– Mohammed Azam (B.Tech. SCE, AMU)
If you ask a layman about whether faith is more important or good deeds then he may reply that good deeds are more important. This is a grave misconception. Here we will InShaAllah try to find out why this is so and what Islam has to say about this.
Certain Ideas and slogans are becoming rampant these days, one such slogan states that we should focus on just doing good deeds and that those people who say that we should first focus on religion and then on good deeds- are actually the trouble makers and that humanity should not listen to these trouble makers and focus on just being humans. These descriptions are seemingly very eloquent but are actually fallacious and against Islam.
According to the Quran, faith is the first thing and then comes the good deeds. This is clearly mentioned in Surah Al-Asr which says:-
By time; indeed mankind is at loss. Except for those who believe, do righteous deeds advise each other to truth, and advise each other to patience.
Here the belief is mentioned first and then good deeds are mentioned. Similarly, this is also mentioned in Surah Al-Kahf v.103 and 104 as:-
Say, [O Muḥammad], “Shall we [believers] inform you of the greatest losers as to [their] deeds? [They are] those whose efforts are lost in the worldly life, while they think that they are doing well in work.”
Here it is being told that these people think that they are doing good deeds but their good deeds will not be accepted by Allah. The reason for this is explained in the following verse of surah Al-Kahf v. 105
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].
This means that they rejected Allah’s signs i.e. did not believe in them and thus their deeds became weightless on the Day of Judgment.
Now, what do we understand by the signs? Different phenomena occurring in nature are Allah’s signs. For example, the transformation of the day into night and vice-versa is Allah’s sign. The superiority of humans over animals is also Allah’s sign. A believer may ponder upon the fact as to why humans are at the top of the world and not any other animal? Why were humans able to self-develop so quickly and not other animals as the Darwinian Theory suggests? Thus, he will conclude that it is Allah who has made us superior. Now, a disbeliever will not think about this and will be more interested as to how he can extract maximum benefit from the resources of the earth and subjugate animals for his benefit.
We will soon show them Our signs in the horizons until it is evident to them that it is the Truth. And does it not suffice as to your Lord that He is The Ever-Present Witness over everything? [41:53]
These type of people do it for this world and its benefits. They are not concerned with what Allah has to say about it. They are just doing it for the worldly benefit. Allah says in Surah Najm v.39
And that man will have nothing except that for which he has endeavored (to achieve);
So if he did not work for the Hereafter then why will he be rewarded? To understand this thing let us consider the example of a seemingly knowledgeable person who does not attempts an important entrance exam which he was supposed to do. When the result is out and he is not selected, he cannot blame others as to why he did not get selected. If he was that talented, he should have given the exam and proved his ability like others were proving and getting the benefits. Similarly, those people who did not do good deeds for Allah’s pleasure cannot blame as to why they didn’t get any benefit from their good deeds in the hereafter.
So why do they do it? This is answered by Allah as follows:
And [also] those who spend their wealth to show off to people, but do not believe in Allah or the Last Day. Whoever takes Satan as an associate has indeed taken an evil associate. [4:38]
That means that they are doing it for showing off i.e. they have an image of being a good person and they want that image to retain. But meanwhile, they are rejecting the signs of Allah. For this kind of people, Allah gives them their share in this world as explained in the ayah.
…And among the people is he who says, “Our Lord, give us in this world,” and he will have in the Hereafter no share. [2:200]
Therefore, we should be careful about why we are doing good deeds and do it only for Allah’s pleasure and not for anyone else.
