Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

As Salaam Alai Kum Wa RehmatulLah wa barakatuhu,

 
Brother, are there some hadith which can help us differentiate whether our deeds are for Allah or for some worldy purpose. There are instances when we feel confused if our deeds were for Allah or we did them to show off piety.

 
Furthermore, on a stronger note, is it a possibility that a man may think that he is a muslim but he might be a munafiq. If yes, how can we assure ourself which category we lie in( by the help of hadith and Quran).

 
May Allah bless us all.

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Answer:

How to determine deeds for Allah

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Your Question: Brother, are there some hadith which can help us differentiate whether our deeds are for Allah or for some worldy purpose. There are instances when we feel confused if our deeds were for Allah or we did them to show off piety.

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 1.51 Narrated by Umar bin Al Khattab

Allah's Messenger (saws) said, "The reward of deeds depends upon the intention, and every person will get the reward according to what he has intended. So whoever emigrated for Allah and His Messenger (saws), then his emigration was for Allah and His Messenger (saws). And whoever emigrated for worldly benefits or for a woman to marry, his emigration was for what he migrated to."

Hadith Qudsi 6

The Messenger of Allah (saws) said: ‘The first of people against whom judgment will be pronounced on the Day of Resurrection will be a man who died a martyr. He will be brought and Allah will make known to him His Favors and he will recognize them. [The Almighty] will Say: ‘And what did you do about them (My Favors)?’ He (the martyr) will say: ‘I fought for You until I died a martyr.’ He (The Lord Most Majestic) will Say: ‘You have lied! You did but fight that it might be said [of you]: ‘He is courageous. And so it was said (after your death)!’ Then he will be ordered to be dragged along on his face until he is cast into Hell-Fire! [Another] will be a man who has studied [religious] knowledge, and had taught it, and who used to recite the Quran. He will be brought and Allah will make known to him His Favors and he will recognize them. [The Almighty] will Say: ‘And what did you do about them?’ He (the scholar) will say: ‘I studied [religious] knowledge, and I taught it, and I recited the Quran for Your Sake.’ He (The Lord Most High) will Say: ‘You have lied! You did but study [religious] knowledge that it might be said [of you]: ‘He is learned. And you recited the Quran that it might be said [of you]: ‘He is a reciter. And so it was said! Then he will be ordered to be dragged along on his face until he is cast into Hell-Fire. [Another] will be a man whom Allah had made rich and to whom He had given all kinds of wealth. He will be brought and Allah will make known to him His Favors and he will recognize them. [The Almighty] will Say: ‘And what did you do about them?’ He will say: ‘I left no path in which You like money to be spent without spending in it for Your Sake.’ He (The Lord Most Supreme) will Say: ‘You have lied! You did but did so that it might be said [of you]: ‘He is open-handed. And so it was said.’ Then he will be ordered to be dragged along on his face until he is cast into Hell-Fire!

The one and only ‘barometer’ one has with oneself to determine whether the act or deed one does is purely for the Sake of Allah Subhanah or for any purpose other than that is the intention one makes before the deed! If the intention for doing the deed is for the Sake of, or to earn the Pleasure and Good Will of their Lord….then that deed is for Allah Subhanah; and if the intention for doing that deed is for any purpose other than that, then the deed will be for that purpose and one would have no reward for their that deed, however good it may seemingly be, in the Presence of their Lord All-Knowing, All-Wise, Most Majestic, Most Supreme.

Your Question: ….Furthermore, on a stronger note, is it a possibility that a man may think that he is a muslim but he might be a munafiq. If yes, how can we assure ourself which category we lie in( by the help of hadith and Quran).

Sahih Muslim Hadith 6623 Narrated by Hanzalah

I (Hanzalah (r.a.)) met Abu Bakr. He (Abu Bakr (r.a.)) asked: ‘Who are you?’ He (Hanzalah (r.a.)) said: ‘Hanzalah has turned out to be a hypocrite!’ He (Abu Bakr (r.a.)) said: ‘Hallowed be Allah! What are you saying?’ Thereupon he (Hanzalah (r.a.)) said: ‘I say that when we are in the company of Allah's Messenger (saws) we ponder over Hell-Fire and Paradise as if we are seeing them before our very eyes. When we are away from Allah's Messenger (saws) we attend to our wives, our children, our business; most of these things (pertaining to the Hereafter) slip out of our minds.’ Abu Bakr (r.a.) said: ‘By Allah, I also experience the same.’ So Abu Bakr (r.a.) and I went to Allah's Messenger (saws) and I said to him: ‘O Allah's Messenger (saws), Hanzalah has turned to be a hypocrite!’ Thereupon Allah's Messenger (saws) said: ‘What has happened to you?’ I said: ‘O Messenger of Allah (saws), when we are in your company, we are reminded of Hell-Fire and Paradise as if we are seeing them with our own eyes, but whenever we go away from you and attend to our wives, children and business, many of these things go out of our minds.’ Thereupon Allah's Messenger (saws) said: ‘By Him in Whose Hand is my life, if your state of mind remains the same as it is in my presence and you are always busy in the Remembrance (of Allah), the Angels will shake hands with you in your beds and on your paths! However, Hanzalah, time should be devoted (to the worldly affairs) and time (should be devoted to prayer and meditation).’ The Prophet (saws) said this thrice.

My dear and beloved brother in Islam, the very fact that one constantly fears whether or not the disease of hypocrisy has entered one’s heart, or whether or not one is indeed a true believer, or whether or not one’s deeds are acceptable to their Lord…..is a clear sign and an extension of one’s true faith and belief in their Lord Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

A true believer is one who never considers himself safe from the disease of hypocrisy; it is only the hypocrites who are absolutely oblivious to this abomination of a disease, who assume themselves to be believers, and who fear not whether or not their deeds are acceptable to their Lord Most High!

Respected brother, as long as one has this constant fear regarding whether or not one’s faith and one’s deeds are acceptable unto their Lord, rest assured that this very fear in itself is a manifest sign that one is a true believer in Allah and the Last Day……it is only when one’s heart becomes oblivious to this fear regarding one’s faith and the acceptance of one’s deeds, one should sincerely start worrying whether the disease of hypocrisy has indeed made a permanent home in their hearts!

If one trusts, obeys, and follows the guidance and commands of Allah and His Messenger (saws), one can be assured of never ever being misled; but if one believes, obeys and follows any other guidance, other than that of Allah and His Messenger (saws), one can be assured of being led astray.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan