There is wide spread poverty around the world , even in most rich countries. One does not have to look hard to find those in needs for these abound in the dark alleys, slums and even around us. While many beg, there are many others whose nothingness can be found by staring in the hollowness of their eyes. Islam encourages those who have plenty or more than their needs to give out their surplus to others tohelp them sustain their lives with some diginity. In fact the latter category is more deserving than the former, for beggers are professionals whose greedy stomachs can never be filled.
The good deeds should be restricted to giving charity or alms. In fact good deeds whould be anything in consistency in helping others even by a word of mouth, offering a rakah extra regularly to earn Allah's pleasure.
Prophet Muhammad ﷺ always advocated the need to help others and demanded of his companions to indulge into acts of good deed even if very smallm rather than making a good gesture once in a while. The Hadith mentioned in Sahi Bokhari (6465) is about the same very good deeds and gestures:
Narrated by `Aisha, the revered wife of the Prophet: The Prophet (ﷺ) was asked, "What deeds are loved most by Allah?" He said,
"The most regular constant deeds even though they may be few." He added, 'Don't take upon yourselves, except the deeds which are within your ability."
Arabic Text:
حَدَّثَنِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَرْعَرَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، عَنْ سَعْدِ بْنِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، عَنْ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ ـ رضى الله عنها ـ أَنَّهَا قَالَتْ سُئِلَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَىُّ الأَعْمَالِ أَحَبُّ إِلَى اللَّهِ قَالَ " أَدْوَمُهَا وَإِنْ قَلَّ ". وَقَالَ " اكْلَفُوا مِنَ الأَعْمَالِ مَا تُطِيقُونَ ".
This hadith is profound in its guidance on how a Muslim should approach worship, good deeds, and consistency in their religious life. Let's break it down clearly:
Explanation of the Hadith:
1. "What deeds are most loved by Allah?"
This question shows a desire to understand what pleases Allah the most, not just in quantity, but in quality and consistency.
2. "The most beloved deeds to Allah are those that are done consistently, even if small."
Islam emphasizes regularity and perseverance over bursts of extreme effort followed by burnout or abandonment.
- A small act — like praying 2 extra raka‘āt regularly, or giving a small amount in charity every week — is more pleasing to Allah than doing a big act once, then stopping.
- This also aligns with human psychology: small, regular actions are easier to maintain and have a long-term transformative effect.
3. "Take on only those deeds you are capable of (sustaining)."
The Prophet ﷺ discouraged people from taking on too much, which might lead to exhaustion or giving up entirely.
- Worship should be sincere, steady, and within one’s capacity.
- This principle helps avoid spiritual burnout and guilt — and encourages a sustainable connection with Allah.
The Prophet ﷺ himself practiced this: Aisha (RA) reported: “Whenever the Prophet did an act, he would do it consistently.” — Bukhari & Muslim
Lessons from the Hadith:
- Allah values quality and sincerity over quantity.
- Small acts, when done consistently, have a big spiritual impact.
- Don’t overburden yourself — do what you can manage long-term.
- Consistency helps build discipline, habit, and love for worship.
- This is applicable to all areas of life: prayer, Qur'an reading, dhikr, charity, even good manners.
Examples of Beloved, Small, Consistent Deeds:
- Praying 2 raka‘āt of Sunnah daily
- Reading 1 page of Qur’an every day
- Saying SubhanAllah / Alhamdulillah / Allahu Akbar daily
- Donating a small amount regularly
- Smiling, helping others, making du‘ā'
Summary:
The hadith beautifully teaches us that Allah loves steady hearts, not sudden heroic efforts. You don’t need to do a lot, but you should try to do a little with love, regularly.
May Allāh (سبحانه و تعالىalways advoated ) help us understand Qur'ān and follow the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, which is embodiment of commandments of Allah contained in the Qur'ān. May Allah help us to be like the ones He loves and let our lives be lived helping others and not making others' lives miserable or unlivable. May all our wrong doings, whether intentional or unintentional, be forgiven before the angel of death knocks on our door.
وَمَا عَلَيۡنَاۤ اِلَّا الۡبَلٰغُ الۡمُبِيۡنُ
(36:17) and our duty is no more than to clearly convey the Message.”
That is Our duty is only to convey to you the message that Allah has entrusted us with. Then it is for you to accept it or reject it. We have not been made responsible for making you accept it forcibly, and if you do not accept it, we shall not be seized in consequence of your disbelief, you will yourselves be answerable for your actions on Day of Resurrection.
May Allah forgive me if my posts ever imply a piety far greater than I possess. I am most in need of guidance.
Reading the Qur'ān should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully. It will also help the Muslims to have grasp over social issues and their answers discussed in the Qur'an and other matter related to inter faith so that they are able to discuss issues with non-Muslims with authority based on refences from Qur'an.
Note: When we mention God in our posts, we mean One True God, we call Allah in Islam, with no associates. Allah is the Sole Creator of all things, and that Allah is all-powerful and all-knowing. Allah has no offspring, no race, no gender, no body, and is unaffected by the characteristics of human life.
Please refer to our exclusive reference page Prophet Muhammad ﷺ about Morality for more etiquettes attributed to Prophet Muhammad.
For Hadiths on the subject, please refer to our reference page: Collection of Hadiths attributed to Prophet Muhammad ﷺ about Sadaqah صدقة / Voluntary Charity
For more hadiths on varying subjects, refer to our reference page: Sunnah and Hadith of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ to know more about Hadiths and Sunnah of Prophet of Allah. You may also refer to our Reference Pages for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.
Disclaimer: The material for this post has been collected from the references as given above. If anyone differs with the material contained in this post, one may consult the references and their authors. If someone has more material about the subject, he/she is most welcome to share in the comments box to make the post all encompassing. one may also consult local Muslim Imamam of the masjid for more calrification.
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