The Trick of Shaytan: Why We Underestimate Our Good Deeds and Overestimate Our Sins.
﷽*_EARNING HIS LOVE_*
When we feel down spiritually, it is easy to feel and believe that our good deeds don’t matter, because we are so bad. But the verses mentioned above and the ahadith show us that this is not the case. Even if we are sinning, we should not give up good deeds. These good deeds help to wipe away the bad, and they are a means to get closer to Allah. We will never be perfect, and the key is to recognize our faults in order to remind ourselves to be humble and to seek forgiveness, but to never despair because of them. Al-Wadud brought a prostitute into the realm of His love because she gave a dog water – and for that she was given Paradise. But we have to remember to strike a balance between refraining from belittling our sins and not giving up because of them.
The best way is to look at the example of the Prophet ﷺ and the companions. Although the Prophetﷺ was faultless, he sought forgiveness from his Lord on a daily basis. He prayed while people slept, and he was their aid when they needed him, may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him.
He taught people not to take their sins lightly. In the story of Ka’b bin Malik (ra), for example, the Prophetﷺ forbade all the Muslims from talking to him for a total of 50 days because he did not join them for battle and had no excuse (this was an order from Allah). Imagine if you were Ka’b: you deserted your fellow Muslims when they needed you the most (it was the battle of Tabuk, which was an especially tough battle). That is enough to make someone feel guilty and worthless. But on top of that, when you tell the truth about what you did, the Messenger of Allahﷺ is ordered not to speak to you, as are the rest of the Muslims, as punishment. How would you have felt? Ka’b (ra) felt extremely guilty, and a part of him wished he hadn’t told the truth about why he did not join them for battle, but he remained steadfast. He prayed and turned to his Lord and he resisted the temptation of those who sought to capitalize on the opportunity to take someone away from Islam. So what happened after 50 days? Allah reveals in the Qur’an that He has forgiven him! As well as the two other companions who had committed the same mistake he did (see Surat at-Tawbah, verses 118-119).
Ka’b bin Malik knew that the key to redemption was to continue doing good and seeking forgiveness of his Lord. And for that, he is recorded in the Qur’an as one whom Allah has forgiven, so that we all take heed and emulate this behaviour.
So whenever you are feeling down and troubled in your heart, give yourselves a boost by immersing yourself in deeds that are beloved to Allah. Because the one who has named Himself Al-Wadud, the Most Loving, will bestow upon you love and affection, insha’Allah.
*How else does Allah manifest this love? Allah tells us in a hadith qudsi:*
“Nothing endears My servant to Me than doing of what I have made obligatory upon him to do. And My servant continues to draw nearer to Me with the supererogatory (nawafil) so that I shall love him. When I love him, I shall be his hearing with which he shall hear, his sight with which he shall see, his hands with which he shall hold, and his feet with which he shall walk. And if he asks (something) of Me, I shall surely give it to him, and if he takes refuge in Me, I shall certainly grant him it.” (Bukhari)
All of the above is a result of Allah’s love. We start with the obligatory and add on the recommended and the voluntary. As long as we are doing what is deemed good by Allah, we are receiving love from Al-Wadud. What could give us more tranquility than the knowledge of that?
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