In Islam, goodness is defined as "everything that is righteous and
beneficial"; it is "everything by which a servant draws closer to God
Almighty through performing acts of obedience and abstaining from sins and evil
deeds"; it is "doing what earns great reward and averts painful
punishment"; it is "everything that is good, praiseworthy, and
desirable."
It encompasses everything that God Almighty loves to do and strive for,
and everything that benefits people in their religion and worldly life. This is
something that the human soul recognizes by its very nature and innate disposition.
However, if the soul becomes tainted with sins, it begins to see evil as good.
Good deeds encompass many fields, including relieving the distress of Muslims,
protecting their privacy, supporting the weak, giving charity, comforting those
in need, cleaning the streets, providing material and moral support to
vulnerable families, showing kindness to relatives, treating neighbors and all
people with gentleness, encouraging righteousness and warning against the
consequences of wrongdoing, promoting self-reflection, reconciling people,
encouraging acceptance of others, and feeding the hungry. Good deeds are among
the characteristics of the believers and the qualities of God's righteous
servants who spend in charity day and night, secretly and openly.
Many verses in the Holy Quran urge the performance of good deeds, praise
those who do them, and condemn those who neglect them or prevent others from
doing so. God urges Muslims to reconcile people in His Almighty saying: “No
good is there in much of their private conversation, except for those who
enjoin charity or that which is right or conciliation between people. And
whoever does that seeking means to the approval of Allah—then We are going to
give him a great reward.” (Surat An-Nisa: 114) He urges them to compete in
doing good deeds, as He says, “It is those who hasten to good deeds, and they
outstrip [others] therein.” (Surat Al-Mu’minun: 61) He urges them to be
selfless, which is one of the highest forms of goodness, as He, the Exalted,
says: “And those who, before them, had homes (in Al-Madinah) and had adopted
the Faith, love those who emigrate to them, and have no jealousy in their
breasts for that which they have been given (from the booty of Bani An-Nadir),
and give them (emigrants) preference over themselves, even though they were in
need of that. And whosoever is saved from his own covetousness, such are they
who will be the successful.” (Surat Al-Hashr: 9) 9). Likewise, God Almighty
specifies the societal groups to which the Muslim must extend a helping hand in
His Almighty saying: “They ask you (O Muhammad SAW) what they should spend.
Say, “Whatever you spend of good must be for parents and kindred and orphans
and Al-Masakin (the poor) and the wayfarers, and whatever you do of good deeds,
truly, Allah knows it well.” (Surat Al-Baqarah: 215); And He shows those who do
good what He has prepared for them of good reward in the Hereafter, in His
Almighty saying: “Verily, your Lord knows that you do stand (to pray at night)
a little less than two-thirds of the night, or half the night, or a third of
the night, and so do a party of those with you, and Allah measures the night
and the day. He knows that you are unable to pray the whole night, so He has
turned to you (in mercy). So, recite to you of the Quran as much as may be easy
for you. He knows that there will be some among you sick, others travelling
through the land, seeking Allah's bounty, and yet others fighting in Allah's
cause. So recite as much of the Quran as may be easy (for you), and perform As-Salat
(Iqamat-as-Salat) and give Zakat, and lend to Allah a goodly loan, and whatever
good you send before you for yourselves (i.e., Nawafil, non-obligatory acts of
worship: prayers, charity, fasting, Hajj, and 'Umrah, etc.), you will certainly
find it with Allah, better and greater in reward. And seek forgiveness of
Allah. Verily, Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most-Merciful." (Surat
Al-Muzzammil: 20) And in His Almighty saying: “Not upon you (Muhammad SAW) is
their guidance, but Allah guides whom He wills. And whatever you spend in good,
it is for yourselves when you spend not except seeking Allah's Countenance. And
whatever you spend in good, it will be repaid to you in full, and you shall not
be wronged.” (Surat Al-Baqarah: 272) And in His Almighty words: “No good is
there in much of their private conversation, except for those who enjoin
charity or that which is right or conciliation between people. And whoever does
that seeking the approval of Allah—then We are going to give him a great
reward.” (Surat An-Nisa: 114)
The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, guides us
to the springs of goodness so that we may return to them and draw from them in
word and deed, in his saying, “Faith has seventy-odd or sixty-odd branches, the
best of which is saying ‘There is no god but God,’ and the least of which is
removing something harmful from the road, and modesty is a branch of faith”
(Narrated by: Abu Hurairah; Source: Sahih Muslim); and in his saying: “There is
no Muslim who plants a tree or sows a seed from which a bird or a human eats,
except that it is charity for him.” (Narrated by: Anas bin Malik; Source:
Ghayat al-Maram); And in his saying, “A Muslim is the brother of another
Muslim. He does not wrong him, nor does he abandon him. Whoever is in need of
his brother, then God is in need of him. Whoever relieves a Muslim of a
hardship, God will relieve him of a hardship on the Day of Resurrection.
Whoever conceals a Muslim’s faults, God will conceal his faults on the Day of
Resurrection.” (Narrated by Abdullah bin Omar; Source: Sahih Abi Dawud).
Prophetic traditions explain that good deeds have a great merit that may
surpass prayer, fasting, and charity, as the Messenger of God, may God bless
him and grant him peace, said, “Shall I not tell you of something better than
the degree of prayer, fasting, and charity?” They said, “Yes, O Messenger of
God.” He said, “Reconciling between people, for indeed, corruption between
people is the razor. I do not say that it shaves hair, but it shaves away
religion.” (Narrator: Abu al-Darda; Source: Ghayat al-Maram) And that the
people of goodness are the most beloved of people to God, as the Messenger of
God, may God bless him and grant him peace, said, “The most beloved of people
to God are those who are most beneficial to people, and the most beloved of
deeds to God Almighty is bringing joy to a Muslim, relieving him of distress,
paying off his debt, or driving away his hunger. And for me to walk with a
brother in need is more beloved to me than to seclude myself in this mosque,
meaning the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina, for a month. And whoever suppresses his
anger, even though he could have acted upon it, God will fill his heart with
contentment on the Day of Resurrection. And whoever walks with his brother in
need until he fulfills it for him, God will make his feet firm on the Day when
feet will slip.” (Narrated by: Abdullah bin Omar; Source: Sahih al-Targhib) And
that the reward for good protects against evil ends and is the immediate good
news for the believer in this world, as he said, “Good deeds protect against
evil ends, and charity given secretly extinguishes the wrath of the Lord, and
maintaining kinship ties increases lifespan, and every good deed is charity,
and the people of good deeds in this world are the people of good deeds in the
Hereafter, and the people of evil deeds in this world are the people of evil
deeds in the Hereafter” (Narrated by: Umm Salamah, Mother of the Believers;
Source: Sahih al-Jami’); and as he said, “A man does a deed for the sake of God,
and people love him for it. He said that is the immediate good news for the
believer” (Narrated by Abu Dharr al-Ghifari; Source: Sahih Ibn Majah).
Likewise, the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace,
commanded us to enjoin good even if we are unable to do it ourselves, saying,
“Every Muslim must give charity.” It was said, “What if he cannot find anything
to give?” He said, “He should work with his hands, thus benefiting himself and
giving charity.” It was said, “What if he cannot do that?” He said, “He should
help the needy and distressed.” It was said to him, “What if he cannot do
that?” He said, “He should enjoin what is right or good.” It was said, “What if
he cannot do that?” He said, “He should refrain from evil, for that is also charity.”
(Narrator: Abu Musa al-Ash'ari; Source: Sahih Muslim).
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