Photo: Collected
No good deed will be accepted without pure intention. Whatever act of worship we perform, whatever good deed we do, we should do it solely to please and satisfy Allah, not to please people. This is because worship done for show will not be accepted. The Holy Quran says, ‘Whoever desires the harvest of the Hereafter, We give him increase in his harvest. And whoever desires the harvest of this world, We give him something of it, and in the Hereafter he will have no share at all.’ (Surah Ash-Shura, verse 20). Another verse says, ‘Whoever desires this world, We quickly give him in it what We will, to whom We will. Then We appoint Hell for him, which he will enter condemned and driven away. And whoever desires the Hereafter and strives for it as it should be striven for while being a believer, their striving will be worthy of reward.’ (Surah Bani Israil, verses 18-19).
A hadith narrated by the renowned Tabi’i Sulaiman ibn Yasar (may Allah have mercy on him) says that once, when people were taking leave of the eminent companion Hazrat Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him), Hazrat Natil (may Allah have mercy on him), a resident of Syria, said: O Shaikh! Tell us a hadith that you heard from the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). He said: Yes, I will. I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) say that the first person to be judged on the Day of Resurrection will be a man who had been martyred. He will be brought forward and Allah will tell him of His blessings, and he will recognise all of them and duly acknowledge them. Then Allah the Almighty will say: What deeds did you do in return for these? He will say: I fought for Your pleasure, until in the end I was martyred. Then Allah the Almighty will say: You are lying. Rather, you fought so that people would call you brave. And that has been said. Then the order will be given, and accordingly he will be dragged on his face and thrown into Hell.
Then a man will be judged who acquired and imparted knowledge and studied the Quran. He will be brought forward. Allah the Almighty will tell him of the blessings He bestowed, and he will recognise them (and duly acknowledge them). Then Allah the Almighty will say: Having received such great blessings, what did you do in return? In reply he will say: I acquired knowledge and taught it, and I studied the Quran for the sake of (attaining) Your (pleasure). In reply Allah the Almighty will say: You are lying. You acquired knowledge so that people would call you learned; you recited the Quran so that people would say he is a qari. That has been said. Then the order will be given, and he too will be dragged on his face and thrown into Hell.
