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.