Poem: Tips On How To Keep Some Good Deeds Just Between You And Allah The Almighty

💐 In The Name Of Allah The Most Gracious The Most Merciful

💌 Three tips on how to keep some good deeds confidential, 

Truly between you and Allah the Most Merciful, 

Closer to Ikhlaas and far from people's appraisal: 

Don't announce good deeds. Don't do things to be credible.

Be pious for Allah, not to impress the people.

~•~

When you're fasting and some give you a dish, be grateful 

Without stating you're fasting in a way that's boastful. 

Clarify only if you don't want to be hurtful 

When someone offers you a drink or some edibles. 

Inform you're fasting and for their kindness you're thankful.

~•~

When you gave somebody a tip for being helpful, 

Donated some amount to projects charitable, 

Granted some beggars money or bought them essentials, 

Keep them between you and Allah the Most Merciful. 

No need to broadcast them to be an influential.

~•~

If you aim to enjoin right, share what's beneficial,

And yearning for people's praise is not your goal at all, 

Then continue to be kind, narrate what is useful, 

Implement what you preach, don't be hypocritical, 

And pray Sunnah prayers often like Qiyaam Al-Layl.

~•~

Always ask Allah that He keeps you sincere, truthful, 

And calm with a heart that serves Allah, not the people, 

So your energy spent on good deeds isn't wasteful. 

Ensure your secret good deeds outweigh the visible 

Ones to join those who strive to stay true and dutiful.

~•~

📖 Abu Huraira RadhiAllahu 'anhu narrated that the Messenger of Allah SallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam said, "The Mufarridun (the isolated or those who like to isolate themselves) have gone ahead (in gaining rewards)." He was asked, "Who are the Mufarridun?" He SallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam replied, "Those men and women who remember Allah much."

[Sahih Muslim]

Arabic/English book reference: Book 16, Hadith 1436

📖 Abu Huraira RadhiAllahu 'anhu narrated: Allah's noble Messenger Muhammad SallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam said, "Those in seclusion have raced ahead." They said, "O Messenger of Allah, who are those in seclusion?" The Prophet Muhammad SallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam said, "They are men and women who remember Allah often."

In another narration, the Prophet SallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam said, "They are those who are absorbed in the remembrance of Allah (saying Dhikr and Du'a)."

Source: Sahih Muslim 2676

Grade: Sahih (Authentic) according to Muslim

📖 Abu Huraira RadhiAllahu 'anhu narrated: Allah's noble Messenger Muhammad SallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam said, "There are seven whom Allah will shade on a day when there is no shade but His. They are: a just ruler/leader, a youth who grew up with love for worshiping Allah, one whose heart is attached to the mosques, two who love each other, meet each other, and depart from each other for the sake of Allah, a man who is tempted by a beautiful woman of high status but he rejects her (invitation to commit zina, a major sin), saying, ‘I fear Allah,’ one who spends in charity and conceals it so much so that his right hand does not know what his left hand has given, and one who remembered Allah in private (while saying Du'a, Dhikr or reading the Noble Qur'an) and his eyes fill up with tears."

Source: Sahih Al-Bukhari 629 

Sahih Muslim 1031

Grade: Muttafaqun Alayhi (Authenticity agreed upon) according to Al-Bukhari and Muslim

📖 Abu Huraira RadhiAllahu 'anhu narrated: Allah's noble Messenger Muhammad SallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam said, "Allah the Almighty said: 'Every good deed of Adam's son is for him except fasting; it is for Me. and I shall reward (the fasting person) for it.' Verily, the smell of the mouth of a fasting person is better to Allah than the smell of musk."

Reference: Sahih Al-Bukhari 5927

In-book reference: Book 77, Hadith 142

USC-MSA web (English) reference: Vol. 7, Book 72, Hadith 811

Note: How To Clear Oneself Of The Major Sin Of Gossip Or Backbiting

💐 In The Name Of Allah The Most Gracious The Most Merciful

📜 Question: I am a woman who has gossiped and talked badly about others behind their backs many times, and no one has been spared from my tongue, even strangers or passersby in the streets I'm guilty of backbiting about them. I have gossiped about my brothers, my sisters, my father, my husband, my neighbors, and my relatives, nearly every one of them. And if I attended a social gathering I would not leave anyone behind but I'd gossip about a fault or flaw in them, and this (bad habit of gossiping) went on for ten years or more. Now repenting with the most severest regret, I feel guilty of how I previously misbehaved. I have repented and returned to Allah the Almighty and I hope that He Subhaanahu wa Ta'aala has accepted my repentance, however I understand that repenting from the major sin of gossiping requires a condition, which is to rectify matters and fix things with those whom I gossiped about. How can I clear myself of backbiting my family when doing so may bring about hatred? And how do I repent from gossip concerning strangers (and people whom I cannot easily contact) when doing so is difficult, complicating and I'm unable to locate them? Is there another way out (instead of asking, one by one, for each person's forgiveness)? Would you advise me to pray that Allah the Most Forgiving forgives those people whom I have badly spoken about in the past, or what do I do? Will it suffice that I pray for them after every prayer?

📝 Answer: Sincere Tawbah (repentance) to Allah the Most Merciful is enough Alhamdulillah, and we ask Allah that He accepts it (Tawbah) from you. 

Ask Allah earnestly that He grants them pardon and forgiveness, and mention their names in a good manner (to better their reputation) or describe them in a positive way (to compensate for formerly backbiting). 

As for fixing things with each and every individual whom you gossiped about previously, then it is not necessary due to the difficult circumstances that you have mentioned. However if you know that some of them are aware of your spreading rumors about them, then it is better to directly approach them and ask for their forgiveness. Tell them "I have done this, please excuse my ignorance and forgive me." if doing so is easy and you don't fear any negative consequence. Otherwise, if requesting them to forgive you could lead to further fitna, enmity or trouble, then Tawbah with sincerity is enough, Alhamdulillah, and in this case you are not obliged to ask for pardon individually. Regarding individuals whom you do not know, yet you insulted them, then sincere Tawbah for Allah's sake, as well as making Du'a for them, is sufficient. Alhamdulillah.

From the Fataawa of sheikh AbdulAziz Ibn Baz (May Allah have mercy on him. Ameen.)

~•~

📖 Abdullah Ibn Amr RadhiAllahu 'anhu reported that they mentioned a man in front of the Messenger of Allah SallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam and they said, “He only eats if he is fed! He only moves if he is made to move!” The Prophet SallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam said, "You have backbitten him." They said, “We only said what is true about him.” The Prophet SallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam said, "It is enough sin to mention bad things about your brother."

In another narration, the Prophet SallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam said, "If what you said about him were not true, you would have slandered him."

Source: Musnad ‘Abdullah ibn Al-Mubārak 2

Grade: Hasan (Fair) according to Al-Mundhiri

📖 Abu Dharr RadhiAllahu 'anhu narrated: Allah's noble Messenger Muhammad SallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam said, "A man does not accuse another man of wickedness or disbelief except that it will be turned against him, if his companion is innocent."

Source: Sahih Al-Bukhari 5698

Grade: Sahih (Authentic) according to Al-Bukhari

https://binbaz.org.sa/fatwas/17006/%D9%83%D9%8A%D9%81%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AA%D8%AD%D9%84%D9%84-%D9%85%D9%86-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%BA%D9%8A%D8%A8%D8%A9