed!

By: Umm Abd AlRahman

 

The third most common element in the universe is carbon which has an atomic weight of 12.01 grams so one atom of carbon equals 0.0000000000000000000019942 grams.  What does this have to do with good deeds?  Allah Most High tells us in "The Earthquake" chapter (Qur’an7:8):   "So whoever does an atom's weight of good will see it and whoever does an atom's weight of evil will see it." What kind of good deed has an atom's weight?  What is that small, littlest thing we may do and it will still be counted in our account?

 Abu Bakr was having a meal with the Prophet (pbuh) when this verse was revealed.  Abu Bakr withdrew his hand from his food and said, "O Messenger of Allah, shall I see the result of every little thing that I have happened to commit?"  The Prophet (pbuh) said, "O Abu Bakr, whatever unpleasant and troublesome things you experience in the world will compensate for the little things that you happened to commit and Allah is reserving every little good that you do for your Hereafter." (Tabarani)  That was good news!

""Indeed, Allah does not do injustice [even] as much as an atom's weight; while if there is a good deed, He multiplies it and gives from Himself a great reward."  (Qur’an 4:40) 

The Prophet (pbuh) said, "Allah has written down the good deeds and the bad ones.  Then He explained it [by saying that] he who has intended a good deed and has not done it, Allah writes it down with Himself as a full good deed, but if he has intended it and has done it, Allah writes it down with Himself from ten good deeds to seven hundred times, or many times over.  But if he has intended a bad deed and has not done it, Allah writes it down with Himself as a full good deed, but if he has intended it and has done it, Allah writes it down as one bad deed."  (Bukhari) 

So, one intended good deed not acted out equals one good deed.

One intended good deed acted out equals ten to seven hundred times or many times over.

One intended bad deed not done equals one good deed.

One intended bad deed acted out equals one bad deed.

Over and over in the Qur'an the believers are mentioned with acts of good deeds/righteous behavior.  How do we know what kind of fruit tree is before us?  By the fruit it bears, either sweet, tasteless, bitter, or sour and so are our deeds according to our intentions.  May we choose the sweet deed with the pure intention and may Allah Most High forgive us for our tasteless, bitter and sour deeds

Our personal autobiography has been caught on film from puberty till this day with our intentions and thoughts displayed on the screen.  Allah Most High tells us, "And We have already created man and know what his soul whispers to him and We are closer to him than [his] jugular vein when the two receivers [i.e. recording angels] receive [record each word and deed] seated on the right and on the left.  He does not utter any word except that with him is an observer prepared [to record].  (Qur’an 50:16-18)   "And indeed, [appointed] over you are keepers (angels who preserve the deeds of men in records) noble and recording, they know whatever you do."  (Qur’an 82:10-12)

  In the court of Allah Most High we will not only receive our book with our deeds present but our body organs will testify against us on that day.  "On a Day when their tongues, their hands and their feet will bear witness against them as to what they used to do."  (Qur’an 24:24) "Until, when they reach it (Hell-Fire) their hearing and their eyes and their skins will testify against them of what they used to do. And they will say to their skins, 'Why have you testified against us?"  They will say, "We were made to speak by Allah who has made everything speak; and He created you the first time and to Him you are returned.  And you were not covering [i.e. protecting] yourselves, lest your hearing testify against you or your sight or your skins, but you assumed that Allah does not know much of what you do.  And that was your assumption which you assumed about your Lord.  It has brought you to ruin, and you have become among the losers."  (Qur’an 41:20-23)

What about the disbelievers, idolaters and the hypocrites?  "Say, "Shall we inform you of the greatest losers as to [their] deeds?"  [They are] those whose effort is lost in worldly life, while they think that they are doing well in work."  Those are the ones who disbelieve in the verses of their Lord and in [their] meeting Him, so their deeds have become worthless; and We will not assign to them on the Day of Resurrection any weight [i.e. importance].  ( Qur’an 18:103-105) "For those [polytheists], their deeds have become worthless, and in the Fire they will abide eternally." (Qur’an 9:17) "And Allah has promised the hypocrite men and women and the disbelievers the fire of Hell, wherein they will abide eternally."  (Qur’an 9:68)

The Prophet (pbuh) said, "Save yourselves from the fire of Hell even if it be by giving away a bit of a date or by uttering a good word."  (Bukhari)   

The Prophet (pbuh) said to 'Aishah, "O 'Aishah, abstain from the sins which are looked upon as trivial, for they too will be enquired about by Allah."  (Ahmad)  Also another saying, "Beware of minor sins, for they will gather together on man so much so that they will kill him."  (Ahmad)

O Allah, save us on this day when we will stand alone before You ("And you have most certainly come to us alone as We created you the first time and you have left whatever We bestowed upon you behind you…"  Qur’an 6:94), forgive us and make us mindful that our every act is written down, purify our intentions and keep us away from being among the losers.  Ameen.